Otley Victorian Fayre was originally the brainchild of Otley Chamber of Trade. They wanted to give the town’s shops a boost in the run up to Christmas and chose the Victorian theme because it was in the Victorian era that Christmas, as we now know it, really started.

The first Fayre was held in 1985 and was an immediate success.

The organisation of the Fayre was passed to Otley Town Partnership in 2011, who ran it successfully until deciding in 2022 to step down.

In 2023 a new Victorian Fayre Committee was formed, made up of volunteers who all live in Otley, and a handover from Otley Town Partnership was completed.