October Plenty returns to Borough Market

As Borough Market’s stalls fill with Autumn’s rich produce – from apples and pears to squashes and plums - London’s favourite food destination will be celebrating the Autumn harvest by welcoming back theatre company the Lions part and its popular October Plenty festival.

A glorious collective celebration of the seasons, weather and food, October Plenty mixes ancient seasonal customs and contemporary festivity with theatre performance dancing, special appearances and stories to mark the annual occasion.

Making its first comeback post-pandemic, October Plenty will begin on Bankside outside Shakespeare’s Globe at 11.00am on Sunday 23 October, and then process, along Bankside to London’s iconic Borough Market led by the magnificent Corne Queene embellished in wheat, fruit and vegetables. She is joined by the Berry Man: the autumnal Green Man, decked with wild fruits & foliage, and musicians, actors and other seasonal characters.

In Borough Market the festivities will continue with Morris dancing, the infamous flock of sheep, conker fights, and a special performance of ‘Fabularium Fables’ from the theatre company The Fabularium.

The Story Orchard will also be making a return, where children can hear tales of apples, markets, magic & harvest told by Pat Ryan amongst an orchard of young apple trees.

The public will later be invited to dance The Hay: (a lively country dance dating back to the 16th Century) before the celebrations draw to a close with the notorious Execution of John Barleycorn and the stripping of the Corne Queene.

At the end of the day, all are invited to visit & decorate the historic Crossbones Graveyard gates in Red Cross Way and then enjoy the reflective quiet of the graveyard itself.