Conwy Castle — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A Town with a Rich Events Calendar
Conwy punches above its weight for a small town when it comes to events and festivals. Its combination of a dramatic medieval setting, a loyal community of residents and its position as a popular tourist destination means that the town calendar includes a number of well-established annual events. The key events are spread through the warmer months from spring to autumn, though the town has a particular character at Christmas when the castle and walls are lit and the market stalls in the town centre create a festive atmosphere.
For up-to-date listings of specific dates and events, the conwy.com website and the local tourism office are the best sources. What follows is an overview of the major annual events and the character they bring to the town across the seasons.
The Conwy Honey Fair
The Conwy Honey Fair is the most distinctive annual event in the town's calendar. Its roots stretch back roughly 700 years to a charter granted under Edward I, making it one of the oldest fairs of any kind in Wales. It takes place on a Saturday in September in Conwy High Street and Lancaster Square — the heart of the medieval town — and brings together honey producers, beekeepers, mead makers, beeswax craftspeople, Welsh food producers and artisan market traders for a day of activity in what is already one of the most atmospheric settings in North Wales. Honey, beeswax candles, creamed honey, royal jelly and mead are the stars; Welsh cheeses, cured meats, preserves and crafts fill the surrounding stalls.
September is also an excellent time to visit Conwy for the weather — often warm and sunny but without the peak summer crowds — making the Honey Fair a particularly good reason to plan a visit.
The Conwy River Festival
The Conwy River Festival celebrates the town's maritime heritage and its relationship with the estuary. In 2026 it runs over three days from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July, with the main public Quay Day on Saturday 12 July. The quay and harbour fill with pleasure craft, sailing races, nautical games and family entertainment; the castle provides one of the finest backdrops of any waterfront event in Wales. It is a good family occasion and the atmosphere on the quayside during the festival is lively and inclusive.
Other summer events in and around Conwy include outdoor theatre performances at the castle, music events in the town and the various agricultural shows that take place in the surrounding countryside through July and August.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring brings the laburnum arch in flower at Bodnant Garden, eight miles south of Conwy — one of the great annual spectacles of Welsh horticulture, typically at its best in late May or early June. The 55-metre arch, originally planted by Victorian founder Henry Pochin in 1880, draws around 50,000 visitors in its three-week peak; during laburnum season the garden stays open until 8pm on Monday to Thursday. The Honey Fair marks the autumn. Christmas markets and events have grown in recent years, with various stalls and activities in the town centre through December adding to the already atmospheric character of the floodlit castle and walls.
Whatever time of year you visit, the permanent attractions — the castle, walls, Plas Mawr, the quayside — provide the backbone of a visit to Conwy, and any events happening during your stay are a bonus rather than the primary reason to come.
The Conwy Half Marathon
The third Sunday in November brings 4,000 runners to the town for the Conwy Half Marathon. The race starts on the quayside in front of the castle at 9:30am and circuits the Great Orme via Llandudno before returning through the town. Even non-runners find race day one of the most atmospheric events in the Conwy calendar — the castle backdrop at the start and finish, the pubs open early, the town full of running kit. It has been voted one of the top five most scenic half marathons in the UK.
Entry fills quickly when it opens. If you are planning a visit around the race, note that the quayside area is restricted from early morning and the town is busier than a typical November Sunday. For general advice on timing your visit, see the best time to visit Conwy guide.
Christmas and Winter Events
Conwy in December is atmospheric without being overwhelmed: the castle and walls are lit in the evenings, a heated Christmas fair fills a marquee on the harbour in late November, and the medieval setting gives festive decoration a weight that more generic town centres cannot match. Cadw usually runs a family Christmas event at the castle. In winter the castle opens 10am to 4pm (closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January), while Plas Mawr closes from 2 November until March. See our full Christmas in Conwy guide for dates and ideas.
The town's pubs are particularly welcoming in the dark months, and the relative quiet of the winter season makes it one of the more relaxed times to walk the walls and explore the medieval streets. For a full picture of how the town changes across the seasons, see the best time to visit Conwy guide.
Day trips