Ottery St. Mary's traditional Tar Barrels event will take place this Saturday.

The event did not take place in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the crowds last year were much larger than usual as a result.

The event has been taking place for hundreds of years and it involves local people carrying barrels of tar, which are on fire, through the streets of Ottery. Crowds of up to 15,000 people assemble to watch the spectacle. 

The event will start from 7pm.

Anyone wishing to attend the event and the related fair have been asked to bring cash with them, as signals for card payments at the stalls is poor, and there are limited cash machines in Ottery.

The organisers have asked that anyone who in uncomfortable with large crowds stay away. Additionally, they have warned that the event is not suitable for young children, animals or anyone who has mobility issues.

A spokesperson for the event said: "Please adhere to all instruction given by our town marshals and event stewards these will be used to keep you and our rollers safe. If there is a particular barrel that you want to see please get there early and wait there to avoid disappointment.

"Remember this event has its dangers so please adhere to all instruction given by our town and barrel marshals. By choosing to come to this event you have accepted the risks involved and take responsibility for your own actions.

"We will be placing barriers in the main barrel locations again this year for crowd control and to prevent overcrowding around the barrel rolling."

Anyone who becomes disorientated or feels unwell should seek help from a marshal.

Getting to the barrels

There will no road access to the town on Saturday evening and there will be extensive road closures in force.

There will be two car parks available to visitors on the night. The main car park is located of off Barrack Road and the other is on Strawberry Lane. There is an additional one in Finnimore Industrial Estate in case of wet weather.

Parking fees for these carparks is £10 and visitors are asked to allow plenty to time to walk from the carparks into town.

You can find out more detailed information on access and parking here.