The Great Polden Hills’ Mangelwurzel Day 2026
Sunday 20 September 2026 | 11am–4pm
Edington Village Hall, TA7 9HA
Something wonderfully wonky is coming to the Polden Hills… The Great Polden Hills’ Mangelwurzel Day!
Join us at Edington Village Hall for a fantastic day of family fun, live music, food, competitions, costumes, special guests, dancing — and, of course, an impressive collection of home-grown mangelwurzels!
The day will be hosted by our very special guest Master of Ceremonies, Luke Knight, host and presenter of Knight Tales, who will help us celebrate this rather extraordinary Somerset vegetable in style.
🌱 Enter your Mangelwurzel! 🌱
Got a mangelwurzel to be proud of? Bring it along!
Registration is open from 11am until 1pm. Bring your entry to the Village Hall, complete your entry card and let the judging commence.
Our very special guests, Charles Dowding (NoDig) and Lucy Hutchings (SheGrowsVeg) will be casting their expert eyes over the entries as judges before the winners are announced from 3pm.
🏆Categories 🏆
There are plenty of ways to become a Mangelwurzel champion! Categories include:
Heaviest – the biggest beast by weight.
Longest – measured from top to bottom of the longest root, excluding foliage.
Biggest Girth – for the magnificently chunky.
Gnarliest – the more character, the better!
Best Looking Legs – beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Most Like Donald Trump – your Mangel can be altered in any way, including carved or painted.
Most Vibrant Colour – one winner for Red Mammoth and one for Yellow Eckendorf.
Best Mangel Monster – carve it, paint it, adorn it or decorate it in any way you like!
Looks Most Like a Carrot – yes, really!
Best Junior Green Fingers Entry – open to our younger growers. This can be a mangelwurzel already entered in another category or an entry submitted exclusively for this award.
Most Valiant Effort – otherwise known as the “I Tried Hard” Award. Because sometimes it really is the taking part that counts!
Biggest Contributor to the Facebook Group – no mangelwurzel entry required for this one! The winner will be announced on the day.
So whether you've grown a monster, a miniature, a masterpiece, something wonderfully weird — or something that looks suspiciously like Donald Trump — bring it along!
🎶 Music, dancing & entertainment 🎶
From midday, enjoy live music from Secret Seven.
We are pleased to be welcoming The Glastonbury Border Morris Dancers.
The Savage Sisters have very special Celebration of the Mangelwurzel — quite possibly a performance you never knew you needed to see!
🍴 Food, drink & mangelwurzel creations 🍴
Food and drink will be served throughout the day, so there's no need to worry about going hungry while you admire the mangelwurzels.
And, in true Mangelwurzel Day style, you can even sample some special mangelwurzel culinary creations!
🎪 Fun for everyone 🎪
There will be plenty happening throughout the day, including:
🎨 Crafty Corner
🎭 Face painting
📸 Face-in-the-hole photo stand
🫙 Guess-the-number jars
🌱 Mangelwurzel Hurling Contest
🎟️ Fantastic raffle prizes
🏆 Fun competitions and prizes
👗 Children's and adults' fancy dress — come in your best costume!
👑 The big finale 👑
From 3pm, once judging has been completed by Charles Dowding and Lucy Hutchings, viewing of the mangelwurzels will open, the winners will be announced and the prizes presented.
Who will have the heaviest? The longest? The gnarliest? The best legs? And, most importantly… who will grow the mangelwurzel that looks most like Donald Trump?
You'll have to come along to find out, celebrate Somerset and the mighty Mangelwurzel!
Whether you're a serious grower, a first-time competitor, a budding junior green-finger, fancy having a go at the hurling, want to dress up, enjoy some live music, sample some mangelwurzel-inspired food, or simply fancy a wonderfully silly day out with the family, there will be something for everyone.
All money raised from the event will go towards Seed of Hope CIC and Edington Village Hall.
So bring your family, bring your friends - and don’t forget to bring your mangelwurzel!
🌱🎉 We can't wait to celebrate the mighty Mangelwurzel with you! 🌱🎉
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1516823159414070 - The official Great Poldens Mangelwurzel day Group
https://www.knighttales.co.uk/ - Luke Knight
https://charlesdowding.co.uk/ - Charles Dowding
https://shegrowsveg.com/ - Lucy Hutchings
https://www.facebook.com/p/Secret-Seven-61573970167821/ - Secret Seven Musicians
https://www.facebook.com/glastonburymorris/ - Glastonbury Border Morris Dancers
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582310236277# - Savage Sisters
