Cambridge is lovely from late spring through early autumn, but the academic calendar gives the city its real rhythm. Term time (October to June, with breaks) fills the streets with students and keeps pubs lively; the long summer vacation empties the colleges but opens them to visitors. May Week — confusingly held in June — is when the city is at its most festive.
Events Worth Timing a Trip Around
Strawberry Fair (first Saturday in June) is Cambridge's biggest free festival, taking over Midsummer Common with music, arts, crafts, and food stalls. It draws enormous crowds and has the feel of a proper counterculture gathering.
Cambridge Folk Festival (last weekend in July) at Cherry Hinton Hall is one of Britain's most respected folk festivals, running since 1965. It sells out fast — booking opens in spring. Camping is available on and off site.
Cambridge Beer Festival (late May) is run by the local CAMRA group and features a serious selection of real ales, ciders, perries, and an excellent cheese counter.
The May Bumps (mid-June, despite the name) are inter-college rowing races on the Cam between Fen Ditton and Chesterton. Boats line up in single file and try to "bump" the boat ahead — it is gloriously chaotic and uniquely Cambridge. Best watched from Grassy Corner off Fen Road or from The Plough in Fen Ditton with a pint. The Lent Bumps (early March) follow the same format on a smaller scale.
Midsummer Fair (late June) brings East Anglia's largest funfair to Midsummer Common. There has been a fair on this site since the Middle Ages.
Bonfire Night (early November) on Midsummer Common features a massive bonfire and fireworks display, with a funfair running for several days around it.