What is Steve Fest?

Stevefest, the festival that’s all about celebrating the beloved name of Steve! Held on December 26th—St. Stephen’s Day, otherwise known as Boxing Day—this unique gathering at Tyler’s in Belper brings together everyone named Steve, Stephen, Steven, and even female equivalents like Stephanie, Steph, and Stefani. It’s a celebration of community, camaraderie, and the common (yet special!) experience of sharing the name Steve in a town where Steves seem to be around every corner!

How Did It Begin?

Stevefest started as a light-hearted joke among a group of Steves in Belper, who noticed they’d often run into other Steves while out at the local pubs. In some cases, they found that five, six, or even more Steves would all be ordering a drink at the same bar! With such a high concentration of people sharing the same name, it only made sense to create an event to honor it. And what better day to host Stevefest than on St. Stephen’s Day, named after the original Stephen and celebrated as a day of charity, festivity, and friendship?

This idea quickly caught on with locals, who loved the notion of having a quirky post-Christmas celebration for Steves and non-Steves alike. And so, Stevefest was born—a festival dedicated to anyone who’s ever gone by Steve, and everyone who’s ever bought a drink for a Steve!