Crowds flocked to the Appleby Horse Fair today despite a police warning to stay away.
Visitors arrived in the tiny town in Cumbria on horse and trap and in traditional horse-drawn caravans.
The annual event has become the biggest gathering of travellers in Europe, although it was cancelled last year due to Covid.
Groups were seen riding through the River Eden today as they cooled their horses off in the water.
Others took part in horse and trap racing through the streets of Appleby.
In April the Appleby Horse Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group delayed this year's fair until August 12 because of the pandemic.
However, families ignored the organisers and headed down to the town on the date it was originally supposed to have been held.
Police also urged people to stay away due to Covid restrictions preventing gatherings of more than 30 people.
A spokesman for Cumbria Constabulary told the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald: "Those planning their traditional, annual, horse fair visit were asked to stay away and make plans for later in the summer.
"We are grateful to those who have heeded this message.
"However, a number of people have arrived in and around Appleby today."
A "significant" number of officers were in the town on Saturday, police added.
Photographs posted online show visitors lining the banks of the River Eden, with some sitting on carts.
The annual event normally draws in around 10,000 travellers and gypsies from across Europe in the first week of June.
Last year's cancellation was the second time in the fair's 250-year history that it had been called off.
The first time was in 2001 during the foot and mouth outbreak, with the traveller community staying away after organisers cancelled the event.
Even though the fair was called off last year around 100 travellers still arrived in the town with their horses, Mail Online reports.
During previous fairs, the population of Appleby has swelled from around 3,000 to 40,000.
