Curated · updated weekly
What's on
The markets, craft events, exhibitions and small, lovely things worth your time — hand-picked, never the tourist-trap stuff. If it's here, we'd go ourselves.
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This month in the South West
ExhibitionUntil 4 Oct · Plymouth
Gillian Ayres: A Life in Colour
The first major retrospective of British abstract painter Gillian Ayres, bringing together 26 works spanning seven decades at Plymouth's flagship museum.
The Box, Tavistock Place, Plymouth, PL4 8AXFree entry (pay-what-you-can booking encouraged for priority access)
MarketUntil 31 Dec · Bristol
St Nicholas Market
Bristol's best-loved market — independent traders and a famous lunchtime street-food scene, Monday to Saturday.
St Nicholas Market, Corn Street, Bristol BS1 1JQFree entry
Craft & making👋 Meet peopleUntil 29 Oct · Widecombe In The Moor
Widecombe Artisan Craft Market
A weekly Thursday market of Dartmoor makers inside a 16th-century National Trust hall, free to wander with donations going to the Air Ambulance.
Church House, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor, Devon TQ13 7TAFree entry; donations to Devon Air Ambulance
ExhibitionUntil 3 Jan · Bristol
RWA 173rd Annual Open Exhibition
Bristol's major open-submission show, with 500+ contemporary works spanning painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media.
Royal West of England Academy, Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX£8.90 (£4.45 with National Art Pass)
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleUntil 20 Sept · Sidmouth
Taste East Devon Festival
A nine-day trail of tastings, feasts and foraging across East Devon, from a River Cottage mushroom feast to an apple-pressing party at Whimple.
Venues across East Devon, from Exmouth to AxminsterVaries by event (individual bookings; some free)
Music👋 Meet peopleSat 19 Sept · Exeter
Altered Images — Happy Birthday
Original singer Clare Grogan leads the band through their 1981 debut album in full at Exeter's much-loved independent arts centre.
Exeter Phoenix, Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LSFrom £30
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleWed 23 – Sun 27 Sept · Truro
Truro Food Festival
Cornwall's biggest food festival takes over Lemon Quay for five days — producers, street food, live music and free entry.
Lemon Quay, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2EHFree entry (some workshops ticketed separately)
Music👋 Meet peopleThu 24 Sept · Bristol
Sober Open Mic Night
A completely alcohol- and drug-free open mic — musicians, poets and first-timers all welcome — run monthly by Bristol Sober Spaces.
On The Hill, Bishopsworth Road, Bristol, BS13 7JWSuggested donation £3 on the door
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleSat 26 – Sun 27 Sept · Bristol
FŌDA — A Festival of Food Ideas
A waterfront weekend of food, founded by chef Josh Eggleton — a producer village, free family workshops and talks on sustainable farming.
Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QAFree entry to producer village & family workshops; symposium talks from £45
Craft & makingSun 27 Sept · Exeter
Exeter Dolls House and Miniatures Fair
Leading craftspeople show dolls' houses, miniature figures and every imaginable tiny accessory under one roof.
The Conference Centre, Westpoint, Exeter EX5 1DJ£3.50 adult
Music👋 Meet peopleSun 27 Sept · Bristol
Sober Hip Hop Night at Trinity
A completely alcohol- and drug-free hip hop night from Bristol Sober Spaces, with headliners MoYah and CW Jones plus a full local lineup.
The Trinity Centre, Trinity Rd, Bristol BS2 0NW£10–£12.50
FamilyUntil 31 Oct · Cheltenham
Pumpkin Patch at Cotswold Farm Park
A pick-your-own pumpkin patch and carving tent at Adam Henson's rare-breed farm, open weekends through October and daily over half term.
Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham GL54 5UG£14.95 adult / £14.50 child, includes a pumpkin
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleSat 3 – Sun 4 Oct · Exeter
Powderham Food Festival
Devon's celebration of local food and drink returns to the grounds of Powderham Castle — over 100 South West producers, chef demos and live music.
Powderham Castle, Kenton, Exeter, Devon EX6 8JQ£5.50 adult advance / £7.50 on the gate; under-16s free; parking free
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleSun 4 Oct · Exeter
eat:Exeter Gate to Plate
Seventy-plus Devon food and drink producers take over Sidwell Street for a free, family-friendly street food festival.
Sidwell Street & Cheeke Street, ExeterFree entry
MusicTue 6 Oct · Bristol
Robert Jon & The Wreck
California blues-rock band's UK tour stops at Trinity, a converted Victorian church turned community arts venue in Bristol.
Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol BS2 0NWSee venue for ticket price
Culture👋 Meet peopleUntil 18 Oct · Cheltenham
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Ten days of author talks, debates and free festival-village fun in Montpellier Gardens — one of Britain's biggest literary gatherings.
Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1ULFestival Village free to enter; individual event tickets from around £12
Craft & making👋 Meet peopleSat 10 Oct · Truro
The BIG Truro Market
Sixty-plus independent makers, designers and food producers fill Lemon Quay for the monthly market, with live music and street food, dog-friendly.
Lemon Quay, Truro, CornwallFree entry
OutdoorsUntil 3 Nov · Exeter
Orchard Month at Killerton
A month of apple-harvesting trails and cider-press demonstrations across Killerton's 50 acres of heritage orchards near Exeter.
Killerton, Broadclyst, near Exeter, Devon EX5 3LENormal garden admission applies (National Trust members go free)
Craft & making👋 Meet peopleSun 11 Oct · Frome
Frome Flea Market & Craft Fair
A large indoor-outdoor flea market and craft fair near Frome with over 250 traders, designer makers and a classic car meet.
West Woodlands Showground, Bunns Lane, Frome BA11 5ES£3 (under 16s free)
Craft & making👋 Meet peopleTue 13 Oct · Totnes
Totnes Indoor Artisan Market
Twenty-plus South Devon makers set up in Totnes Civic Hall for a monthly artisan market of jewellery, textiles, prints and handmade chocolate.
Totnes Civic Hall, Market Square, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5SFFree entry
ExhibitionUntil 14 Feb · Bristol
Bristol Photo Festival: Time Machine
Bristol's leading galleries and museums throw open nine major photography exhibitions exploring time as layered and cyclical rather than a straight line.
Multiple venues including Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RLFree (donations welcome)
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