Hello! Peak summer holidays, and if the spending is starting to sting, good news: four of this week's five picks are free.
This Weekend's Pick
Greendale Love Local Food Festival, Exeter Castle, Saturday
Free entry, Saturday 10:00 to 18:00, and a lovely thing to base a Saturday morning in town around. More than 80 local producers fill the castle grounds, with a courtyard of street food (pizza, falafel, fresh pasta, the Greendale barbecue and plenty more) plus live music through the day.
Get there early and the kids pick up a free goodie bag. There's a children's activities area on the site map too, and while the detail on that is thin, the worst case is good food, a goodie bag and an easy hour on the lawn games. Not a bad worst case.
Park at Mary Arches Street or Princesshay, and it's a short walk up.
| When: | Saturday 15 August, 10am to 6pm |
| Where: | Exeter Castle, Castle Street, EX4 3PU (city centre) |
| Cost: | Free entry. Food and drink paid on the day. |
More Good Stuff
Arts in the Park, Crediton, Saturday
The free finale of Crediton's summer arts festival, 10:00 to 16:00 at Newcombes Meadow, and the whole day is drop-in with no booking needed. Free art sessions run all day: giant crepe flower making 10 till 12, a communal Big Doodle from 12 till 2, then tiny gardens and treasure islands to make and take home from 2.
Around those there's circus workshops with Higher Beings, drumming, street theatre, face painting and a craft fair, with food on site. It's an easy 10-minute train from Exeter St Davids to Crediton, or about 20 minutes by car, and it costs you nothing but the fare.
| When: | Saturday 15 August, 10am to 4pm |
| Where: | Newcombes Meadow, Crediton (about 20 minutes by car, or 10 by train from Exeter St Davids) |
| Cost: | Free. Everything drop-in, no booking needed. |
Outdoor cinema at Powderham Castle, Saturday and Sunday
Powderham's open-air screen has two family showings this weekend: Sing on Saturday (gates 12:00) and a Gruffalo and Stick Man double bill on Sunday morning, 10:00 to 12:00, which is a gentle one for younger ones.
Tickets are £12.89 for adults and £9.80 for under-12s (booking fee included), with under-1s free. Bring your own chairs or a blanket. Both showings are marked as selling fast, so book before the weekend if you fancy it.
| When: | Sing: Saturday, gates 12pm. The Gruffalo and Stick Man: Sunday, 10am to 12pm |
| Where: | Powderham Castle, Kenton, EX6 8JQ (about 15 minutes from Exeter) |
| Cost: | £12.89 adult, £9.80 under-12 (booking fee included). Under-1s free. |
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Tiverton Proms in the Park, Sunday (worth the drive)
A free community afternoon at Westexe Recreation Ground, 14:00 to 17:00, with Tiverton Town Band, traditional Punch and Judy shows and a soft play area for smaller kids. About 25 minutes away, and a nice low-effort way to see out the weekend.
| When: | Sunday 16 August, 2pm to 5pm |
| Where: | Westexe Recreation Ground, Tiverton, EX16 5BP (about 25 minutes from Exeter) |
| Cost: | Free |
One free thing
CCA Summer Inflatable Day, Cullompton, Saturday
Free entry, 10:00 to 16:00 at CCA Fields, with almost all the bouncy castles and soft play free too, which is not a sentence you read often. Food vendors on site, and the Bradninch Red Barrows comedy display team land around 1pm. Roughly 20 minutes from Exeter, and worth it.
| When: | Saturday 15 August, 10am to 4pm |
| Where: | CCA Fields, Duke Street, Cullompton, EX15 1DW (about 20 minutes from Exeter) |
| Cost: | Free entry. Bouncy castles and soft play free too. |
That's the lot for this week. If you visit any of these and have a particularly good time, hit reply and let us know. We love to hear from you.
Details change. Check each venue's website before setting off, especially for timed entry or one-off events.
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