Event: Creative Street Festival, Magdalen Road

Catherine Hurcombe heads to St Leonard’s to get a taste of the newest street festival in the city’s cultural calendar

Home to a host of beloved local delis, restaurants, and independent shops, Exeter’s Magdalen Road welcomed the first Creative Street Festival for an afternoon of artistic celebrations on Saturday 21st June.

The area’s crafters and creatives came to share their work, with stalls featuring a range of expertise, from basket weaving to ceramics. Handmade homeware and artworks were on display everywhere you looked, and many visitors found themselves leaving with new houseplants, cushions, wall art, and more! Artists from Ceramexe showcased some of their beautiful pottery, and La Vie En Rose Makery offered some inspiring textile arts.

L to R: Ceramexe; La Vie en Rose Makery. Photos by Catherine Hurcombe

As well as adding to their personal collections, visitors were encouraged to get involved by flexing their own creative muscles. Family arts and crafts activities were held throughout the day, inviting the community to design their own pieces of work. For those who preferred to watch the festivities, performances and demonstrations were also available, including local musicians, The Heavitree Strummers.

Clockwise from top: photo by Catherine Hurcombe; The Heavitree Strummers, photo by Dom Jinks; basket-weaving demonstration, photo by Catherine Hurcombe; hand-spun yarn for sale, photo by Catherine Hurcombe.

Despite the day’s unpredictable weather, the festival provided a warm and friendly atmosphere, with nearby businesses opening their doors to take part in the afternoon’s events. This was a great way to spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon, and an opportunity to learn more about creative happenings taking place around the city and beyond!