What to look out for at this year's Bristol Harbour Festival
Posted on: 18 Jul 2018Bristol's favourite festival is back this weekend, and with it comes a diverse selection of music, performing arts, family-friendly activities, water-based attractions, markets and more big enough to rival any other festival event in the country. We've already covered our picks for the top five unmissable music performances on this year's programme and the best of the family-friendly attractions on offer, but here you can check out some of our suggestions on what to see and do throughout the weekend, including the Western Boat Show, the Continental Market, Live Painting with Cheba and more!
The Western Boat Show
Where: Hannover Quay from 11am on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st AND Sunday 22nd July
Following on from the success of the 2017 show, this year's event will feature a vastly improved lineup of boats and exhibitors. Part of the famous Bristol Harbour Festival, it will display a range of new and used boats for offshore and inland use to suit every boating budget - from collapsible dinghies to canal boats, all the way through to large motor boats. Of course there will also be a great range of equipment on show, from engines to deck shoes and everything in between.
The Continental Market
Where: Queen Square from 11am on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st AND Sunday 22nd July
A must see for any Bristol foodie, the Continental Market is an unmissable experience for all your senses, with a fantastic line-up of stalls from across France, Italy, Spain and Germany on offer. Expect to find olives, fresh bread, cheese and fresh fruit, tartiflette, paella and crêpes alongside traditional gifts and crafts, including gorgeous handmade soaps and ceramics.
Live Painting with Cheba
Where: Location not specified. 11am on Saturday 21st July
Having carved out a reputation in the global scene as well as locally, Cheba is one of Bristol's best-known street art exports - no easy feat given how big the scene in Bristol is. Cheba will be painting live at the Harbour Festival this year from 11am-5pm on Saturday, certainly not a sight to be missed for street art enthusiasts and curious passers-by alike.
Circomedia Circus Workshops
Where: Queen Square at 2.00pm on Saturday 21st AND Sunday 22nd July
There's all sorts of things to see and do this weekend at the Harbour Festival, but nothing quite like this. Circomedia's taster workshops give you the chance to see if you've got what it takes in the crazy world of circus acrobatics! Led by tutors and students of Bristol's centre for contemporary circus and physical theatre, the workshops are the perfect choice if you're looking to try something new. The workshops take place 2pm and 4pm on Saturday and 2pm and 3pm on Sunday.
Power8 Sprints
Where: Floating Harbour at 2.00pm on Sunday 22nd July
A brand new and exciting feature for this year's Bristol Harbour Festival will be Power8 Sprints, 350m high-octane rowing action that will be the headline act on the water. The event will see crews from eight cities go head-to-head, in a knock-out tournament, with the winners of the men's and women's event crowned Power8 Sprints champions.
Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Oxford will all be represented by crews at the inaugural Power8 Sprints - this is sure to be a huge spectacle so don't miss out on Sunday afternoon!
For more information on the above listings, or to check out the full Bristol Harbour Festival 2018 programme, visit the festival's official website or check out their Facebook page.
Article by:
Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.
