Exeter Craft Festival

The Exeter Craft Festival returns to Exeter Cathedral Green from Thursday 8 July to Saturday 10 July 2027, running 10am to 5pm each day. It's one of the city's longest-running annual events, having been a fixture on the local cultural calendar for more than 50 years. The festival brings together artists and makers from across the South West, with over 100 stalls of handmade gifts, contemporary crafts, original artwork, jewellery, ceramics, textiles and woodwork. One of the best bits is that you get to meet the creators behind each piece, so you're buying directly from the person who actually made it.

Among the makers confirmed for this edition are Sophie Penstone, Gail Morris Art, Halfmoon & Hide, Honey & Ginger, Beeswax Alchemy, Gutterman Art, Peapod Creations, Saffron Grove, Esme Cooper, Kymara Cornish Art and Joanne Roper. That's just a handful of the names you'll find across the stalls, and with more than a hundred of them in total, there's plenty to wander through. Alongside the craft, there's live entertainment and refreshments on site, which makes it a family-friendly day out rather than just a quick trip for a specific gift.

Behind the scenes, the festival is run by a team that opens applications months in advance. The process is thorough: makers submit an online form, a full risk assessment and three images of their work. It's that vetting that keeps the quality high and ensures the stalls are genuinely handmade.

Admission is free, and the festival runs from 10am to 5pm on Thursday 8, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 July at Exeter Cathedral Green (Exeter Cathedral, 1 The Cloisters, Exeter EX1 1HS). With three full days to choose from, you can take your time and come back if you find something you can't quite decide on.