Art / News
Bristol’s oldest arts trail celebrates 25 years
Totterdown Arts Trail is preparing for its silver anniversary celebrations in November 2025, recognising 25 years of a beloved south Bristol event.
Taking place on the middle weekend in November, when the sun goes down before 4.30pm, the oldest arts trail in the city is an ideal time to wrap up warm – perhaps with a locally pressed mulled cider in hand – and bask in the community cheer.
As you might expect, making this annual event happen relies on an abundance of goodwill and enthusiasm, both from its organising committee, and the volunteers, community members, participating artists and visitors that bring it to life.
Work from the artist behind the cover of our latest magazine, Cameron Iona, will be on display at the Star & Dove pub on St Luke’s Road.
Chicken wire sculpture at Totterdown Arts Trail 2024 – photo: Sahar: Shah
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with activities and workshops across the weekend – photo: Sahar Shah
Exploring Arts Trail venues on Crowndale Road – photo: Philip Bruland
The artists sharing their work – and often their homes – over the weekend will be showcasing a huge range of practices: from printmaking to sculpture; jewellery making to ceramics; painting to photography; stained glass to textiles, and more.
And all the work will be available to purchase, at a very convenient time for many, given the slow but inevitable approach to Christmas.
Lots of venues offer their own refreshments – photo: Sahar: Shah
The 2024 ‘Boardwalk’ trail signs – photo: Sahar Shah
A busy venue at Totterdown Arts Trail 2024 – photo: Sahar Shah
Food and drink will be available from businesses dotted around upper and lower Totterdown, including The Sundial Kitchen, BANK, Bruhaha, Toastie Queens, and the newly opened Smokebox, as well as in several of the participating community venues and artists’ homes.
With a programme of extra events, activities and workshops, including book making with Bristol Print Museum and movie screenings* and jazz music at The Old Picture House (celebrating its 7th anniversary) – the trail is already shaping up to be a memorable one. Maps will track venues – displaying the familiar ‘duck’ event mascot – as well as noting toilets and good places for kids to visit, with plenty of surprises on offer along the way.
Local cider makers Totterdown Press are an Arts Trail fixture – photo: Sean Busby Richard Jones
The venue board for 2025 – photo: Totterdown Arts Trail
This article originally appeared in Bristol24/7’s November/December 2025 magazine – artwork: Cameron Iona
Totterdown Arts Trail 2025 is on the weekend of November 15-16 (11am-6pm Saturday and 11am-6pm Sunday).
*The movies to be shown at The Old Picture House are both jazz classics, with Kansas City (1996), set in 1930s Kansas City and starring Harry Belafonte, on Saturday, followed by Pete Kelly’s Blues (1955), set in prohibition era Kansas City and starring Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald, on Sunday.
Follow @totterdownarttrail for updates and featured artists; pick up the trail map in local venues across Totterdown, or access a digital version from www.totterdownartstrail.org.
Main photo: Philip Bruland
Read next:
- Totterdown ready for its ever-popular Arts Trail weekend
- 10 years of Bristol24/7: Totterdown & North Bristol Art Trail
- Totterdown gears up for its annual Arts Trail weekend
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