Homes and Gardens / Festivals
New ‘harvest’ festival to raise funds for Sara Venn Project
A new festival celebrating harvest bounty, community projects and more will raise money for a project set up in memory of Bristol-based “gardening rockstar” Sara Venn, who sadly passed away in June.
Inspired by the idea to “celebrate harvest like we did as children”, the Harvest Festival will run all day on October 11, at St Christopher’s Church in Brislington.
12 harvest-inspired artists, including Issi Bulloch and Holly Foskett-Barnes, will grace the festival alongside representatives from several local flower farms, community growers and food projects.
is needed now More than ever
Naomi Evans owns a homeware shop, These Two Hands, on Sandy Park Road in Brislington – photo: Isabel Fraser
In a Facebook post, Naomi Evans from These Two Hands, who is also organising the festival said: “I’ve wanted to organise something like this for a long time. I remember harvest festivals as a child with colourful stacks of pumpkins and apples, and a sense of community coming together.
“I want to celebrate the abundance of nature and share food and stories. It’s a chance to find out about the community gardens and food growing projects in the area. To swap and share harvest and celebrate local, traditional, nature-inspired crafts.
“And most importantly, it is to support a great cause.”
All proceeds from the festival will go to the Sara Venn Project, which Venn’s son set up after her demise and Venn’s own community food growing movement, Incredible Edible Bristol.
“She believed in the power of gardening to achieve change and in everyone’s right to fresh food,” Evans said, while remembering Venn as an inspiration for herself and the community.
Visitors to the festival will be encouraged to bring their own fruit and vegetable gluts to share and jams to swap as part of the one-day festival.
The festival will also host a series of art and craft workshops, demonstrations, and talks, including a Q&A session with author Lia Leendertz on her new book set to be released in 2026.
Cider from Dick Willows Farm will be available for tasting, alongside the chance to ID apples with the Woodcroft Community Orchard.
The festival will run fro 10am until 4pm, with more details to be announced imminently.
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
