Top Festive Fun Things To Do In Devon (and slightly beyond) 2021
The festivities are upon us! In this part of the world it feels like Christmas is here as soon as Exeter Cathedral opens the Christmas market (which obviously features on our list!). It was sadly missed last year, as were dozens of other festive activities that usually herald the start of Christmas fun.
That means this year we are ready and excited to ‘fill our boots’ with as much winter fun as possible - from wreath making to long walks (more on that in a moment). Whether you can nip out for a bit of a festive pick-me-up any time, or your fun is reserved for ‘out of office’ hours, there’s something on our list for you. And in the interests of transparency - none of these entries are sponsored. We’ve painstakingly, dedicatedly crafted this list from our own research, and added things we think look like fun for anyone. Dig in, and let us know what you plan to get up to this winter in the comments or over on our Instagram.
Christmas with Devon Cookery School We aren’t going to be shy about it! We’ve put a huge amount of work into welcoming you back to the School for a magical festive experience, and we’d love to meet you on one of our festive cookery classes. We’re also still running non-festive classes covering a range of world cuisines and kitchen skills. We’ve found recently that our gift vouchers are proving incredibly popular as a way for our community to commit to time with loved ones, and allow friends to choose their ideal date and class.
Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market
Of course no list of Devon winter fun would be complete with this market. It is now a time honoured ritual for us to head on down to the Cathedral Market in early December to check out the bountiful and varied Christmas goodies - food, drink, trinkets, gifts, clothing and more. This year we’ve been particularly taken with a stall that sells citrus garlands - dried fruits and spices strung together or packed into gauze bags to scent your home with the ultimate orange and cinnamon Christmas combo. There are also fudge stands, candle stalls, handmade jewellery and more. It’s a lovely way to spend an evening with friends, stopping for food and drink midway through your exploration.
And there are dozens of other fabulous Christmas markets throughout Devon!
Plymouth Christmas Market is another large, ongoing market running December 2nd to December 19th, meaning you’ve still got plenty of time to nip down for a memorable few hours and pick up your last presents. Expect an open air bar, plenty of fresh food, and dozens of local arts and crafts stalls and small businesses. Plymouth Christmas Market also puts on a unique schedule of Christmas events - for example on 11th December you’ll find the Christmas Elves and the Goodometer (we hope we’d score highly on that!), and on December the 16th Angie’s Festive Funky Hooping.
Paignton Christmas Markets next events are 12th December and 19th December. Bundle the family up for an adventure to Paignton Harbour, nestled on the western shore of Tor Bay. Enjoy local crafts and handmade arts, nibbles, drinks and live music in a harbour first established in the 18th century.
Totnes Late Night Christmas Market on 7th, 14th and 21st of December promises a lovely array of food, clothes and antiques from local producers, with a sprinkle of festive entertainers and traditional Totnes Christmas magic. Many local stores will keep their doors open until 9pm to give everyone a chance to catch up on their Christmas shopping and enjoy the holiday fun. The event was initially cancelled but has been brought back to life with extra festive cheer by local champions who wanted to give local sellers a boost and create a magical experience for visitors. In addition to shopping, each date will host special Christmas events including a Magic Lantern live gig on the 14th, and Blackbird Open Mic Finale on the 21st.