Family festivals to get excited about in 2022 (2023)

Devon hosts so many festivals and events every year, there’s something for everyone, whether you like walking, gardening, motorbikes, aeroplanes, films, books or good food.

Some of the events are so unusual – from Brixham Pirate Festival to the flaming Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary – they draw visitors from far and wide.

Many are suitable for the whole family to attend and enjoy, with special activities to keep children entertained.

Read more: Music concerts and festivals happening in Devon in 2022

Below is a round-up of the Devon festivals and events scheduled to take place in 2022. It will be updated throughout the year.

It does not include events taking place in Plymouth – for What’s On in Plymouth, visit our sister site PlymouthLive .

JANUARY

14 to Feb 27 Snowdrop Festival, BUCKLAND MONACHORUM, The Garden House

Snowdrops are at their best at this time and the festival runs from Friday to Sunday each week, with nearly 350 cultivars on display. More here.

APRIL

29-30 Toby Buckland’s Garden Festival, KENTON NEAR EXETER, Powderham Castle

Featuring a fabulous range of nurseries, a speaker programme, music, street performers and the best food Devon has to offer. More here.

29 to May 1 English Riviera Bike Festival, PAIGNTON, Paignton Green

This is an exciting new two-day, family-friendly motorbike weekend. Hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts and spectators of all ages from across the country are expected to attend. There will be live music at many of the local pubs and bars including The Spinning Wheel. There will be food and drink stalls and traders selling clothing and accessories. More from the Facebook group here.

30 to May 2 Brixham Pirate Festival, BRIXHAM, various venues

This annual festival is a swashbuckling mix of seaside shenanigans and pirate-themed fun for all the family. Fancy dress is encouraged. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

MAY

TBC BrixFest, BRIXHAM, various

This free, three-day festival includes fireworks, live music, cooking demonstrations, heritage craft exhibitions, crabbing competitions, a vintage car rally and lots more. More here.

1 Salcombe Crab Festival or Crabfest, SALCOMBE

The brown crab caught by the Salcombe fleet is widely regarded as the best in the world, so the town thought it deserved its own annual celebration. Enjoy hands-on cookery demonstrations by award-winning chefs, crab picking masterclasses, crab pot making, live music and kids’ activities. More here.

7-8 Balloons and Tunes, KENTON NEAR EXETER, Powderham Castle

This is a new family-friendly event involving hot air balloons, live music, a funfair, fireworks and giant dinosaurs. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

14 Pigstock, ABBOTSHAM NEAR BIDEFORD, Pig on the Hill and The Big Sheep

This family-friendly festival features a food village, free entertainment, live music and camping. Partner The Big Sheep will be opening its doors during the day for festival-goers. Tickets here.

27-29 Sea Change, TOTNES, various venues

The festival will see live music, art, film, literature and conversations happening at atmospheric venues across Totnes including St Mary’s Church, Totnes Cinema, The Barrel House Ballroom and The Bull Inn. More here.

27-30 Wavelength Spring Classic, WOOLACOMBE, Woolacombe Down

This is a brand new, family-friendly surf and music festival, celebrating live music, food, nature, surf, skate, ride and van culture. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

JUNE

4-5 English Riviera Airshow, PAIGNTON, Paignton Green

The event features breath-taking air displays over the stunning natural amphitheatre of the bay. It is usually well supported by the RAF, including the Red Arrows, as well as top civilian displays. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

11-12 Exeter Respect Festival, EXETER, Belmont Park

This is the city’s annual celebration of diversity where the performing and creative arts are used to engage the community in saying no to racism and all forms of prejudice. The 2022 festival is dedicated to environment justice – not only climate change, but also biodiversity. Headlining the event on the Saturday are The Henry Girls. More here.

30 to July 2 Devon County Show, EXETER, Westpoint

The 126th Devon County Show is set to delight visitors with its usual mix of food, farming and entertainment. There will be a wide range of competitions and demonstrations, and lots of hands-on activities for children. More here.

JULY

23 Mid Devon Show, TIVERTON, Knightshayes

A celebration of rural Mid Devon with an eclectic mix of breath-taking entertainment, food, shopping, music, horticulture and farm life. More here.

23 to August 20 Dartington Music Summer School and Festival, DARTINGTON

Four weeks of music making, learning and listening, from early music to jazz. Courses for all ages and abilities, accompanied by more than 70 concerts and events, set against the backdrop of a medieval estate. More here.

23-24 The Great Cullompton Festival, CULLOMPTON, CCA Fields

This event incorporates a food, beer and cider festival. There will be a craft zone where visitors can buy gifts, treats and unique products from fantastic artisan producers. In the children's zone, little ones can be entertained by princesses and super heroes before being taken to experience the thrill of the funfair. There will be local bands and music throughout the day and into the evening. More on Facebook here.

23-24 Natural Seaton Festival, SEATON

This festival celebrates the natural heritage of Seaton and East Devon and this year it is being organised by Seaton Tramway. There will be activities, games, live entertainment and a variety of wildlife and conservation organisations in attendance. More here.

AUGUST

12-13 The Little Big Festival, ASHBURTON

This new family-friendly event “combines the very best of an arts festival with the eccentricity of an English country fayre”. There will be music, film, circus, literature, art, food and drink, workshops and talks from guitars to gardening. More here.

15-24 Totnes and Bridgetown Festival of Arts and Culture, TOTNES, various

This new festival will involve more than 70 events across more than 30 venues. It will offer an exciting programme of shows, workshops and events spanning visual arts, music, theatre, circus, dance, film, spoken word and more. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

20-28 Dartmouth Regatta, DARTMOUTH, various

Rowing and sailing are at the core of regatta week, but there are also other sporting events and plenty of family entertainment from crab fishing and fancy dress competitions to the dog show, fireworks and live music. More here.

25-28 Gone Wild Festival, KENTON NEAR EXETER, Powderham Castle

Join Bear Grylls and experience the great outdoor activities, music and food at the ultimate family festival. More here.

27 to Sept 4 Dartmoor Walking Festival, DARTMOOR, various

This week-long festival is organised by Moorland Guides of Dartmoor and encompasses all that is great about Dartmoor. More here.

SEPTEMBER

2-4 Teign Maritime and Shanty Festival, TEIGNMOUTH AND SHALDON, various venues

There will be plenty of shanty singing groups attending as well as maritime-themed, family-friendly presentations and exhibitions. More here.

3-18 Taste East Devon, various venues

Award-winning venues, producers, chefs and restaurants across East Devon have joined forces again to celebrate the incredible food and drink on offer in the region. Venues will be opening their doors to host special one-off events with something for all the family, and celebrity chefs including Michael Caines and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall will be getting involved. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

10-17 International Agatha Christie Festival, TORQUAY, Torre Abbey

The festival is timed to coincide with the anniversary of the writer’s birth – 15 September 1890. There’s a programme of Christie-related events and talks by prominent writers, and the festival creates projects aimed at helping diverse groups to engage with the arts and perform or display their work. There’s also a children’s short story competition. More here.

16-18 Abbfest, NEWTON ABBOT

This is a volunteer-run food, beer and music festival that has raised over £250,000 for the community and local charities over 15 years. The weekend is full of live music, locally produced beer and cider, chef demonstrations and a food and craft market full of local artisan producers. More here.

16-18 Foodies Festival, EXETER, Escot Park

Foodies Festival - which claims to be the UK's biggest touring celebrity gourmet food and music festival - is coming to Exeter for the first time this year. The music line-up includes Scouting for Girls, East 17 and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Read more about it from DevonLive here.

17-23 Sidmouth and East Devon Walking Festival, SIDMOUTH

This area has some wonderful scenic walks, both coastal and inland. The festival offers a choice of guided linear and circular walks on the East Devon Way, which must be booked in advance. More on Facebook here.

OCTOBER

7-9 Salcombe Live Festival, SALCOMBE, various venues

This will be the third annual weekend festival of live music, comedy and entertainment held in venues across the town. More here.

14-30 Exmoor Dark Skies Festival, various venues

Last year, the festival’s fifth year, saw more than 50 festival events for families and adults take place all over Exmoor. More here.

NOVEMBER

5 Ottery Tar Barrels, OTTERY ST MARY

This famous custom is hundreds of years old. While many towns and villages have a tradition of rolling barrels through the streets, Ottery is the only place in the country where people carry full-sized, flaming tar barrels on their backs and shoulders. More here.

26 Lanterns, Lights and ’luminations, BRIXHAM

This Christmas lights switch-on event, which was first launched in 2007, includes a lantern parade, firework display in the harbour bowl, live music, street entertainment and a street market. More on Facebook here.

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