Grand
opening
| Glanvilles Mill bridge |
Friday 11am
Join us - the teams and artists behind the festival, as we ‘cut the ribbon’ unveiling ‘The Erme’ art installation by Close & Remote, and officially OPEN the weekends’ festivities!
After a lil speech and ribbon cutting, we’ll venture over to Mrs Murals artwork to see and hear about that too.
Brewery | Watermark | Longtimber | Glanvilles Mill
book shop | Methodist Church | Library | ‘The Eye’
Starting in May A variety of artists have been commissioned to provide interactive art to our community:
Drum Devon | Music, performance & parade
Come and learn carnival rhythms derived from Brazilian samba styles, and join in the Carnival Procession. No experience necessary and instruments will be provided:
Introduction | Monday 11th May 6-7.30pm | Erme Primary School, Station Road, Ivybridge
Rehearsal | Friday 5th June 7-8.30pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Performance | Saturday 6th June 10-12midday | Fore Street, Ivybridge
Neighbourhood Crankie Project | Workshop
An art and story workshop with Sara Hurley and Wendy Dacre
Devon is packed full of stories from folklore, history and the present day. Come and make a ‘crankie’ about a special Ivybridge story to keep in the library.
A crankie is a long, moving and changing picture on paper, shown inside a box, that tells a story through images as it’s scrolled along. Like slow television for digital times.
Over 2 workshops you will learn about crankies and help to make one using a variety of art techniques. Together we will create the pictures that tell an Ivybridge story.
Workshop 1 | Friday 15th May 4-6pm | Ivybridge Library
Workshop 2 | Friday 5th June 4-6pm | Ivybridge Library
Frits on sticks | making workshop & parade
Young people have been learning about the conservation efforts on Shallowford Farm of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly. Each participant has made a butterfly on a stick and been invited to the Carnival Procession and encouraged to bring their butterflies with them to join in and make a kaleidoscope of butterflies.
Workshop | Friday 5th June 11-6pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Canopy | Immersive Sound installation
Joyful, hopeful, and thought-provoking, CANOPY celebrates the connection between humans and trees. Artist Lorna Rees has collaborated with more than 500 people to develop the piece, from ecologists, artists and musicians to writers and young people. Enjoy the piece by strolling through Longtimber Woods and listen to a variety of sound recordings suspended from the trees. Suitable for all ages.
Opening Times | Friday 9am-7pm | Saturday 9am-7pm
Mrs. Murals | Wall Painting of local wildlife
Mrs. Murals is a local professional mural artist whose work is largely inspired by nature. Be sure to check out her new mural created especially for this festival to remind us of our connection to the natural world.
Unveiling of the mural and it’s location will happen on Friday 5th June, to be enjoyed as a permanent commemoration of our festival!
Close & remote | Art installation about the river erme
Erme is a new public and digital artwork by Close and Remote, specially commissioned for the festival. Tracing the journey of the River Erme from its source high on Dartmoor to its estuary at Mothecombe, the work brings the river’s story vividly to life.
Installed on the footbridge at Glanvilles Mills Shopping Centre in the heart of Ivybridge, the piece reflects the river’s dramatic descent from moorland heights to sea level. Along the bridge, key locations - including Erme Head, Ivybridge and Mothecombe beach - are highlighted, inviting visitors to discover the river’s landscapes, communities and ecologies.
Using mobile devices, audiences can explore these points in greater depth, creating an interactive experience that connects people more closely with the River Erme and its rich environment.
You are invited to join us for the Ribbon Cutting and Opening of the festival weekend with Close and Remote on Friday 5th June 11am where we will unveil this original public attraction in Ivybridge for the very first time.
We’re forming a local drumming troupe for the parade with
DrumDevon
Be part of the procession | drumming
Come and learn the carnival rhythms derived from Brazilian samba styles, and join in the Carnival Procession. No experience necessary and instruments will be provided!
Introduction | Monday 11th May 6-7.30pm | Erme Primary School, Station Road, Ivybridge
Rehearsal | Friday 5th June 7-8.30pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Performance | Saturday 6th June 10-12midday | Fore Street, Ivybridge
Be part of the procession | Making
To help you get in the spirit there is a free drop-in carnival accessory / mask / costume making workshop suitable for all ages & learn more about the Marsh Fritillary butterfly & make one for the parade.
Workshop | Friday 5th June 11am-6pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Lore of the Moor | Scavenger Hunt
Illustrator, Morgana Weeks, has constructed an interactive trail and scavenger hunt in Longtimber Woods where scavengers will engage with nature, searching along the woodland path for creatures as clues.
Pick up a map from the library or at Victoria Park and enjoy the annotated adventure through Longtimber Woods.
Longtimber Tales: An Evening of Local Storytelling | 5:30-7pm
South Hams Authors Network | Ivybridge Bookshop
Join the South Hams Authors Network for a special evening of storytelling as local authors read original work from Longtimber Tales, a new anthology inspired by the heritage, mystery, and quiet beauty of our surrounding woods, rivers, and moorlands. These stories draw deeply on the landscapes we know so well, weaving folklore, memory, and imagination into vivid reflections of place.
Ivybridge Artisan Market | Saturday 6th June 9:30-1pm
Ivybridge Artisan Market has been selling locally home produced food, garden grown goods, and arts and crafts in Ivybridge for 10 years!
They can be found upstairs at the Watermark on the first Saturday each month from 9:30am – 1pm.
Story time bat Walk | Saturday 6th June 9:30-11pm
Bats are ancient and magical creatures; author and ecologist, Lisa Schneidau, will take us on a family-friendly dusk/dark walk combining traditional folk tales of bats, dusk and nighttime with information on bat ecology from a bat specialist. An evening in early June is the perfect time to discover bats and learn about their lives.
Meeting Point | Longtimber Woods | what3words///elections.practical.indirect
Ivybridge History with Victor Abbott | Sunday 7th June 2-4pm
Ivybridge has a rich and often overlooked history as one of the gateways to Dartmoor. This walk will explore how the town has been shaped by its geography, industry, and connection to the moor.
Meeting Point | Ivybridge Brewing Company’s taproom
Ivybridge
Brewing Company
a social enterprise providing employment and training for adults with learning disabilities and autism.
Our taproom has become a popular community space within the town, where our customers can find a safe, friendly space to unwind and socialise.
We are pleased to have been chosen as the ‘hub’ for the Rivers & Moorland Festival, and look forward to welcoming people to experience our taproom.
Friday & saturday | 10am - 10pm | taproom
We have extended our opening hours for the festival, adding food & music
Friday | Taproom, Glanvilles Mill | 10am-10pm
Saturday | Victoria Park | 12-3pm
Pop up bar selling two of our beers, plus soft drinks and bottled cider
Saturday | Taproom, Glanvilles Mill | 10am-10pm
with JJ’s African Street Food from 12-8pm and Erme Valley Ramblers (Bluegrass band) 7-9pm
The names of our core beers reflect aspects of our location:
Erme Pale | our brewery is sited on the banks of the Erme
Moorland Mosaic | our proximity to the moor
Red Lake | a small lake high on Dartmoor
PILS 21 | draws on the Ivybridge postcode