What's on in Devon this weekend

Hooray for Friday and the long August Bank Holiday weekend! If you’re looking for family-friendly things to do in Devon you have come to the best place for events and special activities. Read on to find out what’s on in Devon this weekend!

If you’re here in Devon for the summer holidays, find out what’s on during the rest of August.

Please check event organisers’ websites and social media channels for up-to-date information about opening, particularly during adverse weather.

Know of an event I can add to future editions of this guide? Submit a listing!

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Bubble & Bop at Pennywell Farm near Buckfastleigh – daily until 6 September 2026

There’s a whole host of bubbly fun happening at Pennywell Farm is this summer with music, games and bubble themed photo opportunities as well as all the usual farm fun.

Meet the Pennywell mascot Pippa and don’t miss a cuddle with the farm’s famous micro pigs.

READER OFFER: buy your family’s day tickets online using the code DEVKIDS7 and you’ll be able to visit for up to seven days for the price of one. For T&Cs visit my Devon discounts page.

To get the low down and buy tickets visit the Pennywell website.

More things to do in Devon this weekend

Here’s all the things to do and places to visit this weekend:

Dartmouth Royal Regatta, Dartmouth – 26 to 29 August 2026

Devon’s royal regatta hosts sports, sailing and family events throughout the week followed by the main regatta’s rowing and sailing competitions.

You can also see impressive visiting ships moored on the River Dart throughout the festivities. Families will love the children’s fancy dress competition, scavenger hunt and a shopping village showcasing local companies.

The fireworks display takes place at 9pm on Saturday 29 August.

To see the full regatta programme visit the Dartmouth Royal Regatta website.

The Dinosaur that pooped at Queens Theatre, Barnstaple – 28 August 2026

The Dinosaur That Pooped promotional poster

Adapted from the number 1 best-selling books by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, the whole family will have a poopy good time enjoying a brand, new story for the stage. Featuring new songs by Tom and Dougie, a lot of laughs and a whole lot of poo!

Find out more and book tickets to the show.

Sidmouth Regatta – 28 to 30 August 2026

This year’s regatta will feature events in the community and at sea as well as a grand firework display on the Saturday night.

Plus, returning in 2026 are the RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows who will headline an air display kicking off the Sidmouth Regatta weekend in style.

Find out more about what’s on at this year’s regatta.

West End Carnival in Plymouth – 29 August 2026

This full on day of family entertainment around Plymouth’s West End and market includes a carnival parade, live music and plenty of street entertainment.

The carnival is free to attend and takes place between 11am and 4pm.

Find out more about this year’s West End Carnival.

Free family fun at Royal William Yard in Plymouth – 29 August 2026

Family playing with circus skills equipment at Royal William Yard in Plymouth — Photo credit: Jay Stone

Plymouth’s Royal William Yard is bringing families together every Saturday in August with a programme of completely free activities, plus a full summer’s worth of adventures on the water, on the big screen, and throughout the Yard.

From hands-on creative workshops to open-air sports and a full RNLI open day, the historic waterfront destination has loads going on.

Find out more about what’s happening each week.

Brick Explorers at RHS Rosemoor, Great Torrington – daily until 30 August 2026

Toddler Interacting With Kingfisher made of LEGO

Explore the spectacular Royal Horticultural Society Rose moor gardens in an immersive wildlife trail featuring intricately hand-crafted brick creations and hands-on building activities, in collaboration with Iconic Bricks.

Discover ten ‘wildlife superheroes’, learning about the unique abilities and behaviours that help different species survive and thrive using an activity booklet.

Families can also enjoy additional creative LEGO® workshops lead by Stemgineering on selected days.

Find out more about what’s on at RHS Rosemoor this summer.

Ilfracombe Carnival – 30 August 2026

Get ready for llfracombe Carnival with a vibrant parade through this seaside town.

Expect floats and walking tableaux parading from Hillsborough car park along Hillsborough Road, Portland Street, High Street, Church Street along the Seafront, down St James Place to Broad Street.

The carnival is free to attend with money being collected for local charities.

Find out more about the carnival.

Central Park Fun Day in Plymouth – 30 August 2026

Plymouth’s Central Park will host its second annual fun day with market stalls, live music and entertainment for all ages. There’s also a dog show.

Entry is free.

Find our more about what’s on at this year’s fun day.

Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival – 30 to 31 August 2025

Enjoy live music and seaside fun during a whole weekend of free entertainment at the annual Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival.

The main festival takes place across three venues with music stages, food stalls, bars, a craft market and kids activities.

There will be storytelling with a mermaid, pirates and competitions.

Find our more about what’s on at Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival.

Scoriton Country Show, near Buckfastleigh, South Devon – 31 August 2026

Ths small show is celebrating its 77th year with sport competitions, displays of locally grown produce, a cross country run, fun and gams in the show field and an evening ceilidh.

Find out more about attending this year’s show.

Lustleigh Village Show in Dartmoor – 31 August 2026

This traditonal village show held at Kelly Farm has been taking place in the area for nearly 130 years. It has grown to feature a produce and flower show, dog show, a 10k run, live bands, children’s sports and dozens of stalls.

Traditional attractions like sheaf tossing, animal encounters, and a live jazz music are complemented by a climbing wall, circus skills workshops, and a Lustleigh Showtime music stage.

Find out more about visiting this year’s show.

Silent disco beach clean at Woolacombe - 31 August 2025

 Join the National Trust team at Woolacombe beach for its monthly silent disco beach clean with Plastic Free Woolacombe and North Devon Silent Disco. 

This event is free and no booking is required.

Find out more and check timings on the National Trust website.

Colour Run at Greendale Farm Shop – 31 August 2025

The Jay’s Aim Family Colour Run 2025 is a fun run for all the family set on a picturesque cross country course over farmland at Greendale Farm Shop.

Choose from 1k or 5k courses with medals for all.

One hundred percent of the profits from the event will go towards fulfilling the Jay’s Aim charity objectives of reducing the number of young people that die of sudden cardiac arrests in South West England.

Find out more and enter on the Jay’s Aim website.

Magic of the Mill at Coldharbour Mill near Tiverton – 31 August 2026

Coldharbour’s summer steam day gives you the opportunity to explore this heritage wool mill, watch the factory and steam complex spring into action, and enjoy a fun-filled day of seasonal activities for all ages.

Get hands-on with magic wand making, enjoy the wizard themed activity bouncy castle, jazzy live music and uncover the fascinating stories behind this unique site as it comes alive in the sunshine.

Find out more about what’s on at Coldharbour Mill this summer.

Staying Alive Exhibition at Coldharbour Mill near Tiverton – daily until 31 August 2026

Created in partnership with MAKE Southwest, this thought-provoking exhibition shines a spotlight on the Red List of Endangered Crafts, celebrating traditional skills while raising awareness of the crafts at risk of disappearing.

Find out more about what’s on at Coldharbour Mill this summer.

Go wild at Newton Abbot Museum this summer – until 31 August 2026

Wildlife encounter with Frazoo at Newton Abbot Museum

Discover a summer full of nature, creativity, and family fun at Newton Abbot Museum. Explore the wildlife exhibitions, take part in special challenges and visit on any Thursday in August for FREE wildlife-themed drop-in activities including live animal encounters.

READER OFFER: mention Devon with Kids in the museum shop and get 10% off your purchase.

Find out more about what’s on at Newton Abbot Museum this summer.

Bored kids?

Cappy the Crab’s Devon Activity Book is a digital download packed with puzzles, games and creative sheets to keep your kids entertained during holidays and at home.

RRP: £5.50

Buy now

Our Story with David Attenborough at Market Hall in Devonport – daily until 2 September 2026

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‘Our Story with David Attenborough’ is coming to Plymouth’s immersive dome – the first time it’s ever been shown outside of London’s National History Museum.

Step inside the dome and experience a cinematic journey through the story of our planet, surrounded by incredible visuals, sound and storytelling, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Plym Card holders can also get 10% off tickets.

Find out more and get tickets online.

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trail at Saltram in Plymouth – daily until 4 September 2026

If your kids are into Pokémon they’re going to love the new TCG Mega Evolution Trail garden trail at Saltram National Trust this summer.

Search the gardens for each Mega Evolution Pokémon, discover their powers, and complete your own challenges. Trail sheets will be available to collect on the day. Normal admission also applies (free for National Trust members).

Find out more about what’s on at Saltram this summer.

Art on Your Doorstep free outdoor art trail in Torquay – until 5 September 2026

Torre Abbey has been chosen as one of four partners to showcase The National Gallery: Art on Your Doorstep touring art trail. It brings iconic artworks from the National Gallery’s collection directly to communities across the UK.

From now until September life-sized reproductions of masterpieces by Monet, Turner, Rousseau and many more artists will be on show from Torre Abbey to Torquay Harbour.

This initiative offers residents and visitors a rare opportunity to experience world-class art in everyday settings.

Find out more about the exhibition and its route in Torquay.

Summer fun at National Trust properties – daily until 6 September 2026

Young boy plays with a toy bow and arrow in a field at Arlington Court National Trust — Summer of Play at Arlington – picture credit: NTI/James Beck

The National Trust’s summer activities programme are underway with fun activities and events for families.

Participating properties include:

Arlington Court near Barnstaple
Lorna Doone Valley near Lymouth
Castle Drogo on Dartmoor
Buckland Abbey near Plymouth
Saltram near Plymouth
Knightshayes near Tiverton
Greenway near Churston
Coleton Fishacre near Brixham
Killerton near Exeter

Check each property’s web pages for activity information and open days. These vary from place to place.

Colour exhibition at RAMM in Exeter – daily until 6 September 2026

This exhibition brings together over 150 objects spanning art, science, nature and cultural histories, and explores how we see it, how it’s made, how it’s used and how meaning can become attached to it.

This is a family-friendly exhibition where under 19s go free.

Find out more on the RAMM website.

St Luke’s Guiding Lights Trail in Plymouth – daily until 13 September 2026

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There’s 40 colourfully decorated lighthouses to be found around Plymouth during a free activity trail in aid of St Luke’s Hospice.

Either visit the charity’s website and find each lighthouse’s location for free or download the app for £1.99 from the Apple or Android stores for a map and extra information. Printed maps are available from Plymouth Tourist Information Centre and most St Luke’s charity shops for a suggested £2 donation.

Find out more about this St Luke’s Guiding Light Trail.

Escape The Game’s Summer escape room in Bovey Tracey – daily until to 14 September 2026

Graphic for tThe Funfair Fix Escape Room

The quizmasters at Bovey Tracey’s Escape The Game escape rooms are laying on a family-friendly puzzle this summer. Play traditional games you’d find at the fair with a puzzling twist.

READER OFFER: Get £2.50 off per child. Book online using the code DWKOFFER2026. This is valid for bookings with a minimum of three players until 14 September 2026.

Find out more and book on the Escape The Game website.

Age of the Dinosaurs at Kents Cavern in Torquay – daily until 31 October 2026

Hand-crafted paleontological reconstructions or dinosaur skeletons on display in Kents Cavern in Torquay, Devon
Each anatomically rigorous model has been brought to life by Dinosaur Skeletons, a Torquay-based studio founded by Paleoartist Alex Pritchard.

Have you heard what’s arrived in Kents Cavern this week? They’re 66 million years late to the party, but dinosaurs have finally found their way into the dramatic caves, which were formed a mere 2.5 million years ago.

Age of the Dinosaurs is a new exhibition showcasing skeleton models of 18 species of pre-historic monsters. They range from the equally loved and feared T Rex to the super cute (according to my teen) 60cm long Aquilops Americanus.

Find out more about visiting the dinosaurs at Kents Cavern.

‘Voices of the garden’ immersive audio trail at Greenway near Galmpton – daily until 1 November 2026

A family playing bat and ball in the garden at Greenway, Devon — Picture credit: Nationa Trust/Chris Lacey

Step back in time on this exciting trail as HistoryScapes, an immersive audio app, brings Greenway’s garden to life.

Use your smartphone to unlock stories as you explore the riverside gardens of Agatha Christie’s South Devon holiday home.

This is a free activity. Normal National Trust admissions apply.

Find out more about what’s on at Greenway.

Room on the Broom activity trail at Haldon Forest near Exeter – open daily from 27 January 2027

Crafted magic wands held up against a Room on the Broom activity board — Picture credit: Forestry England – Crown Copyright

The newest children’s activity trail in the partnership between Forestry England and Magic Light Pictures opens this week. Help Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s character the Witch as she embarks on a magical journey around Haldon Forest.

Find out mort about the Room on the Broom trail.

Insects Uncovered at Newton Abbot Museum – daily until 1 March 2027

A bright blue butterfly on display at Newton Abbot Museum

See a collection of butterfly specimens and take part in The Great Butterfly & Moth Hunt to find
eight insects hiding around the museum and learn some amazing facts along the way.

When you’ve found them, go to the front desk to collect a special sticker for your Pastport and some wildflower seeds to plant at home.

Find out more about what’s on at Newton Abbot Museum.