Fair Saturday, a celebration of community organisations and culture in 180 cities around the world, returns on Saturday 30 November 2019, and Bristol is taking part once again.

Falling the day after Black Friday, Fair Saturday serves as an antidote to pre-Christmas sales pushes from large corporations, by championing local causes instead. This can involve anything from community choirs and theatre companies to market stalls and social enterprises.

Fair Saturday Bristol is organised by Bristol City Council in association with the Fair Saturday Association Bilbao. The slogan for next month’s event in Bristol is ‘building bridges, bringing together communities’ because this is a chance to do something special in your neighbourhood and celebrate Bristol’s many fantastic community organisations.

Bristol took part for the first time in 2018, when local charities and community groups were paired with arts organisations. This year it’s even easier to get involved:

• You are welcome to either fundraise for your own organisation or put on a free event without a fundraising goal, to simply raise awareness and meet people in the community.
• Your event could involve arts and crafts, comedy, dance, drama, music, or something completely different. As long as it involves local arts, culture or social causes, it can work for Fair Saturday.
• If you already have an event planned on the day that hasn’t been created for Fair Saturday, you are welcome to include it on the schedule.
• Once you register your Fair Saturday event on the official website, it will be added to a printed programme (if submitted by Tuesday 15 October 2019) and listed online, including on the app (if submitted by Wednesday 30 October 2019).

Last year there were 40 Fair Saturday events in Bristol, such as a breakfast hosted by 91 Ways and the Made in Bristol Fair at Colston Hall – both events will be repeated in 2019. Other successful 2018 events included a concert by the Paraorchestra at The Marble Factory, and cultural events at the Folk House, Hamilton House, and Spike Island, to name but a few.

If you have questions about organising your Fair Saturday Bristol event, please click here to email Jo, Esther and Rosie at Bristol City Council.