News / Bridge Farm
Bridge Farm invites all in for spring fling
The community at Bridge Farm will be putting their cares aside and getting their gladrags on for a spring festival this weekend.
Sunday’s Beltane celebration will see the farm in Stapleton come alive with music, dance, storytelling and a spot of organised playfighting.
It will be a welcome break for the team who are currently crowdfunding to keep the land in community ownership. They urgently need to raise £102,0000 at what they say is a ‘critical time’ for the farm.
is needed now More than ever
Funds raised currently stand at just under £28,000, with 14 days left to meet their target.
Bridge Farm, one of Bristol’s oldest, is home to a committed group of growers and hosts regular gardening sessions and outdoor-education workshops for local school children, refugee communities and volunteers – photo: Bridge Farm
Beltane, the Celtic festival typically taking place on or around May 1 in England, celebrates youth, vitality and creativity.
Bridge Farm are promising ‘a wonderful day filled with dance, music, laughter and ceremony.’
There will be creative workshops led by artist Pippa Grace, sketching in nature with Holly Foskett-Barnes, a playfight – or mindful wrestling – workshop with conflict and connection facilitator Elia de Matteis, and storytelling from the Bristol Commons.
Visitors will be treated to live musical performances from local Afro-Brazilian carnival drumming group Afon Sistema bringing the energy of Maracatu to the farm, and the SHE Choir, Bristol’s vibrant collective of women and non-binary singers.
They’re joined on the line-up by local acts the Stonejars and the Woody Wood Pickas, and a mystery ‘special guest’ DJ.
For sustenance, there’ll be coffee, cake and a bar on offer; Este Kitchen will be serving up empanadas and chips; and Pizza Wisdom will be firing up the outdoor oven to bring fresh wood-fired pizzas to the table.
And, of course, no Beltane celebration would be complete without maypole dancing and a fire ceremony.
Bridge Farm celebrations marking the turning of the seasons are often sell-out events. They typically culminate with the community gathering around a fire at the end of the day – photo: Jackson Moulding
It will be the latest in a long line of events at Bridge Farm, which are always well-attended. Visitors embrace the opportunity to celebrate the seasons and spend time in an outdoor haven on the cusp of the M32.
“Every changing season, we come together on the land to witness the changes, celebrate in merriment and prepare for the next phase. We mark these days to mark the passage of time and our time here,” said organisers.
“This seasonal celebration comes during a challenging time for our beloved farm. We are working tirelessly to keep it in community ownership with Bristol Community Land Trust.”
Ticket sales will contribute towards the community’s fundraising, with a tiered system enabling people to pay what they can afford.
Buy tickets at www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bridge-farm-community/sun-5-may-beltane-may-day–106201#e106201
Main photo: Bridge Farm
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