Throughout the year Eastville Park proudly hosts a series of community and commercial events. These events attract thousands of visitors to the park and also provide us with crucial revenue streams to be able to operate.
The park also hosts a number of community groups and weekly events listed below.
If you are interested in hosting an event in the park, please contact Bristol City Council event permissions team, who have final say over what happens in the park.
For an up-to-date list of one-off events that are up-coming please click here >>>
This website is run by Friends of Eastville Park – to find out more about us please ‘like’ our facebook group and come along to one of our open meetings. We are looking for volunteers to help bring new events, funding and projects to life in the park, we would love from you! Contact us directly by emailing friendsofeastvillepark@gmail.com
Weekly activities run at the Community Hub
in the Nissen Hut by the bowls pavilion in the upper park
See the notice board outside for the latest information or check our Facebook page
Community Cafe – dates vary, see Facebook page for listings
A series of community cafes from Spring to Autumn to bring people together, enjoy music, games, and meet over a drinks and snacks. Fundraising calendars, duck food, and elderflower cordial are also available to buy.
Community Connect Thursdays from 11am – 2pm – social group for over 55s
Roots to Wellbeing – Wednesday (GP referral or self registration required)
“Just 15 minutes spent in nature improves our mental wellbeing*
Roots to Wellbeing is a nature-based health and wellbeing support group for anyone struggling with mental health or finding life challenging. We are a leading Green Social Prescribing service. Join our weekly programme of outdoor nature connection activities in parks.”
Nature Group- Last Sunday of the Month
Meets on the last Sunday of the month in the car park off Park Avenue. The Nature Group enhance and improve habitats for nature around the park, such as removing Blackthorn samplings encroaching into grassland habitats, planting wildflower plugs and seeds, and similar projects. To find out how to volunteer in a session, contact epnaturegroup@gmail.com
Food Club – every Friday from Noon
Folk Around Fishponds – Bristol’s friendly folk club
Meets every other Tuesday at 730pm in the Nissen Hut community hub – £3 per session
Folk music and singing – all welcome. What3words music/went/throw
Film Club
Join the Film Club and book your seat at the monthly film. This cosy club often shows the best of British film comedies, art cinema, modern classics, and latest block busters. Book seats on Eventbrite and join the mailing list for the most up to date film. Showings typically run 1 Saturday per month from 7:30pm, dates vary so check listings. Film Club runs by subscription of just £2 per session and has an interval part way through the film for chat, snacks, and drinks.
Peoples University of Fishponds – typically monthly, see listings on link
PUF runs occasional talks and events that are aimed at being accessible, affordable and friendly. We do it because it’s fun and interesting – any money we raise is just used to hire the venues and cover expenses.
Since 2016 we’ve had talks about history, psychology, gardening, orphanages, bats and philosophy. We’ve built and played unusual musical instruments, recorded a pop song and learnt how to conduct an orchestra. We’ve heard from young politicians, our own MP, Bristol’s poet laureate and perhaps most movingly from refugees and those seeking asylum who live in Fishponds.
All our events are relaxed, there’s no surprise audience participation (!), people often come on their own and its not unusual to see people enjoying a cup of tea or glass of wine as they listen.
For most events you will need to book in advance
Eastville Talk & Tennis Club – Weekly on Friday
Weekly on Friday’s 12:30-2pm
Eastville Park Tennis Courts What3words ///hill.moral.tidy
Talk and tennis group for men to encourage positive mental health. To join the group click here to book and send an email to the group Captain
Parkrun
- What is Eastville parkrun?
It is a weekly 5km run – it’s you against the clock.
When is it?
Every Saturday at 9:00am.
- Where is it?
The event takes place at Eastville Park, Fishponds Road, Eastville, Bristol BS5 6PX. See Course page for more details.
- What does it cost to join in?
Nothing – it’s free! but please register before your first run. Only ever register with parkrun once. Don’t forget to bring a printed copy of your barcode (request a reminder). If you forget it, you won’t get a time.
- How fast do I have to be?
We all run for our own enjoyment. Please come along and join in whatever your pace!
Eastville parkrun needs you! It is entirely organised by volunteers – email eastville@parkrun.com to help.
Junior Parkrun
- What is Eastville junior parkrun?
It is a weekly 2k event for juniors only (4-14 year olds). If you are not a junior please try one of our weekly Saturday parkrun events instead.
- When is it?
It is held every Sunday at 9:00am.
- Where is it?
The event takes place in Eastville Park, Fishponds Road, Eastville, Bristol BS5 6PX. See Course page for more details.
- What does it cost to join in?
Nothing – it’s free! but please register before your first visit. Only ever register with parkrun once. Don’t forget to bring a printed copy of your barcode (request a reminder).
- How fast do I have to be?
The aim is to have fun. Please come along and join in whatever your pace!
- We’re friendly!
Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in the Tesco Extra café (open from 9.30am) – please come and join us!
To volunteer with Junior parkrun email eastvillejuniors@parkrun.com
Frome Fairies
Frome Fairies is a loosely knit group of local volunteers who have a passion for dressing up in various rubber outfits on a Sunday, dropping down into the sometimes murky waters of the River Frome as it winds its way through Eastville Park. We gather together with one common purpose; to pick, lift or haul out any river litter we can find.
From cotton buds to football studs, discarded bras to old jam jars, a fisherman’s float and an old fur coat, dog’s lost balls or locks from doors.
Not to mention a motorbike, which was probably dumped in the middle of the night. Or the hundreds of tyres that find their way to the bottom of the river where they like to stay.
And the things we mostly don’t like to find are the broken bottles of the boozy kind, along with plastics of all shapes and sizes, there are even road signs that came from far off Devizes.
The purpose of telling you all this stuff is to try to encourage you to join with us to help our river be a haven of life for the fish and the otters and the birds in flight.
For the tiny creatures that we never see as we walk along the path with our family. And for us, for the future and the folks to come as we try to put right the damage we’ve done.
If you’d like to be part of the Frome Fairies and support our work, please visit our Facebook page where you’ll find regular updates of our activities and ways to get involved. Whatever your age, physical ability or colour of your socks, there’s a Frome Fairy inside you waiting to leap out! There are often opportunities (river level allowing) for little ones to help too!
Lawn Bowling
There is a beautiful enclosed bowling green hidden away in the upper park. The Eastville bowling team play from the start of April to the end of September. The game is one of skill that takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.
There has been a bowling team at Eastville Park since 1910, originally playing on 2 greens. Only one green is active at the moment next to the historical buildings.
If you would like to try the game of bowls, come and join in on an open day where you can try the game for free and be taught by the current team. Tea, coffee, juice, and cake available to all.
Social Bowls Fridays from 5-7pm April to October at the Nissen Hut community hub
For more information, contact friends of Eastville Park by email via Eastvillebowls@gmail.com
Annual Festivals
From its humble beginnings, as a small community event held twelve years ago, the Islamic Cultural Fayre has now developed into one of the largest events of its kind in the South West and is a vibrant celebration of Bristol’s diversity.
The event has been organised annually since the summer of 1998. It was initially intended to bring Muslims of all backgrounds together on a family fun day and introduce them to a variety of facilities, services and career opportunities available locally and nationally.
The fayre has evolved beyond its initial launch and has carved out its own unique identity amongst the many events that take place across Bristol. It continues to grow from strength to strength, attracting visitors and stallholders from across the country.
The event annually attracts around over 12,000 visitors and 80 stall-holders. In addition, the event features live stage performances, exhibitions, five-a-side football tournament that attracts teams from across the region, funfair rides as well as many other fun activities provided in a culturally sensitive and fun environment for the whole family. True to its origins, it remains an event organised by the community for the community.
Big Sexy Festy
What the organisers say; “The Big Sexy Festy Party is an epic and legendary sound system machine which started in 1995 when we helped to spearhead the cultural explosion of DJ sound system festival and circus culture
We are different
We have only ever produced free festivals
And to that aim any profits have always been given to deserving causes such as homeless peoples nightshelters and hospices for the terminally ill
We have also paid for newspapers, radio stations, sound systems, circus stuff and a myriad of other viable projects
We represent some of the last remaining community orientated free festival organisers left in the UK
We have never sold out to our culture while most of the productions we put on or are involved in are complete sell outs.”
Eastville Park 