Are you visiting Devon in June and looking for things to do? We’ve rounded up a spectacular list of festivals and activities including an airshow, fun run, Teigmouth Folk Festival and a crazy Soapbox Derby! Go crabbing, have a lazy Sunday afternoon enjoying some cool jazz or take a dip in a seaside lido. Devon is in full bloom this month, with bluebells and rhododendrons putting on a spectacular display. The weather is warmer (and so is the sea!) making it the perfect time for barbecues, outdoor recreation and happy days at the beach.
There are big plans for plenty of family-friendly events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. With half term from school and an extra long bank holiday from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June, there’s no better time to get down to the Westcountry and give yourself a well-earned break! All the main attractions, gardens, parks and public areas will have something special going on, from street parties to festivals.
Why not get stuck into some of our top things to do in Devon in June and enjoy nature’s grand Gateway to Summer!
- Be Jubilant in 2022!
- Get festive at Exmouth Festival
- Look up at the English Riviera Airshow
- Go to the races… Bideford Soapbox Derby
- Meet folks! It’s the Teignmouth Folk Festival
- Jazz it up at Jazz on the Quay
- Get crabby
- Run for your life at Britain’s Ocean City Half Marathon
- Show off at the Devon County Show
- Make a splash
Be Jubilant in 2022!
There are big plans for family-friendly events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. The "Happy Days Platinum Jubilee Show" extravaganza will be on tour on various dates in Devon, including the Palace Theatre in Paignton on 19th May, and the Beehive Theatre Honiton on 2nd June. The sing-a-long show travels through seven decades of music and famous characters with a "Last Night at the Proms" vibe. A chain of beacons will be lit across the county, as was the custom for celebrating news in pre-internet times. Locations will include Corbyn Head and Berry Head Torquay, with more to be confirmed.
Get festive!
The Exmouth Festival is back in 2022 and offers a fun day out for all at the Imperial Recreation Ground. Free entertainment, live music, circus acts, street theatre and art collide at this multi-arts festival that runs on the first weekend in June. Plans are underway for children’s workshops so get down to Exmouth and see what’s happenin’.
Look up!
Also on the first weekend in June, the English Riviera Airshow takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Everyone gets a great views with the aerial displays overhead. Whether its the Red Arrows performing over Paignton Pier or family activities on Paignton Green, everyone will have a great time – and it’s free!
In 2022, there’ll be Music on the Meadows and a flotilla of boats as well as displays of military and civilian aircraft. Look out for the RAF Typhoon Display Team and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight featuring the inimitable rumbling engine noise from Hurricanes, Spitfires and Dakotas. While kids ride the fairground, adults can enjoy the VIP Skybar.
Go to the races
Ready, steady, go! The third Sunday in June is the annual Bideford Soapbox Derby when a fine array of racing cars will be lined up and ready for the starter gun. There are around 55 teams representing local garages, pubs and businesses. Preparation starts many months before with the teams designing and then building their own racing vehicle, usually based on a go-kart frame (brakes optional!). It’s a great way to have some fun, tuck into tasty street food and drink and raise money for charity. There are prizes for best design as well as fastest past the finishing post.
Meet folks!
Later in the month, Teignmouth Folk Festival brings plenty of entertainment on the third weekend in June. Past events have included a Pipe Band, Shanty Singers, readings by Jim Causely, music nights, theatre productions and a whole lot more. This lively weekend event usually sees a line-up of international talent and folk dancing on the streets! Grab your partners and watch lively displays with 20 groups of stick-rattling Morris dancing, Black Bess Border, Beltane and Appalachian dancing.
The clashing of sticks and the colourful costumes certainly liven up the normally quiet streets of the town. You’ll find events all over this seaside resort at the Carlton Theatre, the Teign Heritage Centre, Teignmouth Community School and local cafes and businesses willing to host smaller events.
Jazz it up!
Throughout the summer, Exeter City Council joins forces with Exeter Canal and Quay Trust to put on a series of free jazz concerts right on the waterfront in the Transit Shed next to the beautiful Custom House. The first concert is on the last Sunday in June and then every Sunday until the end of August. There’s a different band or performer every week. Bring a rug and a picnic and enjoy a Jazz brunch before the performance starts at 12:30pm. It lasts about three hours, leaving time to rent a boat and putter up the River Exe, go kayaking or enjoy a riverside ramble.
Get crabby
Kids of all ages love crabbing and there are plenty of harbour walls dotted around Devon offering the perfect spot. Best spots include Brixham Harbour, Kingsbridge Quay, Appledore Harbour and Ilfracombe Pier. There’s usually a local shop or fishing centre nearby selling lines and bait. Drop the line down to the bottom, wait awhile and gently start to lift it back up. It’s pretty heavy if you have caught a crab. Drop the nippy creatures into a bucket of seawater and return them to the sea once you’re done. Why not have prizes for the first catch, the biggest and the most fearsome-looking crabs!
Run for your life
If you enjoy a challenging run past some of Plymouth’s most iconic landmarks, sign up for Britain’s Ocean City Half Marathon that takes place the 3rd Sunday in June. Alternatively, spend the day exploring the city (think Plymouth Gin Tours, strolls along The Hoe, Elizabethan House and Gardens, National Marine Aquarium and boat trips on The Sound) as well as cheering on the runners.
Show off
The end of June sees the annual Devon County Show which features a host of livestock classes in this agricultural county. Country pursuits such as sheepdog trails, monster trucks, showjumping and a petting farm provide entertainment for all. There are hundreds of stalls showcasing Devon food, drink and crafts so grab a tasty bite to eat, learn how to make beeswax candles and absorb a little country lifestyle at this epic county show.
Make a splash
Now summer’s here, there are plenty of outdoor pools in Devon for having some wild and wet fun. Topsham and Chagford have outdoor public swimming pools and there are beachfront lidos at Plymouth Hoe and Teignmouth. For a natural saltwater pool right on the rocks, head to Westward Ho! and enjoy this free amenity. These open-air pools are only open in summer, so make the most of the fun outdoor experience when you visit in June.
We’ll see you in Devon
See how much fun you can have when you book a holiday cottage in Devon in June!
