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\ud83d\udcf7 @timmossholder<\/a><\/p>\n An awesome community growing movement that sees fruit and veg patches pop up on unused land throughout the city, free for anyone to love, nurture and ultimately harvest. You can find them at Temple Meads Station, Chatterton\u2019s Garden, Anchor Square, St Mary Redcliffe churchyard and many more. Very tasty, very eco-friendly, very Bristol.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0ediblebristol.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n Named after jazz legend Duke Ellington, The Old Duke pub has free live music every night of the week as well as Sunday lunchtimes. It may be on cobbled King Street but push open the peeling door and you\u2019ll feel as if you\u2019ve stepped into the heart of New Orleans\u2019 French Quarter\u2026 except with a better choice of ciders! This venue has been a Bristol stalwart for more than 50 years and there\u2019s always a great mix of retired rockers, indie kids and jazz-lovers.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0theoldduke.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n The Arnolfini<\/a> is groundbreaking arts space on Narrow Quay has been central to Bristol\u2019s creative scene since it flung open its doors in 1961. They host free music events on Thursday nights from June-August and most of the exhibitions are free (that deserves a yeah boi).\u00a0 In Autumn, Sortition, a major exhibition by Selina Thompson that imagines what the country would look like if it were run by politicians who had been selected at random rather than voted in. Pretty rad. Head to the new Front Room to flick through a selection of art books and independent magazines.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0www.arnolfini.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 @huguesdb<\/a><\/p>\n What started in 1995 as a one-off project called Brief Encounters has gone on to become the UK\u2019s leading short film, animation and virtual reality festival. It\u2019s all about supporting up-and-coming talent, as well as pushing the boundaries of the genre. Expect haunting, beautifully-crafted and highly original films, often lasting no more than a few minutes. You can catch free films on their website and there is normally a free programme throughout the festival too.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website: encounters-festival.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3 Date: 24th-29th September 2019<\/p>\n Ever walked past a heritage Georgian mansion and wished you could have a snoop inside? Or wondered what\u2019s hidden beneath a city\u2019s streets? This\u00a0\u00a0is a unique weekend organized by the Architecture Centre that sees 101 iconic buildings unlock their doors and welcome the public, many of them for free. This year we\u2019re buzzing to explore the wine cellars of Avery\u2019s, Bristol\u2019s oldest wine merchants, and tour Avonmouth Asphalt Plant, a futuristic structure with awesome estuary views.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0Bristol Open Doors<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3 Date: 13-15th September 2019<\/p>\n Bristol\u2019s architectural calling card, this miraculous feat of engineering was designed by Isimbard Kingdom Brunel in the 1830s, although he sadly didn\u2019t live to see his masterpiece finished. A thin cobweb of metal stretching 100 metres above the water of the River Avon, it swings gently in the breeze and offers staggering views over the entire city. Go prepared to be wowed and (please) make sure you hold on tightly to your phone when taking pictures.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 @helloimnik<\/a><\/p>\n Dancing, music and a healthy dose of maritime history are the order of the day at the city\u2019s biggest free festival. The site runs from Brunel\u2019s SS Great Britain all the way to Welshback. Come wearing your dancing shoes and expect four music stages, free dance workshops from Bristol\u2019s most famous schools in Millenium Square and thought-provoking spoken word performances from local poets. Last year\u2019s headliners included reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and pioneering hip-hop DJ Grandmaster Flash.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0Bristol Harbour Festival\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3 Date: 19-21 July 2019<\/p>\n Shaded by rare Whitebeam trees and scattered with the remains of Iron Age forts, this National Trust Nature Reserve is a peaceful place to reconnect with mother nature all year round. However, it\u2019s extra special in the month of May, when the floor is transformed by a fragrant carpet of bluebells. Stroll, sniff and enjoy all without spending a penny. Delightful.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0National Trust\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Europe’s largest hot air balloon event attracts more than 300,000 people across one weekend every summer. Head to the rolling grounds of Ashton Court to watch 130 air balloons from all over the world take off at sunrise or sunset. Don\u2019t miss the Nightglow sessions, where the balloons light up like electric jellyfish while local DJs show off their talent.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website: Bristol International Balloon Fiesta\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3 Date: 8-11 August 2019<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 @jannerboy62<\/a><\/p>\n This Victorian market hall is home to a crew of fabulous independent food businesses and many offer free samples to tempt potential punters. Go for nothing more than the sights, smells and sounds although, if you do try a sample or two we reckon you won\u2019t be able to resist forking out for a full meal. Some of our favourites are Ah Toots bakery, Eat a Pitta, Grillstock and Source Cafe. Look out for the monthly night market in summer.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0St.Nick’s Market\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n This cool, contemporary gallery is a living, breathing arts organism where free exhibitions share the space with a community of more than 100 artists, sculptors and designers who rent low-cost workshops and give the place its authentic edge. Check-out the website to hear about upcoming open studio weekends where you can spot the next big thing and gain fascinating insights into how artists approach their work.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0e Website:\u00a0Spike Island\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Are you a coffee-sipping sophisticate or metal-head? Nature lover or night owl? Each of Bristol\u2019s neighbourhoods has a distinct personality and one of the city\u2019s great pleasures is mooching around the streets, window shopping for your tribe. There\u2019s elegant Clifton, the Georgian gem beloved by well-heeled bohemians and Stokes Croft, a honeycomb of creativity and liberal activism. Follow the smell of jerk chicken to St.Paul\u2019s, raise a pint with the old boys at one of the salty pubs on the harbour or meet the new wave of young entrepreneurs at Whapping Wharf.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 @harrykessell<\/a><\/p>\n Imogen Lepere is a travel writer with a soft spot for anything quirky, surprising and incongruous. Her adventures include teaching in Kathmandu, riding the Trans-Mongolian railway and living with a nudist colony in Greece. She currently splits her time between London and Melbourne, where she can normally be found with a glass of wine in one hand and a pen in the other. Read more of her work here<\/a>\u00a0or follow her on Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Regularly named the best place to live in the UK, Bristol, the gateway to the West Country is having a moment. Its creative industries are flourishing as disillusioned Londoners seek a more affordable alternative, while a new generation of young chefs are returning home to re-imagine the area\u2019s ancient foodie traditions. One of the most…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":135883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9473],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"\n2. Join the #EdibleBristol movement<\/h2>\n
3. Pay your respects to The Duke<\/h2>\n
4. Get your culture fix at the Arnolfini<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n5. Don\u2019t miss\u2026 Encounters Short Film Festival<\/h2>\n
6. Don\u2019t miss\u2026 Bristol Open Doors<\/h2>\n
7. Cross the Clifton Suspension Bridge<\/h2>\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Best-free-things-to-do-in-Bristol-Clifton.jpg\")
<\/p>\n8. Don\u2019t miss\u2026 Bristol Harbour Festival<\/h2>\n
9. Stroll through Leigh Woods in May<\/h2>\n
10. Don\u2019t miss\u2026 the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n11. Follow your stomach to St.Nick\u2019s Market<\/h2>\n
12. Be inspired at Spike Island<\/h2>\n
13. Choose your hood<\/h2>\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Best-free-things-to-do-in-Bristol-street.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCheck out hostels in Bristol<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n
About the author<\/h3>\n