The SMALL-FOLK Totnes Guide: Activities

There really is so much on offer here in Totnes, from live music and food events to community classes and wellbeing treatments. Look on any notice board about the high-street and in community spaces to see for yourself just how spoiled we are by all of the activities going on throughout the year! Whether you are looking to learn a skill, experience something new, unwind and relax or find support for improved wellbeing, we reckon you will find something that catches your interest.

Throughout the spring, summer and into autumn there are larger events happening over on Dartington Estate and in the surrounding area such as artisan markets and family-friendly activities. For music-lovers Sea Change festival hosted by Drift Record Shop takes over an exciting selection of venues within and around Totnes town for a host of music, art, film, literature, conversation and culture focused happenings. In the meantime, you can stop by Drift Records to hear some new music and to browse their vast variety of vinyl's, tapes, CDs and memorabilia - the majority of brands featured we've never heard of so it's always exciting to discover new sounds.

For those of you that like to treat themselves to holistic care and wellbeing, we have wonderful female practitioners within our community who have developed their own ways to assist you in feeling your best. For whole body realignment, our very own Sophia (SMALL-FOLK’s in-house photographer) is a yoga instructor offering Yin classes at Flow Studio in Torquay on Friday - a perfect way to unwind at the end of the working week and feel grounded for the weekend. 

Similarly, Franzie Kelly Acupuncture is our go-to for feeling more in touch with ourselves after periods of stress and helps us to reconnect to the mind and body through acupuncture and deep tissue massage. She is based at The Practise, almost opposite to SMALL-FOLK on Totnes high-street. Lou, our digital content creator, has become a regular over the years and recommends a combination of deep tissue massage and acupuncture to really get the mind and body feeling balanced again.

When it comes to skincare, holistic facialist Suzi Barnett at Undone Beauty is the queen of using natural ingredients and products to revitalise and uplift. Situated a little further down the high street from us towards The Plains, Suzi offers holistic facials, sculptural face lifting techniques, Dermaplaning, LED light therapy and more to suit your personal skin type and desired effect. We love her belief of ‘you’re getting better with age, now your skin can do the same’ and appreciate the 30 years+ of knowledge she uses within each treatment to achieve a glow that reduces the need for makeup. Don’t just take our word for it though, Suzie has recently won the South West England Prestige Awards 2021/22 Holistic Beauty Salon of the Year award so you know you are in great hands.

*November 2022 Update: Suzie can now be found at Butterwalk on Totnes Highstreet.*

For anyone who wants to improve their sewing skills, mend a beloved item or support local makers, Mend Assembly at The Mansion offers a unique blend of services and workshops in support of sustainability and provides a space where learning opportunities can take place. Local makers such as Kaely Russell (who we proudly stock at SMALL-FOLK) and Leoa Studio, a new swimwear company that is set to arrive in-store very soon, also use the space here to design, cut and construct all of their pieces - you can't get much more locally made than that! Mend Assembly’s evening socials are a wonderful opportunity to skill-share in an informal setting where you can continue with a knit, stitch or up-cycle project with machinery and support available when needed. Take a look at their website for weekender sewing events, classes and round table conversations.

We hope you enjoy reading our suggestions. Let us know if you stop by any of our recommendations, you can tag us at @small.folk or #smallfolktotnes.