Culture

Local businesses join forces for colourful summer window trail in Welsh town

07 Aug 2026 3 minute read

Claire Danvers, Huxley & Mabel Art painting at The Bridge, Queen Street, Bridgend

Nation.Cymru staff

A colourful new summer trail has been launched through a collaboration between the council, libraries and local businesses, inviting families to explore their surroundings in a fun and creative way.

Families are being invited to explore Bridgend town centre this summer as part of a colourful new window trail delivered through a collaboration between Bridgend County Borough Council, Awen Libraries and local traders.

Funded by Bridgend County Borough Council, the trail features 13 shop windows decorated with vibrant illustrations inspired by this year’s Summer Reading Challenge theme, ‘Read to the Beat’. The designs are the creations of local artist, Claire Danvers of Huxley & Mabel Art.

Participants can collect a trail sheet from Bridgend Library before making their way around the town centre to find the characters hidden within the specially painted windows.

Once the trail has been completed, families can return their sheets to Bridgend Library to be entered into a prize draw, with prizes from local businesses including Lizzi’s Gifts, Easterbrooks, Science Fiction Collectables and Principality.

The trail launches on Saturday 1 August and will run until Saturday 5 September, with the prize winners announced the following week.

Craft workshops

Families will also be able to take part in a series of craft workshops and enjoy a variety of street theatre, including entertaining walkabout characters and live performances in the town centre throughout the summer.

Rachel Bell, from the Rhiw Shopping Centre, said: “The start of the summer events has been a great success; they have really brought the town centre community together and most importantly given everyone a reason to smile.

“We have seen the most beautiful hand painted artwork appear on various shop windows in the town centre all ready for the window trail, it’s wonderful to see all ages stop, look and point out the artwork as they walk past.”

“The creative workshops that have been held so far in The New Market Hall in the shopping centre have created a unique vibrancy with everyone excited to show off their creations – wonderful to see such happy and engaging children. These events are a great boost for the town centre and the community; they do a little magic and seem to spread a sprinkle of happiness.”

Richard Hughes, Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside our colleagues at Bridgend County Borough Council on the summer window trail.

“Supporting town centres is a key plank of our five-year strategy and this is a further example of how culture can work to boost regeneration, while also linking into promoting literacy through our libraries.”

Delighted

Councillor Jane Gebbie, Deputy Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council and Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Wellbeing, said: “The Window Trail is a fantastic way to add some extra fun to the summer holidays while encouraging families to explore Bridgend town centre and visit our local businesses.

“Alongside the trail, families can spark their creativity with a series of workshops and enjoy a variety of performances bringing even more energy to the town centre.

“We are delighted to work with our partners and local traders to deliver these activities, and I hope families enjoy following the trail, finding all the characters and discovering everything Bridgend town centre has to offer.”

More information on the events in town centres across the county borough can be found here.

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