What a wonderful Winter BearFest it was. 🧸✨
Kensington Town Hall was once again filled with creativity, beautiful bears and the warm atmosphere that makes Hugglets gatherings so special. Many fabulous bears found new homes and the hall was buzzing with happy conversations all day long.
If you would like to relive some of those lovely moments, you can now find a short video from Sunday and nearly 200 photos from the show on our website.
Take a look — you might even spot yourself, a friend, or a very special bear.
👉 /festivals/wbf26/
And of course, we would love to see your own memories too. Feel free to share your photos in our Hugglets Festivals Facebook Group: /groups/huggletsfestivals
With these happy impressions, we now turn our attention to the next big moment for the Hugglets community: The Hugglets TEDDIES Festival on 20 September at the NEC Birmingham.
We look forward to seeing you there. 🧸
Today, as we were tidying up after the Hugglets Winter BearFest 🧸✨, we found the loveliest note left behind by a visitor:
“Thank you all for bringing all the magic! You’re wonderful!
Bear Hugs” 🧸🤍💌
We couldn’t have wished for kinder words. 💛
This little message is for everyone behind the scenes — our security team 👮♂️, traffic marshals 🚦, Kensington Town Hall staff 🏛️, cleaning crews 🧹✨, catering team ☕🍰, and our own dedicated Hugglets team 🧸❤️. 👏✨
You are the quiet force that makes the magic possible. 🌟 From early-morning set-up 🌅 to the final sweep of the hall 🧹, your professionalism, patience and warmth create the foundation for everything our visitors and exhibitors experience. 🤝💫
Thank you for your hard work, your smiles 😊 and your calm in every situation. The magic truly belongs to you. 💫🧸🤍
What a blast. It was a truly wonderful day at the Hugglets Winter BearFest. 🧸✨💛
Kensington Town Hall was once again filled with creativity, craftsmanship and that very special Hugglets spirit that makes this community so unique. From the first eager visitors at the doors to the final goodbyes this afternoon, it has been a joy from beginning to end. 🌟
Our heartfelt thanks go to our remarkable exhibitors, who travelled from near and far and brought with them such extraordinary bears, artistry and passion. You are the heart of Hugglets. 🧵🧸❤️
And of course, to our wonderful visitors — loyal collectors, first-time guests and long-standing friends — thank you for your enthusiasm, your support and the warmth you bring to every festival. You create the magic. 💫🤍
We now look ahead with excitement to the TEDDIES Festival at the NEC Birmingham on 20 September 🎉 — and we will be back home at Kensington Town Hall on 28 February 2027. 🗓️
Until then, thank you for making today so special. 🧸✨
🧸✨ Collectors, makers… this one’s for you ✨🧸
@barbaraannbears are looking forward to welcoming collectors and makers this Sunday with an impressive and varied display.
On the stand, you’ll find a collection of 34 Barbara Ann Bears, including five sweet Babsbabies, four delightfully naughty vintage Punchit brothers and Rowena from around 1992 💛. For makers, there will be a wonderful selection of kits – including miniature bear designs – with only a couple of each available on the day, so it’s very much first-come, first-served (with additional kits available to order). Each kit even includes a helpful helpline telephone number and email address 🧵📞.
Vintage enthusiasts won’t want to miss the rare treasures also on offer: including a Steiff Teddy Girl 1905, a Steiff 1902 55PB 100th Anniversary bear and a hard-to-find Sun Arrow Teddy Girl ✨. A stand full of history, craftsmanship and collector’s delights.
‼️ Time’s running – the Hugglets Winter BearFest is tomorrow!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
See you tomorrow – don’t miss these treasures 🧸✨
🌙🧸 Heirloom bears with stories stitched inside 🧸🌙
Helen Nevett of @widdershinbears creates beautifully hand-stitched heirloom bears inspired by folklore, nostalgia and quiet storytelling ✨.
Using traditional techniques and tactile, timeworn materials, Helen crafts bears that feel cherished from the very first moment they’re held 🤍. Each companion is rich in texture and subtle character, thoughtfully designed to be loved, displayed and one day passed down. This Sunday, expect a small, carefully curated collection – gentle, soulful bears that invite you to slow down and listen to their story.
‼️ Time’s running – the Hugglets Winter BearFest is this weekend!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
We can’t wait to welcome you on Sunday 🧸✨
🇬🇧🧸 A tiny bear with a big love for Britain 🧸🇬🇧
With @the_travelling_teddy_bear , Olaf von Dombrowski presents a small and utterly charming teddy who travels across Great Britain, showcasing its landscapes in a wonderfully original way ✨.
Through his distinctive prints, Olaf blends teddy bear charm with striking scenery – offering what BBC Cornwall once described as a “sympathetic revolution of landscape photography.” 🌿📸 It’s a delightful twist on traditional landscape art, full of warmth, humour and heart. A stand that proves even the smallest bear can explore the grandest views.
‼️ Time’s running – the Hugglets Winter BearFest is tomorrow!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
Sunday is almost here – don’t miss it 🧸✨
🧩🧸 A whole menagerie is waiting… 🧸🧩
Anita Weller brings her charming @puzzlebears to Hugglets, and this Sunday her bears and animal friends are ready to meet you ✨.
From teddy bears to mice 🐭, rabbits 🐰, cats 🐱, polar bears 🐻❄️, dogs 🐶 and even pigs 🐷 – there’s a wonderful variety of characters looking for new homes and friendly faces. A cheerful stand full of personality, paws and plenty of smiles 😊.
‼️ Time’s running – the Hugglets Winter BearFest is this weekend!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
Only days to go – we’ll see you on Sunday 🧸✨
🎨🧸 Where tradition meets sculptural expression 🧸🎨
@elena.stanilevici creates collectible teddy bears in mixed media, blending classical teddy tradition with sculptural elements and meticulous hand finishing ✨.
Her bears are shaped through a thoughtful search for character – revealed in the gaze, the gentle tilt of the head and the subtle movement of paws and ears 🤍. At the Festival, Elena will present a new collection, alongside carefully selected earlier works. Each piece is entirely one of a kind, crafted from a refined combination of natural and modern materials, hand-toned with care and designed to spark a deeply personal connection.
‼️ Just two sleeps to go – the Hugglets Winter BearFest is this weekend!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
🧸💛 Little personalities waiting to meet you 💛🧸
Returning to Hugglets, Nessa Barham brings her heartfelt @nessabears1 creations – and as always, no two Nessa Bears are ever the same ✨.
Each bear is carefully hand stitched, lovingly made and full of character, with that special expression that quietly catches at your heart 🧵🤍. These little personalities will be keeping an eye out for their new homes this Sunday… perhaps one of them is waiting just for you?
‼️ The Hugglets Winter BearFest is this weekend!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
🧸🌸 A journey of love, resilience and handmade bears 🌸🧸
Keiko Koguma brings a deeply personal story back to Hugglets. After moving to the UK in 1994 and discovering the world of teddy bears, she became seriously dedicated to her art – earning recognition as a runner-up at the EVA Awards in 1999 🏆.
After returning to Japan and taking a long health-related break, Keiko has now begun creating again – and is joining Hugglets once more ✨. Each of her bears is one of a kind, completely hand sewn, with lovingly handmade dresses. She incorporates beautiful old Japanese kimono fabrics, blending tradition, craftsmanship and heartfelt emotion into every piece 💛. These are bears made with love – and with a story stitched into every seam.
‼️ Time’s running – the Hugglets Winter BearFest is this weekend!
📅 Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
📍 Kensington Town Hall, London 🇬🇧
🧸 Bear makers, artists, suppliers & antique dealers from around the world
✨ Club Members: free early entry from 10.30 am
⏩️ Join the Club & enjoy all benefits
👉 Info, exhibitor list & tickets: hugglets.com
