Trail App
Find and collect 31 Big Bears, 51 Bear Cubs and 1 special book bench. All while unlocking rewards and milestone rewards along the way. Plus the chance to get discounts on our exclusive Bear Hunt merchandise.
Dartford Bear Hunt Auction
The Bears are finding their forever homes on Thursday 1 October
Bid in person at Bluewater Village Marquee or online — online bidding is now open!.
Dartford Bear Hunt Raffle
For just £5 per ticket, you could take the adventure home and win a one-of-a-kind Bear Cub Sculpture from the Dartford Bear Hunt.
Memory bear
At the heart of this stunning art trail is ellenor’s Memory Bear, which offers individuals the chance to dedicate a name in memory of someone they love. Each name will become part of the sculpture itself creating a shared space for remembrance within the community.
Get Ready for a Bear-illiant Art Adventure!
This summer Dartford has been transformed by 31 stunning large Bear sculptures inspired by the beloved classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Designed by local and national artists, these Bears form an exciting, free public art trail through the town’s streets, parks, and open spaces.
Alongside them more than 50 Bear cubs, decorated by local schools and community groups, will be displayed in indoor locations such as museums, libraries, and storefronts, making this an event for the whole community!
Dartford bear hunt auction 1st October 2026
The Dartford Bear Hunt is coming to its spectacular finale.
On Thursday 1 October, our Bears will find their forever homes at the Dartford Bear Hunt Auction — with the option to join us in person or bid online from wherever you are.
Online bidding is now open.
Working with Walker Books
We are delighted to be working with The Walker Books Group to bring We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to Life!
This beautiful, hand-drawn animation based on the classic book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury follows the intrepid adventures of a family of children as they venture through whirling snowstorms, oozing mud and dark forests in search of bears…
‘This is an exciting and unique opportunity for ellenor to partner with Walker Books and the beloved classic, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Based on our experience, this partnership is a perfect fit for Dartford, offering not only a high-profile, family-friendly theme but also the potential to create a truly engaging and successful art trail.
It’s a wonderful chance to bring people together, celebrate creativity, and raise valuable funds for ellenor’s work in the process’.
Charlie Langhorne MD and co-Founder Wild in Art
Join the conversation #dartfordbearhunt
Mini Bear Auction!
Our Tiny Paint Your Own Bears have had a very special makeover, with talented artists including Stephen Oliver bringing their own creative flair to these little works of art.
The Tiny Bear Auction is now LIVE, giving you the chance to bid for your favourite bear and take home a completely unique piece of the Dartford Bear Hunt.
Bids from £75 start here
https://dartford.wildinartauctions.com/auctions/catalog/id/136/Dartford-Bear-Hunt-The-Tiny-Bear-Auction
#DartfordBearHunt #TinyBearAuction #WildInArt #Ellenor #BearHunt #ArtAuction #TinyBears #StephenOliver
What an incredible last evening for the @dartfordbearhunt at our auction, seeing our bears get bid on to go to their forever homes! 🐻
Thank you to everyone who bid on the bears, all of these funds raised are going to fund hospice care services at @ellenorcharity and we couldn’t be more thankful.
Thank you so much to all of the sponsors that have been there on this journey throughout the start! It was lovely to see some familiar faces support the evening.
Thank you to all of the artists that truly worked so hard on these bear designs, it’s so lovely seeing them go to well deserved homes.
@ellenorcharity catering team for providing gorgeous food for the evening
Thank you to @silverhandestate for providing all of the drinks for our auction.
Thank you to @dartfordbc & @bluewatershopping @wildinart
#ellenor #dartfordbearhunt #charityauction #charity #auction
IT IS TIME TO BID! 🧡
Bid on a bear online via dartfordbearhunt.co.uk/auction
Thank you to @bluewatershopping
@silverhandestate @wildinart @ellenorcharity
#auction #ellenor #dartfordbearhunt #fundraising
The first online bids are in!
Have you placed your bid online yet?
Visit https://dartford.wildinartauctions.com/auctions/catalog/id/122/Dartford-Bear-Hunt-Auction to buy a bear!
#dartfordbearhunt #ellenor #auction #bidding #wildinart
🐻 Fancy taking a Dartford Bear home?
The Dartford Bear Hunt Auction is happening TODAY, giving you the chance to bid for one of our stunning, uniquely decorated Bear Sculptures and give it a forever home!
Can’t make it in person? You can bid online too! So wherever you are, you can get involved and bid for your favourite bear.
Every bid helps support ellenor and our vital care for local families facing life limiting and life threatening illness across Kent.
Find out more, view the bears and register your interest at:
👉 dartfordbearhunt.co.uk/auction
📅 1 October 2026
Which bear has caught your eye? 👀🐻
#DartfordBearHunt #BearAuction #AuctionInKent #KentAuctions #WildInArtAuction ellenor
🐻 THE BEARS ARE UP FOR GRABS! 🐻
Fancy taking home your very own Bear from the Dartford Bear Hunt? Now’s your chance!
You can bid for your favourite Bear from the comfort of your own home, with the live auction happening online. Whether you’ve been following the trail or simply spotted a Bear you absolutely love, this is your chance to make it yours!
🏡 Bid from home
🐻 Take home a Bear
❤️ Support a great cause
🎉 Join the excitement of the Bear Hunt auction
Ready to find your favourite? Let the bidding begin!
👉 dartfordbearhunt.co.uk/auction
#DartfordBearHunt #BearHunt #WildInArt #BearAuction #CharityAuction #BidForABear
Is there a bear that you have spotted that you want to keep?
This is your chance to bid on a Bear to keep and treasure forever.
The Dartford Bear Hunt Auction, taking place on 1 October 2026, is your exclusive opportunity to give one of our stunning Bear Sculptures a forever home! Join us for an evening of celebration and bid on a beautifully and uniquely decorated sculpture to make your own — all while supporting your local hospice.
Register your interest today to be the first to hear when auction tickets go on sale, and to start choosing the lot you will be bidding on!
And don’t forget to save the date – 1 October 2026
Final details on the auction will be added closer to the event. In the meantime you can register your interest and find out more on our dedicated Auction page.
What a way to say farewell! 🐻
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Dartford Bear Hunt Farewell Weekend. We were thrilled to welcome nearly 1,500 people across the weekend, celebrating the bears, our community and the memories we’ve created together.
And if you’ve fallen in love with one of the bears, you can give them a permanent home! The Bear Auction opens this Thursday, with the chance to bid from home or in person.
Find out more and register to bid at dartfordbearhunt.co.uk/auction
Thank you to everyone who supported the hunt, shared our bears and helped make this farewell so special. We couldn’t have done it without you! 🐻
#dartfordbearhunt #auction #ellenor #arttrail #wildinart
We’re going on an Art Hunt—are you coming?
Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to receive updates along the way!
Our Sponsors & Partners
YOUR DONATIONS CREATE REAL CHANGE
ellenor needs £9.6 million each year to continue caring and supporting thousands of patients and families facing life limiting and life-threatening illness in Kent. We are a charity that relies on the generosity of our local community. Your donation however big or small makes a real difference to patients and their families.
Walker books
Walker Books UK is part of the vibrant international The Walker Books Group that includes Walker Books Australia, Candlewick Press, Holiday House and Peachtree Press in the USA.
Walker Books UK is an award-winning publisher making magical new stories for children of all ages. For generations, they have been the home of stories that feel both classic and fresh. From beautiful picture books to curl up with at bedtime to rib-tickling middle grade adventures, and from epic fantasy thrillers to fascinating, expansive non-fiction, there is something in their range of bestselling books for everyone.
The major bestselling brands for the group are We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Guess How Much I Love You, Maisy, the widely acclaimed Judy Moody, and the phenomenal Where’s Wally? /Where’s Waldo?
Lupus Films
Multi award-winning London-based studio Lupus Films was set up by Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding in 2002 and has since grown to become one of the world’s leading film and television production companies.
The company specialises in high quality family entertainment and adaptations of much-loved works of children’s literature, such as BAFTA nominated half-hour specials THE SNOWMAN AND THE SNOWDOG, WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, MOG’S CHRISTMAS and THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA, which won an International Kids Emmy® Award.
Lupus Films has produced a number of animated feature films including the award-winning ETHEL & ERNEST, based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Raymond Briggs; KENSUKE’S KINGDOM, an adaptation of the bestselling children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo, and THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN WONDERLAND, based on the popular picture-book by Carys Bexington and Kate Hindley.
