Art Trail

This is a huge, free public Art Trail across the borough of Dartford. The trail will run for 8 weeks from July to September 2026. There are 30 large Bear sculptures and 30 Bear Cubs that will be popping up across public spaces, shops, museums and more!

This is a Wild in Art event presented by ellenor, a local hospice charity based in North Kent. The team at ellenor deals with all day-to-day aspects of the trail.

As well as raising vital funds and awareness for ellenor, it is expected that Dartford Bear Hunt will provide an uplift to the local economy by increasing visitor numbers both local and tourists. Visitors to the trail will be spending money in local shops, restaurants and cafes, hotels, on parking or the local transport infrastructure.

We are ellenor. Your local hospice charity, providing vital support to patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses across North Kent and Bexley.

At ellenor, we embrace life, offering support to adults and children from the moment of diagnosis and beyond. We understand the profound impact of a life-limiting condition and

we are here to offer compassionate care and support throughout this time.

You can find out more about our work and support us at www.ellenor.org

Dartford Bear Hunt has been organised by ellenor. Many of the running costs for the trail will be met through our partnerships and sponsorships and the generosity of several organisations. Local schools will take part in the Learning Programme, and businesses displaying our Bear Cubs, are also making a fundraising contribution.

Opportunities to donate to the charity are available on our website and app, and at every Bear sculpture.

All proceeds from map and merchandise sales will benefit ellenor, as well as ticket sales for additional events such as the Farewell exhibition.

The most significant part of the fundraising will be the charity auction, where all of the large Bear sculptures will be sold to help fund local hospice care.

Wild in Art are creative producers of spectacular, meaningful and innovative public art trails.

They work with destinations, charities, brand owners, artists, businesses, learning providers and communities across the UK and worldwide to create memorable events which make a difference.

Visit their website here.

Summer 2026, July-September (final dates will be posted on the site once confirmed)

There will be 31 large Bears & around 50 Bear Cubs out on the trail. The large Bears are decorated by professional artists, while the Bear Cubs are decorated by schools & community groups.

The Bears will be located across the borough of Dartford, final sculpture locations will be revealed closer to the time.

You can follow this trail for free, as often as you’d like! Beyond simply participating, you can also contribute to ellenor’s hospice care in various ways, both during and after the event.  

Trail Maps will be available for a small donation. In addition, there will also be an interactive app you can download to help you find and collect all of the sculptures, as well as receiving top rewards from our sponsors.

You don’t have to find all of the Bears, but it might be fun to try! You can find as may or as few of the sculptures as you wish across the 8 week period.

You certainly will be able to buy merchandise and we plan to share an exciting range with you while the trail is live. You will be able to purchase this from designated Trail Hubs and from ellenor’s own charity shops in Dartford.