Thriving Thursday

Hey! Nashy & Abs here 👋

Fringe by the Sea has been incredible this week in North Berwick and there is still time to get along and join in the fun!

Edinburgh Festival officially kicks off this week. Two of the greatest events in Scotland are happening back-to-back and we are right in the middle of both. 🎭🩷

I’m out and about filming, wandering, meeting new businesses and sharing everything across our socials. The city is electric and we cannot wait to bring you along for every bit of it.

I am on a mission to help, create and build our Thriving community as big as possible and the Edinburgh energy has me fired up right now. So much to see and do right now; I hope you are out there and enjoying being a part of it!

Let's get into it! 👇

This week's newsletter includes:

🔥 New business shout-out - Kofie Cafe
🏪 Local business highlights
📣 Worth shouting about & 📅 Dates for your diary + Festival Special!
💳 A taste of what's on the Thriving Card this week!

If you haven't grabbed your Thriving Card yet, the founding-member price is still available to newsletter subscribers only.

£45 instead of £59. Forever.

A brilliant new independent coffee spot right on Duke Street, Leith. Kofie has had a slow start to life in Leith and needs some love! Serving cult coffee and Company Bakery treats, it’s the kind of neighbourhood coffee spot Leith does so well. More folk need to know about it! 🩷

Go and give them a follow and get yourself down to Duke Street for your next caffeine fix.

📍 Duke Street, Leith, Edinburgh

One of Edinburgh's most unique and charming independent bookshops tucked away on Leith Walk. La Belle Adventure is dedicated entirely to European comics. French and European titles available in both original French and English translation. The kind of specialist independent that you only find in a city like Edinburgh. 🩷

Whether you're a lifelong ‘bandes dessinées’ fan or just curious to discover something completely different, this is the place. A proper hidden gem on Leith Walk and one well worth a visit.

Wednesday to Saturday, 10:30 am - 6 pm. Sunday, 1 pm - 6 pm.

📍 225 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8NX

No ocean. No experience. No problem. The SurfSkate Academy brings the fluid flowing movements of surfing to the streets and skateparks of Edinburgh and East Lothian. Whether you've never touched a board in your life or you're a surfer looking to sharpen your technique on land, this is for you. 🩷

Group sessions for all abilities, 1-1’s, school sessions, corporate team building and sessions at Lost Shore Surf Resort right here in Edinburgh. The kind of independent business that brings something genuinely new and exciting to the city.

Once you feel that first carve, you'll wonder where it's been all your life.

WARNING - It’s highly addictive!

📍 Lost Shore Surf Resort, Edinburgh

🎨 Holly Ferrie - Abstract Art at IKEA Edinburgh

A brilliant East Lothian based abstract artist and one worth following. Holly will be painting live in store at IKEA Edinburgh from 28th to 31st August. A brilliant opportunity to see her work up close, watch the process and ask any art questions you have been dying to ask. 🩷

Go and say hello and support a brilliant independent artist.

Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st August. IKEA Edinburgh.

📍 IKEA Edinburgh, Straiton Mains, Edinburgh, EH20 9PW

🤠 Rowan Ranching Co - Edinburgh Pop Up Shop, 4th - 7th August

Edinburgh's latest western store is popping up at Edinburgh Pop Up Shop on Leith Walk this week and it sounds absolutely brilliant. Authentic cowboy boots, belts, buckles and jewellery, plus their signature Custom Hat Bar where you can personalise cowboy and trucker hats with ribbons, feathers, chains, branding and patches. The most unique shopping experience in Edinburgh this Festival. 🩷

Tuesday 4th to Friday 7th August.

📍 27 Albert Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5HN

🎤 Live Band Mass Karaoke with Side Hustle - Fringe By The Sea

Three sell-out years at Fringe by the Sea and Side Hustle are back with a brand new, all-killer, no-filler set. This high-energy local band brings exquisite harmonies, bold brass and razor-tight rhythms; house classics, rock, pop, funk and disco, with big bold lyrics for the whole crowd to sing along to. The kind of night that leaves you uplifted, joyful and buzzing for more. 🩷

Thursday 6th August. 7 pm to 8:15 pm.

The Famous Grouse Lodge Stage, Age guidance 12+. 🎟️ £12.

📍 North Berwick, East Lothian

🛸 How to Spot an Alien - Edinburgh Fringe

A brilliant family Fringe show for young ones. Jelly and Jonjo think their aunt might be an alien and they're on a mission to find out! A rip-roaring adventure through space full of friendship, fun and flying saucers from the brilliant Siege of Herons. Puppetry, storytelling and imagination over screen time. The perfect Fringe morning for little ones.

Suitable for families. 🎟️ from £5 - Check website for dates & times.

📍 Greenside @ George Street, Lime Studio, Edinburgh

🎨 Girls Craft Club - FREE Event, Inverleith Park

Girls Craft Club are heading to Inverleith Park for a brilliant free yoga in the park, outdoor event this Sunday. A perfect way to spend a summer morning with some movement, mindfulness and fresh air. Come solo or bring a pal. 🩷

Sunday 9th August. 10 am to 11 am. Free but book in advance.

📍 Inverleith Park, Edinburgh

Enjoyed your morning? Check out our Thriving Card offer: 10% off your first Girls Craft Club event.

🥐 You & Aye, Pop Up Bakery Launch - Thursday 6th August

A brilliant independent pop-up bakery launching Thursday 6th August. A full day of whimsical bakes, global flavors and collaborations with amazing local creators at Shop with no Name (2a Broughton Pl). Fresh bakes, beautiful pastries. An Edinburgh independent worth visiting!

⚽ EH Retro Kits x Stoppage Time Winner - Fringe Pop-Up

Two brilliant Edinburgh independents joining forces for a Fringe pop-up selling vintage football shirts, merchandise and prints. EH Retro Kits and Stoppage Time Winner are taking over two Edinburgh spaces across two weekends during the Fringe. 🩷

📅 8th & 9th August: 27 Albert Place, Leith Walk, 11 am to 6 pm.
📅 29th & 30th August: Secret Location

Free entry. Whether you're a football fan, a print collector or just love a brilliant independent pop-up, get yourself along.

📍 27 Albert Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5HN

🛍️ The West End Fair - Running until August 30th

Over 120 makers, designers and artists taking over the churchyard of St John's Church on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road throughout August.

New exhibitors arriving every Monday and every single item on sale is made by the person selling it. No imports, no mass-produced goods. Handcrafted jewellery, fashion accessories, prints, cards, candles, homewares and so much more. Free entry every day from 11 am to 6 pm with a cafe on site for food and refreshments. A proper Edinburgh institution and the perfect place to support independent makers during the Festival. 🩷

📍 St John's Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh

🏰 Castle Street Market - Throughout August

Right in the heart of Edinburgh with Edinburgh Castle as your backdrop and Princes Street buzzing in front of you. Independent food producers, makers, designers, jewellers, fashion creators and artists all trading throughout the Festival period. One of the most established independent markets in Edinburgh and one of the best spots to discover something genuinely special during the Fringe. 🩷

Running throughout August. 📍 Castle Street, Edinburgh

🌊 Groundswell Surf Festival - East Lothian, Saturday 5th September

Only 4 tickets left for one of the most special events happening in East Lothian this summer. Groundswell Scotland's annual surf festival brings together women and waves for a full day of surfing, primal flow, nature connection, music, fire, storytelling and ceremony. Coached beginner and intermediate surfing, a nature walk with folklore and plants, live music and a closing ceremony by the sea. 🩷

Wetsuit and board hire available. Don't hang about ONLY 4 tickets left.

💳 A TASTE OF WHAT'S ON THE THRIVING CARD THIS WEEK

The Thriving Card is doing exactly what it was built to do. Locals are saving money, tourists are finding the real Edinburgh and brilliant independents are getting the support they deserve. Here's a taste of what's on the card this week:

🎩 The Lost Close - Old Town, Edinburgh: A hidden underground close just off the Royal Mile sealed for nearly 200 years and only rediscovered in 2019. Intimate whisky, gin and beer tasting experiences with brilliant storytelling. The perfect Edinburgh experience during the Festival; something genuinely unique that tourists and locals alike will never forget.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off all standard Lost Close experiences for Edinburgh locals.

🧗 Ocean Vertical - East Lothian: Award-winning outdoor adventure experiences on the East Lothian coast. Coasteering, sea kayaking, paddleboarding and more. B Corp certified and one of the most brilliant independents in the Lothians. Perfect for visitors wanting to escape the Festival city for a day.
Thriving Card offer: 15% off all activities. Use discount code at checkout.

🌿 Cloud 9 Edinburgh - Easter Road: Pretty plants, gorgeous gifts and things you definitely didn't come in for but now can't leave without. One of Edinburgh's most charming independent shops on Easter Road.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off everything. Excludes Jellies and reduced items.

🩷 Loads more offers across food, drink, health, wellness, shopping, experiences and outdoor activities. A wee something for everyone.

That's your Thriving Thursday! 🩷

If you haven't grabbed your Thriving Card yet, the founding member price is still available at £45 through the link below:

BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER - £45

We genuinely love putting this together for you every week. The fact that you read it, share it and support it means the world to both of us.

Our Newsletter is a place to shine a spotlight on the many brilliant local businesses on our doorstep and to keep you in the loop on local events and what’s happening in and around Edinburgh.

We really want to hear about new independent businesses that are opening in Edinburgh and the Lothians! Know a business deserving a shout-out? Reply to this email and tell us their story.

Let's Keep Edinburgh Thriving. 🚀

BIG love,

Nashy & Abs

Keep Edinburgh Thriving 🩷