Horse and Groom, venue for the Shoreditch Carnival Party. Pic: Ewan-M
The August Bank Holiday weekend traditionally means a long haul trip to the west for the London Notting Hill Carnival, but you needn’t stray far from the comforting shores of the East London Line this weekend to find a plethora of exciting events.
The highlight of the weekend for electronic music fans is the LED Festival which transforms Victoria Park into a two-day party featuring some of the biggest names in dance. See our music section for a full preview. For those who fancy a more relaxing weekend, there are events and activities happening in parks, pubs, and cemeteries throughout East London.
On Sunday, Shoreditch also gets in on the Carnival vibe, with the Discovery and Warm Carnival Party which keeps going for 16 hours, from 2pm till 6am, with just a £10 entry charge for the entire day-to-night event.
Disco meets house in this two-venue party, which starts on the terrace of The Papermill and finishes at Horse & Groom just down the road. Featuring music from Jamie Jones (Crosstown Rebels), Peter Herbert (Reverso 68), Ali Tillett and Rob Summerhayes (Warm). Prices: £10 on the door or £8 advance. The Papermill, 2-6 Curtain Rd, London, EC2A 3NQ
On Sunday, there is a picnic organised by The Vauxhall Collective, in Brick Lane. It is one of a number of urban picnic sites which transform inner-city areas into grassy spaces featuring a range of objects created by furniture designer Gareth Neal.
Picnickers will enter an ‘interactive and fantastical space’ featuring traditional weekend fare with a contemporary craft twist. From ping pong, hula hoops and egg and spoon races, to logs and benches to sit on, the creators intend to bring jaded city dwellers back to their childhood memories of the quintessential British weekend.
Neal said: “The East London area was once home to hundreds of traditional furniture manufacturers, so it’s the perfect location for the project. The objects within their locations refer to this lost industry and claim back pieces of land for relaxation, fun and play.”
Go to http://twitter.com/vxcollective for the location of Saturday’s picnic; on Sunday the event takes place at Elys Yard, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL. Bring your own food.
Also on Sunday, between noon and 6pm, head south-east for the jumble sale at the Amersham Arms pub, a favourite haunts of students from nearby Goldsmiths college. It is a great place to trend-spot and people-watch while picking up bargains. More information here: http://www.goingforasongjumble.blogspot.com. Amersham Arms, 388 New Cross Rd, London, SE14 6TY
Or for something completely different, visit Nunhead Cemetery this Sunday for a free two-hour guided tour of the romantic and overgrown Victorian cemetery. The tour is conducted by a pair of enthusiastic volunteers who really know the ins and outs of the cemetery and can talk you through the 1,000 ivy-clad angels and hundreds of mighty Victorians buried here. Meet at 2.15 near the Lindon Grove entrance. Visit their website for more information: http://www.fonc.org.uk Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Road, London, SE15 3LP
If the theatre is your thing, take a trip down to the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre in Brockley where Euler’s Circles, the new play by Peter Norgate, is showing at 8pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. The play focuses on two disabled people, one suffering from Asperger’s and the other from Bell’s Palsy, who gather the courage to step out into society. Visit their website for bookings and more information: http://www.brockleyjack.co.uk Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Rd, London, SE4 2DH. Prices: £12 or concessions £10
