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June 2011
June 2011
In June, there's plenty to get stuck into with the Kew Midsummer Fete and Marylebone Summer Fayre providing early idyllic English summer fun, while there are food festivals to feast on, including the ever popular Taste of London in Regent's Park. Read on to find out more.
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The Scoop at More London Free Festival
The Scoop at More London, London, SE1 2AA8th June - 30th September 2011
The Scoop at More London, next to City Hall, is a huge open air amphitheatre next to the Thames, making it an ideal al fresco venue for a Free Festival of music, theatre, film and fringe performances. Running from 8th June to 30th September 2011, The Merry Opera Company kick things off with Troy Boy (8-10 June), "a new and witty translation of Offenbach's La Belle Helene". Open-air theatre company The Pantaloons follow their fringe production of Macbeth last year with a new adaptation of The Canterbury Tales (15-17 June). Further free theatrical entertainment comes in the form of Iphigenia on Thames (18 & 25 June) presented by Open Door Opera, followed by hard hitting dance drama Crime Of The Century (22-24 June) by the acclaimed Chickenshed theatre company. Musical interludes are performed by the Montana Four, K-Groove, and London-based blues band Pacifico Blues in a series of free music concerts. Finally, for three weeks from 14th September until the end of the Free Festival on 30th September, the big screen plays host to nine films including Alice in Wonderland, The Kings Speech, The Social Network, True Grit as well as old favourites The Manchurian Candidate and Dirty Dancing. This is what al fresco summer entertainment should be about: no tickets necessary - so you can just turn up and enjoy the show, outdoors. What better way to make the most of summer - and it's all for free.
Hampton Court Palace Festival
Hampton Court Palace, London, KT8 9AU8th - 18th June 2011
The Hampton Court Palace Festival returns for its 19th year with over 10 nights of concerts featuring some top performers for the older generation. American performers Don McLean and (arguably the highlight) Bryan Adams figure in a star-studded line up which includes smooth-talking pianist and charmer Jools Holland, former army officer and singer-songwriter James Blunt and Eighties rock band Simple Minds. The grown-up nature of the line-up is entirely in sync with the nature of the mature vibe of the festival, which takes place in the 17th-century courtyard and gardens of the lavish Tudor palace. Guests can bring their own picnic hampers full of goodies or take advantage of the pre-ordered Villandry picnic options on offer. Drinks and more basic meal options (such as jacket potatoes, sandwiches and salads) are also available from stalls, while those who want to go the whole hog can opt for the Hampton Court hospitality package, which includes VIP seating, a champagne reception with canapes, and a dinner with fine wines. Check www.hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com for all times, prices and ticketing details.
Connaught Village Summer Festival
Connaught Village, London, W2 2AA15th June 2011
Take a well-earned mid-week break at the Connaught Village Summer Festival on Wednesday 15 June - an afternoon and evening of live music and entertainment for the whole family. Children will revel in the face painting, Punch & Judy shows and fairground rides, while everyone has a soft spot for coconut shies and rickety wood 'n' straw bowling alleys. Throw into the mix a children's art competition, flower arranging, ample street entertainers and some bespoke Blue Badge tours of Connaught Village's historic sites, and there's pretty much something for everyone. But the real pull appears to be the Hyde Park Dog Show (from 4.30pm) which has some ingenious categories, such as 'the dog which looks most like its owner', 'the dog with the waggiest tail' and 'the dog with the best trick'. For more information please visit www.connaught-village.co.uk.
Taste of London
Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR16th - 19th June 2011
Direct your rumbling stomach to Regent's Park for four days of al fresco gluttony as over forty of London's best restaurants, including a flurry of Michelin stars, show off their culinary handiwork. 'Taste of...' has become a nationwide phenomenon with events taking place in cities all over the country. Of these the London event in Regent's Park must be one of the most enjoyable. Work your way through a range of miniature speciality dishes - bought with the event's currency, 'crowns' - hot off the plates from upmarket places like Le Gavroche, L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon and Theo Randall. While tasting fashionable fare and shopping for fine wines, spirits and gourmet foods among the 120 stalls, the civilised sounds of live jazz and opera fill the air and aid the digestion. A gourmet grazing picnic extraordinaire, no restaurant lover should miss this tasty event which has already become a firm fixture in the foodie calendar.
Fair in the Square
Pond Square, London, N6 6BPSaturday 18th June 2011
Highgate Village puts on its annual free Fair in the Square on Saturday 18th June when a steel band, Punch and Judy shows and over a hundred colourful stalls fill Pond Square in the heart of the historic Hampstead village. A line-up of local musicians, singers, dancers take to the stage putting on all manner of entertainment. It's a real family day out and youngsters can get creative in the children's tent helping to paint a giant canvas, as well as getting their faces painted. They can hop on the roundabout ride, enjoy bungee jumping and special performances by Miss Ballooniverse. In between acts you can browse among the stalls selling gifts, jewellery, crafts, clothing, plants and every type of food from cupcakes to hog roast provided by the Red Lion and Sun Public House. There's a dog show too, organised by PetVet, with competitions for the dog who looks 'most like its owner'. Given that Highgate is famous for its village-y atmosphere, the Fair in the Square is as close as London gets to a village fete.
Kew Midsummer Fete
Kew Green, London, TW9 3AASaturday 18th June 2011
Summer revellers are welcomed down to the Kew Green this summer for the Kew Midsummer Fete. There will be more than 100 stalls on display and within the marquee, with a wonderful array of things to buy, including ceramics, jewellery, children's toys, new and vintage clothing and accessories, homewear, gifts, prints, sweets, cakes, plants, photos and much, much more. For food lovers, there are some delicious offerings in the Food Court, with Spanish paella, Lebanese delights, Indian curry, English hog roast, cream teas, crepes, burgers and all sorts of culinary treats. There's also a full programme of events on stage throughout the day, including stints by the local Corona Theatre School, Elastic Band, the Strand ballet school, Crouching Tiger karate and plenty of others. Last year's fete hosted over 5,000 people and raised over £6,000 to be shared across four local charities.
Marylebone Summer Fayre
Marylebone Village, W1G 9DLSunday 19th June 2011
The Marylebone Summer Fayre, organised by The Howard de Walden Estate, is back again this summer, supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust. The Fayre is divided into coloured zones to make it easier for guests to get around. For example, the Moxon Street Food Festival makes up the Green Zone, the Cabbages and Frocks Market and the Conran Shop are in the Purple Zone, The Brown Zone boasts an outdoor Providores food stall and salsa dancing, while the Orange Zone is primarily for children's events. Now in its eighth year, the Fayre will see the streets around Marylebone Village closed to traffic and filled with market stalls, top quality dance and entertainment and some excellent food and drink. The Fayre has been raising awareness and money for Teenage Cancer Trust for the last five years and in 2010 over £36,000 was raised.For more information and a full programme go to www.marylebonesummerfayre.com.
City of London Festival 2011
St Paul's Cathedral, EC4M 8AD27th June - 17th July 2011
Founded in 1962, the City of London Festival is a summer programme of music, visual arts, film, walks and talks. It takes place across several venues (including St Paul's Cathedral) and outdoor spaces, and events and activities are frequently free (particularly if outdoor). In 2010 the theme was "trading places", and among other things the festival highlighted music from the Portuguese-speaking world, and saw eight behives placed around the Square Mile. And a favourite feature with Londoners and visitors alike, brought back in 2010 by public demand, is the Street Pianos - left out in random spots in the capital for anyone to play. Look out for more eye-opening and thought-provoking happenings at the 2011 Festival. The full programme of events is yet to be finalised but keep checking www.colf.org for the latest information.
Greenwich and Docklands International Festival
Greenwich, London, SE10 9HF24th June - 2nd July 2011
The whole of Greenwich comes alive for the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival, a 10-day free festival of street performances, art and dancing in the streets. The Festival offers a free and inclusive programme of world class theatre and dance, family entertainment, two extraordinary spectacles and, for the first time since 1857, a Greenwich Fair. The festival is especially good at putting on outdoor dance spectaculars and this year is as strong as ever with performances by Marc Brew Company, Luca Silvestrini's Protein, Company Chameleon, Up and Over It and Avant Garde Dance. On 2 July head across the river to Canary Wharf where Dancing City, a feature at the festival for 10 years, showcases Seville's Producciones Imperdibles featuring Spanish dancers overhead on a transparent stage. With events taking place across Maritime Greenwich, the Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf, Stratford and Woolwich, there's plenty to keep the expected crowds of 50,000 entertained.
Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair
The Old Finsbury Town Hall, EC1R 4RP26th June 2011
Spanish Food and Wine Festival
Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2AA25th June 2011 - 26th June 2011
they buy a wine glass on entering the festival. Visitors can also purchase tapas dishes and glasses of wine from all exhibiting restaurants and wineries throughout the day.
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