Food (and drink): Guerrilla Eats, 8/9 December, Port Street Carpark.
'A new foodie collective of passionate street food traders, is set to shake up Manchester’s street food scene and bring the city bang up to date with an eating explosion'. That's the self-reverent publicity for the Guerilla Eats event - boy do these people love themselves. But the range of food appears impressive and comes from operators such as Fire and Salt BBQ, Dirty Dogs Hot Dogs, Ginger’s Comfort Emporium Ice Cream, The BarnHouse Bistro, ChaatCart, Sugar Bun Sisters and Las Paelleras. Let's hope they are really as good as they say, and give us an 'eating explosion'.
Guerilla Eats, hot dogs
Theatre: Rats’ Tales, Royal Exchange Theatre: 7 December – 12 January
Fairy tales are stories that we all know and love, their characters have become innate companions through countless retellings over the centuries of classic stories. When it comes to story-telling everyone loves hearing a good old fairy tale. What we all love equally if not more is when these familiar stories are twisted and turned on their head to become something new – reassuring and frightening both at once. Based upon Carol Ann Duffy’s collection of stories The Stolen Childhood this new production uses live music, puppetry, animation and storytelling to bring audiences young and old, new adaptations of classic folk tales from around the world. Ticket prices range from £10 to £35 and are available to book online here.
Rats' Tales
Parade: Christmas Lantern Parade, Tatton Park: 7 December
Tatton Park this weekend is offering the whole family a chance to welcome the festive season proper with a lantern lit parade featuring Santa himself along with his two favourite reindeer Prancer and Dancer (The other six are still on holiday). From 6pm you can help light Santa’s route through the park with your own lanterns as he makes his way to Tatton’s festive stable yard. There will also be a special posting box to make sure Santa gets your Christmas wish lists. People are also encouraged to bring along any unwanted toys to donate to Manchester Children’s Hospital. More information about this free event is available here.
Tatton Park Lantern Parade
Music: Stealing Sheep, Deaf Institute: 8 December
Psychedelic undercurrents have been sweeping their way through the majority of 2012, with bands like Tame Impala, Hookworms, Kult Country have all brought their psycheadelia charms to Manchester in recent months. The new spring of this revival however appears to be Liverpool, recently hosting the two day international Psychefest – it also happens to be the home of Stealing Sheep. The trio of Sheep now bring their 60’s folk-psych harmonies to headline the Deaf Institute this weekend with support from the excellent Temples. Tickets are priced at £7 and are available from here.
Stealing Sheep
Festival: Piccadilly Ice Festival, Piccadilly Gardens: 8 – 9 December
Remember that scene from Groundhog Day where Bill Murray impresses Andie McDowell by carving her an ice sculpture? That’s the reason anyone becomes an ice sculptor right? It’s easy, get some ice and a chainsaw and voila – a penguin. If the plummeting temperatures weren’t enough several Bill Murray wannabes will be turning Piccadilly Gardens into a wintery glacial spectacle this weekend. With a typically Christmassy theme you can expect to see snowmen, reindeer, fairies and of course Santa himself, plus a polar bear, not the most festive animal but still ‘cool’. There will also be an opportunity for everyone to have a go at ice sculpting themselves by attacking a three metre wall of ice surrounding Queen Victoria.
Ice Festival
Christmas: Santa’s Grotto, MOSI: 8 – 9 December
For those with you with young’uns clamouring for a first glimpse of the big guy himself, Father Christmas will be taking down Christmas wishes at MOSI this weekend. Kids and big kids alike can visit Santa in MOSI’s special festive grotto to make doubly sure that he’s not forgotten you. Entry costs £5, a price which includes a chat with Santa, a special gift and a visit to the elves’ workshop where you can make your own festive decorations and souvenirs to take home. The grotto will be open 10.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 4.30pm this weekend and 15 December onwards. During the week the elves head back to the North Pole to their workshop to make sure Christmas is on schedule again this year.
MOSI Santa
Cinema: 24 Hour John Waters Marathon, Islington Mill: 8 – 9 December
John Waters, the pencil-moustachioed ‘pope of trash’ can never be described as dull. The cult film-maker has introduced the world to some of the most depraved characters ever to grace the screen, none more so that ‘Divine – the filthiest person alive’ in transgressive black comedy Pink Flamingos. He also made a revelation of Johnny Depp in Cry-Baby and flirted with mainstream cinema with Hairspray which went on to be a hit stage show. This Saturday performance collective Trancarchy will transform Islington Mill into a glittery sleep-over and show all twelve of Waters’ feature length films back-to-back from 6pm, with prizes for those who make it through the whole 24 hours. Tickets are priced at £10 and available from here.
John Waters
Music: Jeru the Damaja, Night and Day Café: 8 December
Kendrick Jeru Davis is best known for his debut 1994 album The Sun Rises In The East often referred to as one of the quintessential nineties hip hop albums. Taking on the persona of conscious truth-teller of the Brooklyn streets where he was first introduced to hip-hop at the age of seven. Introduced through his associations with Gangstarr Jeru cemented his reputation in the hip-hop world with the release of classic single Come Clean. Doors for this event are 9pm – 2am with tickets priced at £7 and available from here.
Jeru The Damaja
Exhibition: Playing The Game, Manchester Jewish Museum: 8 – 21 December
This new exhibition at Manchester’s Jewish Museum on Cheetham Hill Road challenges the misconception that ‘Jewish people do not play sport’. Visit and discover how sport has shaped Manchester’s Jewish community. From the table tennis tables of Manchester Jewish Lads Brigade to the football pitches of the Manchester Jewish Soccer League, sport has both united and divided the community. Featuring the stories of Jewish footballers, weightlifters, boxers, athletes, tennis and table tennis players, this is a fascinating exhibition for all sports fans.
Playing The Game
