6 things to do this weekend

We feel like October might be the new May this year with the Fringe back on – hurrah – and the extra helping of foodie excitement courtesy of the fabulous OctoberBEST, which kicked off on Monday. We’ve already shouted about this autumn’s cinematic offerings, but keep on scrolling for some more weekend inspiration…

patisserie-stellar-brighton

Written in the stars
We’re excited that one of our favourite lockdown gems is back again at Shelter Hall Raw this weekend – yep, Patisserie Stellar are bringing their insanely tasty baked goods to our favourite food hall this Saturday, and every Saturday for the rest of the month. Their cruffins alone are worth a trip. Mind you, so are their cherry doughnuts and their creme brûlée ones. Basically, we’d recommend tryin the lot. It’s pastry porn on a whole other level. You can pre-order a box by DM-ing them on Instagram or just turn up at Shelter Hall from 11am on Saturday for a slice – or five – of patisserie heaven. Get there early to avoid doughnut disappointment.
Saturday 17th October, from 11am (and every Saturday in October)
Shelter Hall, Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2LN
shelterhall.co.uk

boho-gelato-brighton

Bo-ho-ho
We’re firmly of the mindset that you can eat ice-cream whatever the weather. Rain, shine, gobstopper-sized hailstones, we reckon there’s not much that ice-cream doesn’t go with. And we’ve got some good news for anyone who feels the same way as one of our favourite purveyors of all things gelato, the lovely Boho Gelato, are resuming their home deliveries, with evening options on offer now, too. All hand-delivered by the lovely Seb, Mr Boho himself. This week they’re celebrating dessert flavours – Pumpkin Pie, Paris Brest, Black Forest Gateau and more *drool* with vegan delights including Apple Strudel and Rhubarb & Custard. You’ve got until Monday to make your order for delivery next Thursday so we would say this is still very much a Thing To Do This Weekend. Ice us up, baby.
Order by 9am Monday 19th October for delivery on Thursday 22nd October
Order here

Bison-Beach-Bar-Brighton

Oktoberfest your eyes
Who needs Munich when you’ve got Wood + Coal’s Oktoberfeast trays? There’s a traditional meaty version and a plant-based one, too, inspired by the finest German food. We devoured the appropriately named crack potatoes – crispy potatoes, smothered in miso mayo and topped with a nutritional yeast crumb – in seconds and particularly enjoyed the massive coal-roasted cauliflower, too. Of course, half the fun of Octoberfest is in the – drinking of – the beers and Bison have got a fabulous selection of special ones to wash it all down with. There are limited trays available on Thursdays to Sundays in October, so you’ll need to pre-order and, take note, the kitchen closes at 8pm. And did we mention there’s a canvas roof and heaters now? So you can sit out whatever the weather. In other happy news, the wonderful – and Covid-safe – Beach Box Sauna at the Sea Lanes site has reopened (as has the Bison on North Road). We reckon it’s the perfect tonic to the rainy weather and Covid blues. Sauna, food and beer? That’s our weekend pretty much sorted. Prost!
Thursdays to Sundays in October; Oktoberfeast box from £30 for two
Bison Beach Bar at Sea Lanes, 284 Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN
sealanesbrighton.co.uk

brighton-fringe

Fringe benefits
It might be hard to believe, but we don’t spend all our time eating, honestly. To prove the point, we thought we’d share some of our Fringe recommendations for this weekend. So in no particular order, here’s what we’re excited about: Poshtrannie’s Insanitized – high-energy comedy from six up-and-coming comedians; Lava Elastic, the UK’s first openly neurodiverse comedy/performance/poetry night; online cook-along comedy show Julienning with Robyn; and You Can Do Anything – a feel-good musical theatre extravaganza at the Brighton Open Air Theatre. Just what we need right now.
Until Saturday 1st October, various locations and prices
brightonfringe.org

museum-of-ordinary-people-brighton

There’s an art to it
Fancy getting out of the city? The brilliant Museum of Ordinary People is curating a socially distanced art walk around the town of Newhaven this weekend as part of the month-long Newhaven Festival. You can grab a map from a volunteer at The Bridge Inn on the High Street where the trail starts (just down the road from the train station). The trail takes in a variety of windows, shop fronts and public spaces that have all been turned into mini-museums giving a fascinating insight into local people’s stories. Storytellers along the route will add to the intriguing snapshot of people’s lives and the town’s history.
17th – 18th October, 11am – 5pm
Newhaven. Trail starts at The Bridge Inn
, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 9PG
museumofordinarypeople.com

pumpkin-brighton-picking

Hey, pumpkin
We love a good autumnal arrangement and we’re big fans of running through fields – not wheat, mind you – so pumpkin-picking is always high up on our list of autumnal things to do. Sadly, the brilliant Slindon Pumpkins is closed this year, but our next top pumpkin-picking patch is the Sompting one – near Lancing. There you can run wheelbarrow wild across 14 acres, gathering up some of their 60,000 pumpkins, featuring 32 varieties in every shape and size. You can also get stuck into some Halloween-y crafts or local food. We also highly rate newer kid on the block, the Poynings Pumpkin Patch, which has a great selection of organic pumpkins for decorating and cooking, as well as a food van selling local treats. And no, this isn’t just for kids!
Sompting Pumping Picking Patch; 9.30am – 4.00pm on 17th – 18th October and daily 23rd – 31st; free entry, pumpkins range from £1 to £10
Halewick Lane, Sompting, Lancing BN15 0NE

pickingpatch.com
Poynings Pumpkin Patch; 10am – 4pm on 17th/18th October and daily 24th – 31st; free entry, pumpkin prices vary
Poynings Road, Poynings, Brighton BN45 7AP

Poynings Pumpkin Patch

Photo credit: (feature image) Tania Wood