The last bank holiday weekend of the summer has arrived far too soon, but don’t worry, we’ve put together a banging line-up to make sure you milk it for all it’s got. As well as the scoop on free frozen margaritas to keep you cool, the new supper club you need to book in at, a perfect day trip, and the second outing for the micro Shakespeare festival (see no. 1 on last week’s guide for all the deets), we’ve also got good news weather-wise. There’s sun on the menu and Monday is looking particularly decent (just call us the Met Office). You know what that means – heaps of outdoor party recommendations! Here we go…
1. Grab a ticket to this must-visit wine festival
There are still a few tickets left for Ridgefest, Ridgeview Wine’s summer extravaganza that takes place this Saturday. If this festival has somehow passed you by, you can expect gorgeous vineyard views, providing the perfect backdrop for a day filled with live music, DJ sets, a silent disco, a cocktail bar, vineyard tours, street food, and lots of their lovely bubbly stuff. Sadly, the masterclasses have sold out, but you can still snap up tickets for the cheese and wine pairing experience. Oh, and did we mention that the main Ridgefest tickets include a complimentary welcome drink and commemorative glass on arrival? Cheers to that!
Saturday 26th August; midday – 9pm; £75
Ridgeview Wine Estate, Fragbarrow Lane, Ditchling, BN6 8TP
ridgeview.co.uk
2. Get your fill of summer vibes at a street party
One of our favourite pubs in Hove, The Ancient Mariner, is back with their much-loved annual summer street party. There will be an impressive line-up of performers taking to the stage all day long, including Same Time (upbeat Aussie pop), The Cracklin’ Griffins (Irish folk rock) and Duo Primitivo (Bossa nova and samba). They’ll also have a rodeo bull if you’re brave enough to face the inevitable embarrassment of staying on mere seconds. Just us? Don’t worry, though, you can drown your sorrows at the outdoor beer bar. And, if you’re feeling peckish, you can get stuck into the pub’s tasty Thai food, Field & Flame’s BBQ, and epic cupcakes, brownies and blondes from that doyenne of desserts Cielo Cakery. And if you’re bringing little ones, there will also be a kids’ craft table to keep them entertained.
Sunday 12th August; 12pm – 8pm; free
Coleridge Street, Hove, BN3 5AD
ancientmariner.pub/events3. Go on a mammoth beer crawl
We don’t know about you, but we loved the Brighton Independents’ Beer Crawl last winter, and guess what? They’re back for round two! For their summer edition they’ve assembled a line-up of 15 distinctive independent pubs to explore over four days (including some of our personal faves). They’ll have a bunch of tasty beers from Verdant Brewing and Pressure Drop, including their new collab on a very special pale ale, the intriguingly named ‘The Experiment Requires a Conclusion’ – exclusively available for the beer crawl. Simply buy a beer and collect a stamp at each pub and, once you’re done, share a snapshot of your map on social tagging @btnindependentsbeercrawl to be in with a chance of winning some prizes. Maps will be available to collect from all venues, we’ve already snagged ours!
Friday 25th – Monday 28th August
Various locations
For more info visit @btnindependentsbeercrawl4. Celebrate a brewery’s birthday with free cake
Unbarred Brewery’s Taproom is set to be one of the featured venues on The Brighton Independent Beer Crawl this weekend, but if you need another reason to pay them a visit, they’ll also be celebrating their birthday on Saturday. That means they’ll be throwing a big party in their taproom with great music, food, and, of course, an ample supply of beer. And from midday to 9pm, Dan’s Chicken is going to be dishing out some tasty fried chicken (and yes, they’ve got veggie and vegan options too). And what’s a birthday celebration without cake? They’re planning to treat everyone to a complimentary slice of the sweet stuff! Want more free sugary goodies? Laine Brew Co is launching their new strawberry and black pepper blonde beer on Friday (from 6pm; North Laine Brewhouse, 27 Gloucester Place), a collab with doughnut supremos Glazed. You can expect beer and doughnut giveaways, DJs, and flash tattoos from local artists. Don’t say we never treat you!
Saturday 26th August; midday till late; free
9 – 23 Elder Place, Brighton, BN1 4GF
unbarredbrewery.com5. Embrace your mod side this weekend
Going strong for almost 20 years, the Brighton Mod Weekender is back for this bank holiday weekend. They’ve built up quite the rep with their exciting guest club nights, energetic DJ sets and live gigs. Head to Volks for the daytime events (from midday), including a market selling records, clothes and memorabilia. Come evening time, the party carries on at Komedia and Patterns. But what makes this event particularly unique is those scooters. They’re revving things up (see what we did there?) with a scooter rideout on Sunday between 1.30pm – 2pm, followed by the much-anticipated scooter competition from 3pm – 4pm held outside Volks. It’s worth heading over just for the comp; if the last years are anything to go by, there are some seriously impressive rides out there.
Friday 25th – Monday 28th August; various times; from £10
Various locations
newuntouchables.com6. Have a quack at this summer fair
The Patcham Duck Fayre was revived in 2019, and now it’s back for 2023 with more stalls than ever. There’ll be a retro gaming experience in the community centre for all you gaming fanatics, plenty of stalls, fairground rides, a tea AND beer tent, circus skills and children’s entertainment. We’re particularly excited about the dog show, scheduled to take place in the school fields. Featuring 11 varied classes for participants to enter, whether you’re a proud pup parent or just have a soft spot for furry friends, this is bound to be a fun one. There will also be a bunch of stage performances, including bands, choirs and dancers. The little ones are in for a quacking good time too – there’ll be a duck hunt with ducks hiding in and around the stalls.
Sunday 27th August; 11am – 4.30pm; free
Ladies’ Mile Rd, Brighton, BN1 8TA
patchamduckfayre.co.uk7. Paint and drink on the beach
This bank holiday Monday, Pinot & Picasso are bringing their brilliant workshops right to our doorstep at Yellowave. Their philosophy is to get arty while you party, something we can definitely get on board with. And no worries if your painting skills aren’t quite at Picasso levels (ours certainly aren’t) – there will be a skilled artist guiding you through a step-by-step experience. This means everyone gets the chance to explore their creative side and paint something amazing. And you can always blame any mistakes on those drinks.
Monday 28th August; 2pm – 5pm; £45
299 Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN
pinotandpicasso.uk8. Don’t miss your chance to see artwork from local creatives
For a more peaceful activity this weekend, you might want to check out Kemptown Arts Association’s summer exhibition at St. George’s Church. This Saturday marks your last chance to see the latest creations – paintings, prints, etchings, photos, illustration, ceramics, sculpture and more – from over 25 local artists from the Kemptown area. In the mood for more art, right here, right now? Then check out Vintage Shuffle’s amazing artworks at Enter Gallery. Her Eat, Sleep, Rave collection is a collaboration with and homage to Fatboy Slim – she’s woven a collection of his festival and gig wristbands into her dystopian 3D collages. These vibrant artworks are chock-full of surprises if you look carefully. Unsurprisingly, the opening night of the exhibition with Fatboy Slim himself sold out almost instantaneously, but you can see the pieces at the gallery during the day.
Kemptown Artists Association: Until Saturday 26th August; 11am – 5pm; free
St George’s Road, Kemptown, Brighton, BN2 1ED
kemptownarts.org
Enter Gallery: From Thursday 24th August; Monday – Saturday, 9.30am – 6pm; Sunday, 10am – 5pm; free
13 Bond Street, Brighton, BN1 1RD
entergallery.com9. Go to a pub garden party
Fancy going to a party at Hove’s biggest pub and garden this Sunday? To make the most of the (hopefully) warm weather this weekend, The Garden Bar in Hove has created a pretty great event. There’ll be live music in their spacious garden from the lovely Hannah Renton, and football and racing fans haven’t been forgotten either – the pub will be showing all the matches happening throughout the day. But here’s what really caught our attention: in the evening, there’ll be a free gin and tonic tasting session, followed by happy hour from 8pm to 10pm. If you want to attend, though, you might want to get a move on — we hear that tables are booking up fast!
Sunday 27th August; 12pm; call 01273 419657 to book a space
324 Portland Road, Hove, BN3 5LF
thegardenbarhove.com10. Get your hands dirty at a sculpture and pottery workshop
Whether you’re an experienced potter or new to the world of clay, you’ll get something out of this weekend workshop. Taking place at the Phoenix Art Space, your ticket includes everything you need: clay, tools, glaze, and the firing of your masterpiece, too. Plus, a skilled clay sculptor will be on hand to provide demos, guidance, support, and creative inspiration throughout the sessions.
Saturday 26th August; 10.30am and Sunday 27th August; 5pm; from £40; tickets here
10 – 14 Waterloo Place, Brighton, BN2 9NB
phoenixbrighton.org
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