It’s been a short week, but we’re still ready for the weekend and this one is jam-packed with foodie freebies. Saturday is apparently National Pretzel Day (yep, every day is national something or other day) and this means free pretzels at Auntie Anne’s at their Churchill Square (from 9.30am) and Brighton station (from 8am) locations if you’re passing through. The first 100 people will get theirs free. Read on for more foodie freebies, festivals, gigs and other good stuff.
Bag yourself some free doughnuts
New artisan bakery Join The Donut Club opens on Friday at 11am and, as is the custom, a grand opening means great freebies. The luxury bakery is giving away 200 doughnuts to the first people in the queue. And they’ve got some pretty spectacular-sounding flavours to choose from, including apple pie, banoffee, black forest, Eton mess, chocolate and hazelnut praline, and, yes, Dubai pistachio. It’s divine decadence in doughnut form!
27 Duke Street; 11am – 5pm; from Friday 26th April.
Join The Donut Club
Get some more foodie freebies
Shelter Hall are turning four! To celebrate, they’re giving out cake from Cielo Cakery (more on them in a sec) and drinks from Lonkero (refreshing Finnish gin, grapefruit juice and soda cocktails). Just turn up from 11am on Saturday to secure the goods or book a table. There’ll also be live music from 1pm. Cakemasters Cielo have opened a new cakery and coffee house at St Augustine’s on Stanford Avenue, just around the corner from Preston Park. If you’re one of the first five to head along this Saturday from 10am, you’ll get a tote filled with sweet goodies, the first 20 will get a free cookie and coffees are just £2 all day. What’s not to love?
Go to a yard sale
Plant and lifestyle shop Hi Cacti has teamed up with some of their local business friends for a spring clear out. Head along to get some beautiful bargains across plant pots, candles, Mexican imports, art, ex-shop fittings and displays, plus clothes, vintage, glassware and furniture. In true yard sale fashion, you’ll find them set up outside the shop, which is currently closed for refurbishments.
Saturday 26th April; 10am – 3pm; free
83 Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 3JE
hicacti.com
Dive into a new exhibition
Helm’s latest free exhibition – In Bloom – has just started. This 10-artist-strong group show exploring floral imagery is a gorgeous dive into spring. Or head over to Charleston’s Lewes space to check out the works of American artist Koak in her first UK solo exhibition. Her evocative works reclaim the female gaze, exploring identity and human nature. We’d also recommend a trip to Newhaven for the new (free) Bruce Asbestos expo, New Pop Max. His playfully subversive creations – a mixture of huge bold inflatables and paintings – are on show at Marine Workshops.
Get your gig on
There’s always loads of great music to discover in Brighton and this weekend’s no exception. For an intimate gig (and excellent dim sum), head to Pink Moon on Ship Street to see new Brighton artists ISM, Joe Little and Darcey Hope (from 7pm). And over at Chalk on Saturday, legendary Scottish rock band Big Country are belting out their anthemic tunes, with support from the Vapors (from 6.30pm). And maverick singer-songwriter King Creosote is playing the gorgeous St George’s Church in Kemptown on Saturday (from 7pm).
Check out some beautiful blooms
Spring has sprung and the blooms are, well, blooming. As well as all the glorious flowers you can spot around the city, if you want more bloom for your buck, there’s dense spring flower action all over the county. Head over to Arundel Castle for the final week of their tulip festival, or Pashley Manor Gardens in Wadhurst for theirs (where you can also order bulbs). And if you’re after tulips with an extra helping of Instagram-ready photo opps, the Tulip Fest at Tulleys Farm is your beautiful friend. Closer to home, it’s Apple Blossom Day at Stanmer Park on Sunday (12.30pm – 5pm). Expect beautiful blossom trees, live music, tours of Home Farm Orchard, talks on permaculture and stalls selling local orchard produce.
What else?
Boysterous Burgers (in residency at The Fountainhead in Brighton) are popping up at the Botanist cafe on Wilbury Road in Hove on Friday (midday to 3pm and 5pm – 9pm). As well as their marvellously messy burgers, their pudding pals Rise Above It Bakes will be bringing some decadent Dubai chocolate pots along for the sweet ride. It’s the Rainbow Craft Fair at Brighton Unitarian Church on Saturday (11am – 5pm) – a bounty of handmade crafts from local artisans. Head to Lewes for the Made in Sussex film festival (Friday to Sunday). Yep, curate your own festival from a selection of films made by brilliant local filmmakers (£8/film). Latin music lovers should head to Concorde 2 on Saturday for Latino Fest, with two rooms of Reggaeton, Salsa, Bachata, Baile Funk and Latin Trap. And one more food item, because we can’t resist a good market and this is one of the best: Trenchmore Farm are holding their spring market on Saturday (11am – 4pm) and they’ve got a juicy line-up of local makers, bakers and growers, from Kinsbrook Vineyard to 3Bros Burgers and Ragnordic Bakery, plus live music and good vibes a-plenty.
