This intro is sadly a bit of a departure from our usual flippant fun as it’s been a heavy week with riots sweeping the country. But true to form, Brighton came through, meeting hate with an incredible display of love and solidarity on Wednesday evening. A 2,000-strong crowd of anti-racism protesters filled the street by Brighton station, far outweighing the far-right contingent of around eight. We really do live in the best city! For more info, our sister brand has a great piece on how you can stand up to the far right.
Weekend fun all feels rather trivial right now, but it can be a great opportunity to get out and support local indie businesses – and one another – many of whom had to close early on Wednesday and lose trade. So as well as standing up to racism, this weekend we’ve also got some light-hearted events, ideas for getting out into nature, and, of course, plenty of food and drink options.
Indulge your love of coffee at a dedicated festival
A cup of joe, bean juice, call it what you will, we love our coffee around these parts. And, happily, one of the leading independent celebrations of all things caffeine is happening right here this weekend. Yep, the Brighton Coffee Festival is back at All Saints’ Church in Hove, bringing talks and panel discussions, tastings, coffee-based cocktail masterclasses, a latte art throwdown, live entertainment, and plenty of free samples and giveaways from local and international brands. And don’t forget the official after-party (7pm at Trading Post Coffee Roasters in Hove; free with a festival ticket or £5) with live DJs and competitions galore.
Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th August; 9am – 5pm each day; from £15
All Saints Hove, The Drive, Hove, BN3 3QE
brightoncoffeefest.com
Go sunflower spotting (and picking)
Tulleys have made a name for themselves with their immersive festivals, from Shocktober to, um, sunflowers. Yep, they’ve got a whopping 12 acres of gorgeous countryside dedicated to pick-your-own sunflowers. And it being Tulleys, you’ll also come across live roaming musicians and find Insta photo opps a-plenty. There’s also food and a bar for sundowners – perfect if you opt for their sunset sessions. For a less full-on and natural experience, if you head to Woodingdean you can spot a field full of the beauties in a private farmer’s field. If you head down the Drove Road path that runs from Falmer Road towards Brighton, you’ll be able to see them.
Tulleys: Tuesday – Sunday (open bank holiday Monday); 9.30am – 5.30pm and 6pm – 9pm; from Friday 9th August until Monday 2nd September; from £8; dogs on a lead allowed
sunflowerfarm.co.uk
Give peas a chance at this quirky event
Ok, it’s not in Brighton (or Hove), but Lewes is only a quick train ride away and pea-throwing is just too good not to feature. We love our legumes and the humble pea is a bit of a superstar. It’s tasty, healthy and we are pretty fond of chasing the little green things around a plate with a fork. Plus they’re quite good for lobbing at people should you feel that way inclined. The Lewes Arms – renowned for their quirky events – have taken that one step further with their rather wonderful pea-throwing championship that’s taken place annually for over 20 years. Frozen-ish peas are supplied and all each contestant needs to do (there are various adults and children’s categories) is wang it down the neighbouring Castle Ditch Lane as hard as they can. The winner is, of course, the one whose pea travels the furthest.
Sunday 11th August; 2pm (registration between 12.30pm and 1.30pm only); entry from £1
The Lewes Arms, Mount Place, BN7 1YH Lewes, East Sussex
lewesarms.co.uk
See a groundbreaking circus spectacular
Brighton Festival faves Nofit State are back at The Level with a new groundbreaking circus show, Sabotage. As always, you can expect jaw-dropping contemporary circus skills and stunning imagery, with a live band at the heart of the show. But this time there’s a grittier edge to the community company’s uplifting spectacular, with the show aiming to challenge the status quo and the establishment. Which all seems very apt right now. As artistic director Tom Rack says of the show: “The saboteurs are a community of outsiders with little respect for the figureheads of authority. They poke fun at the ‘heads of states’ and show them up as clowns.”
The Level, Richmond Terrace, Brighton, BN2 9SA (entrance in the middle of The Level)
Until Sunday 1st September; 7.30pm; from £18.50
nofitstate.org
Head out of town to a countryside market
Middle Yard is home to Titch Hill wines, a natural wine producer just outside Worthing. This weekend is the second outing of their monthly farmer’s-style market that’s packed with all sorts of local goodies, from their own (excellent) wines to other good stuff to eat, drink and peruse. Expect charcuterie from Beal’s Farm, chocolate magic from Chocolatician, oysters from Riddle & Finns, coffee from Bolt Espresso, baked goods from Flint Owl Bakery, hot stuff from Sussex Chilli Farm, and more. There’ll also be live music, a bar, and tasty wood-fired dishes to enjoy over live music in the barn or the undercroft. Plus, there are still a couple of places on their mini vineyard tours. What more could you ask for, right? And don’t worry if you can’t make it this Saturday, there’s another one on 14th September.
Saturday 10th August; midday – 5pm; free
Middle Yard Barn, Lambleys Lane, Worthing, BN14 9JX
titchhill.com
Photo credits: Mary Wycherley (Nofit State)
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