Mixed weather forecast won’t spoil the fun at Stockport’s Town of Culture Weekender
Excitement is well and truly building for Stockport’s Town of Culture Weekender on Saturday 23 March and Sunday 24 March - our free weekend of music, movement, heritage and arts to celebrate and mark the end of the borough’s tenure as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture.
There are more than 50 events lined up across 25 locations, promising fun for all ages and encouraging visitors to explore new spaces while enjoying an event programme including a Carnival of the Animals parade, live music, comedy acts, music, theatre and dance performances, sports workshops, gardening, crafts, history tours, free entry to local venues and more.
While many activities will be taking place outdoors, despite the weather forecast for light rain this weekend there is no need to put a dampener on proceedings with lots of events hosted indoors or undercover. There will also be lots of umbrellas available that you can use to stay dry.
Councillor Frankie Singleton, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Sport at Stockport Council, said: “It will be wonderful to celebrate as we bring the curtain down on a fantastic year as Town of Culture with such a big extravaganza in the town centre. There will be so much to see and do your friends and family and, while we have arranged a host of fun activities, we can’t always arrange for good weather but don’t let that deter you as there will be plenty to see and do indoors or undercover.”
To stay dry, you could head to inclusive music and technology charity OmniMusic presents ‘RISE’, as they transform the clocktower lifts in the heart of Merseyway Shopping Centre into an interactive music installation. Hop into the lift and prepare to be transported into the immersive world of OmniMusic, where you can remix and produce your own track using the music made by OmniMusic participants across Stockport. RISE will open on Friday 22 March, from 2pm and will be open to the public across the weekend.
Stockport Library will be bringing fun to little ones with a Bluey Day, featuring games and crafts based on the popular animation series. No booking is required.
If you are feeling creative, why not get hands on at the music and dance inspired craft workshops running in the undercover mall in Merseyway on the Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 3pm.
And sweet music will fill the air with a variety of performances. Stockport Sings Performance Showcase is the War memorial Art Gallery on Saturday at 11am.
There will also be Stockport Sounds Showcases at The Angel, Petersgate Tap, Magnet Freehouse and Thread from 12-3pm and 8-10pm.
Or get your groove on listening to bands outside Stockroom on Merseyway, where there will be a covered area.
Meanwhile, the War Memorial Gallery will also be hosting the Stockport Rising Exhibition, curated by renowned artist and former journalist Eric Jackson, showcasing the works of five esteemed professional artists residing in Stockport: Lucy Burgess, Eric Jackson, Kate O’Brien, Jackie Wagg, and David Chandler, whose art, captures the essence of Stockport and reflects the town’s economic, cultural, and physical ascent through its ambitious regeneration scheme.
Six arts and creative studios are throwing their doors open at different times over the weekend and you’ll be able to see everything from screen printing to stained glass in an amazing showcase of the creative spaces we’ve got in our town centre. This is the only time when so many studios will be open at the same time and a really good chance to see Stockport’s creative talent at work and be inspired.
On Saturday you can visit Arc (Arts for Recovery in the Community) from 11am to 2pm at the Hat Works in Wellington Mill, Wellington Rd South and Merseyway Workshop, Sleepy Parrot Studios on Little Underbank, Underbanks Studios on Great Underbank and Small Press Studio Middle Hillgate, all from 11am-4pm.
From 11am to 4pm on Sunday visit GRIT at Granville Works on Canal Street, 11am-4pm, Sleepy Parrot Studios on Little Underbank, and Underbanks Studios on Great Underbank.
You can also discover the amazing range of museums in Stockport’s town centre,, which will be free to explore and open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday, including the Air Raid Shelters on Chestergate, the Hat Works Museum, in Wellington Mill, Wellington Rd South, Stockport Museum and Staircase House, both on Market Place.
For more details on the Town of Culture Weekender, visit the Town of Culture website.
