What’s on in March and April

Spring is a great time to be getting out and about to events and I wanted to give you a heads up on a few things happening in the north in the next few weeks that have caught my eye. I’m hoping to get to them all so if you are too, say hi!

Advintageous spring vintage fair

♥ The Advintageous spring fair is at the Ridings Centre, Wakefield on Sunday 30 March, 10.30am-4.30pm

It’s fair to say I loved this event last year, so much that it won a permanent place in my heart. The organisers told me they were coming back bigger and better next time so I’m looking forward to seeing what else they’ve got up their puff sleeves.

It’s on mother’s day and it could be the perfect place to take your mum for a day out: browse the stalls, have a vintage makeover and a dance. What would be better?

Amazing Graze street food festival

♥ Amazing Graze is at Left Bank Leeds on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April

Last year was my street food awakening. I wasn’t ahead of the crowd. It seems the whole world has now woken up to the fresh, tasty and affordable food these talented and passionate cooks sell from their mobile vans: look no further than its infiltration of the swanky new Trinity Leeds shopping centre.

I went to Amazing Graze last year and – after much deliberation, because all the stalls looked so tempting – my friends and I ate pulled pork, paella and fish. Sadly we didn’t have room for the Persian, Indian or Mexican dishes, burgers, grilled cheese or the humorously-titled home-made ice cream. But you get the idea that there was plenty to choose from, and you will want to eat all the food. It wasn’t just food, there was live music inside and out and the festival’s home was a grand former church with a spectacular vaulted ceiling.

Last year was the first event and although I thought it was pretty perfect, this is another set of organisers promising ‘bigger and better’ things this time round. Watch this space.

Home Is In The North

♥ Home Is In The North will be at Halle St Peters, Manchester, on Saturday 26 April, 11am-4pm

This is a new one and although it will mean crossing the Pennines, it promises to be well worth the journey. It is a travelling pop-up event that says it will showcase 30 independent interior designer-makes and boutique homeware brands from across the north. Some of the exhibitors already confirmed are listed on the website and look right up my street. The event will also have a future design showcase giving emerging artists and makers the chance to meet and get advice from potential stockists in person.

There will also be workshops, demos and talks from local artists, interior designers and bloggers – including Kimberley who will be sharing her trend predictions for this year and showing how she creates her amazing abstract artworks!

Tickets are £3 in advance from Eventbrite and Skiddle, or £4 on the door.

To promote the event and showcase exhibitors, organisers created pop-up rooms around Manchester, exploring the concept of modern home, our drive for newness and innovation and our experimentation with homes in non-traditional settings.

// photos by Garry Lomas Photography where watermarked, otherwise by Stella Photography //

Do any of these events take your fancy?

Are there any other goings on that you have heard of that I should know about?