The Crouch End Festival has been running since 2012 and lays claim to being the UK's biggest community arts festival.
The free annual event is organised entirely by volunteers, and takes over local parks, pubs, library, churches and streets with music, film screenings, food stalls, exhibitions, plays, poetry and performances.
This year's extravaganza runs July 7-9 with scores of events to look forward to. We list some highlights of the 2023 festival, but full details and timings can be found at https://www.crouchendfestival.org/
Stationers Park Summer Festival, July 8, 9.30am-9.30pm.
The highlight of the festival is a packed day of performance, activities and events in the park. Once Local MP Catherine West declares it open, there are performances by local school pupils, dance schools and the Songworks choir; kids activities from Hornsey Vale Community Centre, a giant art canvas to paint, and everything from a gym assault course, and the much anticipated kids 'Crouch End Olympics' on the fields. It closes with a free outdoor screening of the original and best Ghostbusters movie at 7.30pm with kids encouraged to dress up.
Open air market, Weston Park, July 8, 10-7pm.
The Crouch End road will be closed to traffic and taken over by crafts, food and drink stalls, with music all day courtesy of the Crossover Jazz Room.
Laughs at the Library, Hornsey Library, July 7, 7pm.
Free stand up comedy by absurdist sketch double act Myles and Dan, plus enigmatic comic Wes Defoe, circuit regular Dave Lynch, and US born, London-based Mike Cappozola.
Family workshops with The Enchanted Cinema at Hornsey Library, July 7 and 8.
Friday evening sees a live sound FX workshop based around Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle followed by an interactive screening, and Saturday is a session for ages four and up using hands, voice and instruments, to create sound FX from My Neighbour Totoro and Yuri Norstein’s Hedgehog in the Fog. Both are run by the Enchanted Cinema who specialise in live particpatory cinema.
Tower Music Festival at St Mary's Tower, July 7-9.
Running over the three days in front of the Hornsey belltower is a feast of music ranging from acoustic blues to Eastern European gypsy folk courtesy of The London Balkan Orchestra. Watch out for Saturday's Concert For Ukraine with psychedelic lightshow at 9pm, and Sunday's Blues Festival and community picnic in memory of the late Crouch End musician Jimmy C.
Songs at Twilight, Parkland Walk, July 8, 7pm.
Join the Magpies for an atmospheric performance of beautifully arranged three-part harmony inspired by folklore and the well loved walk where "wild and human worlds intertwine". Meet under the bridge at Crouch End Hill/Crescent Road entrance.
Crouch End Chronicles at the King's Head July 9, 7.30pm.
Live at Britain's oldest comedy club in the heart of Crouch End, performers including Kate Walsh and Bernard O'Sullivan lift the lid on the strange characters, odd goings on, and unusual history of the area with readings and raucous anecdotes about the musicians, artists, radicals, eccentrics and local characters who have made N8 their home. Music courtesy of Martina Schwarz and Joolie Wood.
London Metropolitan Brass summer Concert Holy Innocents Church. July 8, 7pm.
Get your tickets for the 10th anniversary concert featuring both senior and community bands playing a selection of crowd pleasers, movie themes, and brass band favourites, with proceeds will goingh to Hornsey Food Bank.
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