Find out what’s on in South Wales this week
Had your fix of bike powered entertainment this summer? Why not watch a earth friendly movie at the Pedal Powered Outdoor Film Festival (Plasnewydd Community Centre, Cardiff, Fri 4-Sat 5 Sept. Tickets: £1) Watch Czech Comedy Classics Slunce Seno a Par Facek, family favourite The Lion King or underdog epic Cool Runnings on a projector powered by bikes!
There are more unique festivals in the form of the Velvet Coalmine Festival (various venues in Blackwood, Mon 1- Sun 6 Sept. Tickets: £12-£16.50 day tickets / £40 full weekend). The festival will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Miners Strike whilst rocking out to a stellar lineup which includes The Slaves and Meat Puppets. Expect whiplash and to truly understand what moshing means.
You’ll never look sexier than in a wetsuit and attempting to paddleboard at Paddle Fest (Cardiff International White Water, Sat 5 Sept. Admission: free / tasters incur a charge) this weekend. Bring your bravery to the International White Water Center in Cardiff Bay, and try out water-sports like canoeing and kayaking via taster sessions.
Get down with nature and subject yourself to the elements with the second ever Brecon Canalathon (Melin Homes, Pontypool (start point), Sat 5 Sept. Admission: £180 team of four / free to spectators). With three sections including canoeing, cycling and running you’ll manage to finish the Summer with a bang and some sore muscles.
The St.Fagans Food Festival (St Fagan’s National History Museum, Cardiff, Sat 5-Sun6 Sept. Admission: free) is back, foodies. The finest food and drink in South Wales will welcome you with free-admission and wave you off home with a bigger waistline.
With Beer In The Brecons (Brecon Beacons, Sat 5 Sept. Tickets: £45), beer lovers and thirsty folk will experience a tour of award-winning Welsh brewery Brecon Brewing, followed by a mini-bus tour of three local real ale pubs. Have a pint with a view whilst raising money for the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team. Bottoms up in Brecon!
Why not dance and drink the weekend away at Picnic Penarth (Station Approach Industrial Estate, Penarth, Sat 5 – Sun 6 Sept. Admission: Free)? Hosted by the Penarth Town Council, hop on the street-food bandwagon as specialists from all around South Wales bring the best grub in this massive outdoor pop-up restaurant
If you are a freelancer or self-employed and looking for a space to base your small business, other than the kitchen table, look no further. Bone Yard, a new co-working space, will be opening their doors with a launch party at their re-purposed scaffolders yard in Canton. Offering music, craft beer and a BBQ the Bone Yard launch (landaff Road Industrial Estate, Canton, Fri 4 Sept. Admission: Free) will be showcase the site’s reconditioned shipping containers, available for hire as office, studio and workshop spaces, furnished and fully kitted out with WiFi and power points.
See Swansea at its finest on Maggie’s Cultural Crawl (The Knab Rock, Mumble (start point), Fri 4 Sept. Tickets: £25). Saunter through the city on a 9 mile night-time walk and gaze at the amazing history, art and architecture, whilst raising money for Maggie’s cancer centres.
This coming Sunday, Cardiff welcomes the return of Lou Lou’s Cardiff Vintage Fair (City Hall, Cardiff, Sun 6 Sept. Tickets: £2). A visit to this event includes a hair styling booth, oodles of tea and cake and plenty of glamorous glad-rags just waiting to be swoon over
words ANNA WYN DAVIES