This weekend has markets, festivals, and several events for kids at various libraries around Lewisham - making for a great weekend to be out and about.
In this weekend’s Loop:
A big SWANA summer celebration at the Horniman
Old-skool anthems taking over Blackheath
Treasure hunts, noisy parades and low-stakes colouring
🗓️ Our picks for 25–26 July
Haflah at the Horniman
Live music, dabke, storytelling and very good things to eat
“Haflah” means celebration or party in Arabic, which gives you a fair idea of the plan. Hekayyatna is filling the Horniman Gardens with SWANA music, DJs, a makers’ souq, food stalls, Arabic calligraphy, henna, backgammon and dabke workshops.
Families can also catch an interactive retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh, follow a garden treasure hunt and get involved with face painting and children’s activities.
Tickets cost £10 for adults and £8 for children; under-twos and access companions go free and can be booked from here. Further details on schedule and what food stalls are available can also be found through the link.
Saturday 25 July @ 1pm–5pm
Horniman Museum and Gardens @ 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ
Note: Event is wheelchair accessible, with seating and tactile activities available. Assistance animals are welcome.
KISSTORY on Blackheath
Old-skool anthems, four stages and some serious big-kid energy
KISSTORY lands on Blackheath with four stages of R&B, UK garage, dance and old-skool favourites. The line-up includes Ms Dynamite, Joel Corry, Kevin Lyttle, Alison Limerick and Todd Terry, alongside DJs including Majestic, Marvin Humes, Scott Garcia and the Wideboys.
There is also KISSTORY Bingo, a live piano singalong, fairground rides and a games zone complete with ball pit and rodeo bull. A calm little Saturday, then.
General tickets are still available, but VIP has sold out. Book via Skiddle here. Full line up and Frequently Asked Questions can be found at this link.
Saturday 25 July @ 1pm–10pm
Blackheath @ Shooters Hill Road, SE3 7AS
Note: This is an 18+ event. Bring valid photo ID and arrive before the 6pm last-entry time.
Blackheath Farmers’ Market
The Sunday shop that accidentally becomes breakfast
Blackheath Station car park turns into a proper neighbourhood market every Sunday, with seasonal fruit and veg, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, bread, cakes, honey, flowers and plenty of food that may not survive the journey home.
July is cherry season, which feels like a good enough reason to bring a bag and pretend this is purely a practical errand. The market runs rain or shine and well-behaved dogs are welcome.
Further details can be found on the market’s webpage here.
Sunday 26 July @ 10am–2pm
Blackheath Station car park @ Blackheath, SE3 9LA
Kid’s Corner ✨
For when parents need to keep the kids busy during the weekend!
📚 Read to the Beat - Saturday 25 July, 10am–4pm. Lewisham Libraries launch the Summer Reading Challenge with author events, workshops, audio-book stations and plenty of fresh reading material for young bookworms. Activities vary by branch.
🔎 CitySprint Treasure Hunt: The Missing Library Delivery - Saturday 25 July, 10am–4pm. Search Downham Library, solve the riddles and track down a mysterious missing delivery. A solid weekend save for aspiring detectives.
🥁 Summer Noisy Parade - Saturday 25 July, 10am–4pm. Search Downham Library, solve the riddles and track down a mysterious missing delivery. A solid weekend save for small detectives.
🖍️ Sunday Colouring Club - Sunday 26 July, 2pm–3pm. A free, peaceful hour of colouring at Catford Library, with materials provided. Ideal after a weekend containing several stages and at least one parade.
See you next week ~