An alternative Christmas market is coming to Manchester’s stunning water palace, Victoria Baths.
Bringing together mince pies and mulled wine in the Tea Room, alongside plenty of stalls and a brand new Manchester-made gin inspired by the historic building, if you needed a sign to start your Christmas shopping in earnest then let this be it.
Taking place across Saturday, 13 and Sunday, 14 November 2021, organisers promise the alternative market’s stalls will be bursting with creative gift ideas for both family and friends. Guided tours will also be taking place throughout the weekend.
The two pool halls will be filled with a whole host of different stalls including various foodie gifts, ceramics, pet products, jewellery, prints, decorations and items for the home.
Look out for hand-poured candles from Old Man and Magpie, bobble hats from Urban Bear, handcrafted ceramics, jewellery and more from Elizabeth Emmaus-Wilson, hand-knitted products inspired by the Pennines from Bracken and Moss design, plus colourful homeware gifts from designer Lydia Meiying.
The weekend will also give local gin lovers the chance to get their hands on the first bottles of the new Victoria Baths gin, which has been created especially for the venue in collaboration with Cheshire-based distillery Winding River.
Image: Supplied
Combining kaffir lime leaves with liquorice root and coriander seeds, the gin is pried at £40 a bottle and will make a welcome addition to any local gin-lover’s collection.
The distillery has been part of the Festive Winter Fair for many years and was “so excited” to work on the creation of the new gin with the Victoria Baths’ team.
Matthew Fox, the co-founder of Winding River, said: “We are so excited to be working with Victoria Baths on their first-ever gin; we’ve been part of their Festive Winter Fair for many years and love this building and the community behind it.”
Tickets to the Festive Winter Fair at Victoria Baths are priced at £5 (including a £1 optional donation), free for Friends and Under 16s.
Final few tickets remaining for Manchester’s mega-hit comedy festival Laughterama 2025
Emily Sergeant
The final few tickets are still up for grabs as Manchester’s most popular comedy festival returns next month.
After what was a smash-hit success in its inaugural year back in 2022, and after several other successful runs in each of the years following, Laughterama is back in Manchester for more next month time, and will once again be taking over the iconic Castlefield Bowl in the heart of the city centre for five days of fun.
Thousands of comedy lovers attend Laughterama each year to enjoy countless sell-out stand-up sets, and this year will be no different, as festivalgoers are in for an ‘explosive series of shows‘ from some of the hottest names on the comedy circuit.
Multi award-winning comedians Frankie Boyle, Ed Gamble, Rosie Jones, and Phil Wang are just some of the famous names on this year’s jam-packed lineup.
They’ll be joined by other household names like Russell Kane, Fern Brady, Rob Delaney, Lou Sanders, and Tim Key when they all take to the Castlefield Bowl stage over the five-day festival from Wednesday 3 – Sunday 7 September.
Some of the other names you can expect are Taskmaster treasures Sam Campbell and Bridget Christie, BAFTA nominee Lucy Beaumont, stand-up phenomenon Sarah Keyworth, King Gary star Tom Davis, Viceland’s Jamali Maddix, and viral sensation Jen Brister.
Manchester’s very own comedy heroes Rachel Fairburn and Stephen Bailey are also on the lineup.
Manchester’s mega-hit comedy festival Laughterama is making a 2025 return later this year / Credit: Supplied
It wouldn’t be Laughterama without some newcomers either, and some of the breakthrough stars not-to-be-missed this year include Edinburgh Fringe Award nominee Jin Hao Li, fast-rising talents Sharon Wanjohi and Dane Buckley, the razor-sharp Lara Ricote, and so many more to discover.
And aside from the comedy, as always, you can expect the very-best eats from Manchester’s street food scene will also be on site to tuck into, as well as an exciting selection of bars serving signature beers, cocktails, and more.
Laughterama 2025 is landing at Castlefield Bowl from Wednesday 3 – Sunday 7 September, with the final few tickets still on sale at £27.50 per person.
You can grab yours on the Laughterama website before they sell out here.
Featured Image – Matt Eachus (via Supplied)
What's On
Full lineup announced for popular family science festival near Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A popular family science and tech festival is returning this autumn, and the full lineup of events has now been released.
Set to descend on the grounds of Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park – a unique place where world-leading science, innovation, and stylish living all come together in the Cheshire countryside – SciTech Extravaganza will be a day filled full of fun science-themed shows, interactive activities, new skill-building opportunities, and more.
Right at the centre of all the action will be a mobile planetarium from Jodrell Bank, and here, visitors are invited to sit under the stars and enjoy a tour of the night sky as they learn about constellations, myths of the northern sky, and discover the planets and objects visible in the coming weeks.
Some of the other exciting events on the lineup include a series of interactive shows with Royal Institution offering a deep dive into the science behind ‘super cells’, a demonstration called The Science of Balloons, which is, you guessed it, a mixture of science and balloon modelling, and workshops offering a simple introduction to coding.
The festival will also be one of the last chances to see UK artist Luke Jerram’s ‘Museum of the Moon’ – a touring six-metre moon replica displayed at Alderley Park’s Glasshouse in the stunning 400-acre parkland.
Face painting, DJs, food and drink stalls, and more will also be there on the day.
SciTech Extravaganza is back for 2025 next month / Credit: Supplied
Event organisers say SciTech Extravaganza 2025 is promising to be an ‘unforgettable day’ for aspiring little innovators.
“SciTech Extravaganza is back, and it’s even bigger and better,” commented Dr Kath Mackay, who is the Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech.
“We can’t wait to showcase all the excitement that the world of science and technology has to offer.
“It’s a unique opportunity to showcase it at its very best, and nurture curiosity and innovation in STEM related fields. We look forward to welcoming families back for another unforgettable day, and to help inspire a new generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st November 2021 
