Community Pinboard: Hit Camden Beach – and Lots More Free Festivals

1. Take To The Beach
We’re super-excited about this. The Roundhouse, your favourite arts venue, are giving their vast terrace a makeover for whatever we have left of this dismal summer. And they’re calling it Camden Beach: think 150 tonnes of sand, deckchairs, margarita shack, boules, boozy ice lollies and a BBQ. If it rains? There’s a ‘spectacular’ indoor garden. Even better for Mrs Kentishtowner are the 2-4-1 cocktails from 5-7pm.

2. Celebrate Regent’s Canal
The 200th anniversary of this industrial wonder takes place all weekend, from Little Venice – where you can take a trip in an original gondola with musicians on board – to contemporary art and light installations across town in Mile End Park. We urge you to walk as much of it as you can: along the way, there are plenty more enticing events to stumble upon – a boat trip through Islington Tunnel with archive footage of the canal beamed onto the low roof, street art created for instant for sale near Broadway Market, and an origami armada of paper boats being folded, then launched at City Basin. Camden’s Canal Museum promises plenty of events and some floating DJs too. The waterway is where the party is at.

3. Community fun in King’s Cross
Saturday afternoon looks like fun in the verdant oasis that is Coram’s Fields. KX throws its own community festival featuring lots of music, stalls, rides, free face painting and massages, plus the promise of more family activities than you can shake a Peppa Pig sticker book at.

4. Six Quid In The Manor
We cannot recommend a spicy lamb wrap (£6) from Bhangra Burger highly enough. The flesh was rosebud pink and achingly tender, and you can choose your own level of ‘hot.’ Available most weeks at Camden Brewery (which still has half a dozen food stalls including Japanese gyoza,the Byron van and organic falafel). But we have to ask why they’ve abandoned their stylish, environmentally-sound glasses for plastic cups, which do the beer no favours at all? Boys: it’s £4 a pint and there can’t be that much washing up for goodness’ sake!

5. England’s Lane Books Closing Down Sale
Everyone just loves the idea of a local bookshop, but love, of course, is not enough to sustain it. People have to actually buy books there regularly, rather than download them.

ELB is such an airy place to browse or go for one of their outstanding series of readings that news of its imminent demise after only 2 years is very sad.

The only flicker of light is that they’re having a big closing down sale, with up to 75% off everything. Too little, too late of course, but visit now before it’s gone forever.

6. Children’s Fair Pitches At Talacre
KT’s village green boasts a selection of fairground rides this weekend, in what we assume will be a more tame version of the traditional visit the fair pays to Hampstead Heath car park every few months. Our trip up there last bank holiday weekend was a desperate washout, crowned by the moment the bouncy castle had to be deflated due to becoming a health & safety nightmare. Weather for this mini version looks a lot more promising, but don’t quote us. See you there with your mini KT-ers.

7. And Finally, Something For The Grown-Ups. One of our absolute favourite lords of the manor, ‘Princess’ Michael Ptootch is hosting his monthly cocktails ‘n’ art knees-up tonight with the launch of a new show by the Paper Jukebox collective.

We’re booked, alas, but will still try to swing by. You should too.
7pm, 237 Kentish Town Road.

Got an event you’d like to see on the Pinboard? Email us: info@kentishtowner.co.uk