So it’s nearly time for Kentish Town’s annual rave-up, Alma Street Fair. And doesn’t it seem to come round increasingly quickly? Or maybe that’s just us getting old.
Anyway, it’s always a highlight of the NW5 calendar, with a well-versed mix of residents’ bric-a-brac stalls, a ton of art (led by longstanding local all-round creatives Flaxon Ptooch) and quality streetfood, including mighty newbie Babuji. A real talking point too is, of course, the carefully curated live music stages, which mark the junctions and perimeters of the festival area.
Meanwhile, up in N6, the Highgate festie, not to be outdone, now spans a whopping ten days and 70 events of live music, literature, workshops, guerilla gardening culture and open house/building tours (14th-23rd June).
The key date, however, is the 15th – the day before Alma, in fact – when celebrations for its Fair in the Square take over the whole of London’s hilltop village in genteel style. Expect eclectic stalls, an up-for-it bunch of locals and a varied programme of music, dance and theatre performed on the Pond Square stage (run by the Upstairs at The Gatehouse theatre).
Two weeks later, 30th June, is our final top local pick: the rather neighbourhoody South End Green Festival, always a fun seasonal day of everything from craft beer to dog shows, with yet more streetfood and crafty stalls – if you’re not, of course, fatigued by all things alfresco by then.
Now, about this pesky weather….