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August 21, 2013, 8:45 am -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- Held since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival once again tops the billing in London this August Bank Holiday. Originally a local affair for west London's homesick Caribbean community, the vivacious event has now evolved into Europe's biggest street party. Setting Notting Hill ablaze with Caribbean spirit, visitors can expect extravagantly costumed dancers, calypso and soca musicians, and giant sound-systems and steels bands. Plus, jerk chicken, rice and peas and many other Caribbean culinary delights. Visitors travelling to the carnival from further afield can find a great selection of London hotels on LondonTown.com.
As well as the carnival, London offers a plethora of other great ways to celebrate the annual swansong of summer, including the HayDaze Festival at Proud Camden. Free to attend during the day and just £10 for evening shows, the three-day festival offers a pop-up market fair, a host of circus performers and traditional entertainment with a modern twist. The day time programme includes a vinyl record stall, vintage clothes boutique, silent film club, hot tubs and charity tombola. While the evenings will sees headline performances from drum-off remix act London Guns (featuring Gary Powell of the Libertines and Babyshambles) and a marathon DJ set from MTV's Laura Whitmore.
Further live music can be enjoyed at Live by the Lake at Kenwood House across the weekend. Having been a highlight on the London events calendar since 1951, the festival took a one-yearbreak last year. Now, the English Heritage open air concerts return with the likes of Keane, Laura Mvula and Suede on the line-up. Additionally, there's a live open-air screening of Singin' in the Rain featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and an evening of Gershwin starring Michael Ball.
The Book Club in Shoreditch celebrates the long weekend with Bookstock-On-Sea on Sunday afternoon. The daytime street party (which also has an additional after party) provides music, food, drink and plenty of fun for all. Taking a nautical theme for 2013, it celebrates the great British seaside with a Punch & Judy Show, donkey rides, a Sailor's Rum Bar and plenty of fish & chips. More feasting opportunities can be found at South Bank's Real Street Food Festival, which returns for four days of tempting world foods. Additionally, this weekend also sees The Alma in Islington serve a variety of ciders and perries sourced from independent cider farms at the four-day CiderFest.
The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square once again becomes the home of horror this week with this year's Film4 FrightFest. Audiences can expect to be scared witless with a devilishly delightful line-up of premieres, previews and special screenings. Films featuring this year are The Dead 2: India , the latest offering from the Ford Brothers and the first international zombie film to be shot in India; The Desert from ChristophBehl; Kit Ryan's startling Dementamania; and retro Spanish chiller For Elisa.
This weekend is one of the last chances to enjoy the More London free month of theatre at the Scoop amphitheatre. Offering free theatre performances of two fully staged productions, theatre-goers have the choice of the family friendly daytime production of Prince of Thebes , a magical tale of Thebes and his quest to lift an evil spell, or the evening production for older audiences, Oedipus and Antigone which chronicles the downfall of the Theban Royal Family.
Testing London's brainpower, the annual Mind Sports Olympiad is back for its 17th year this weekend. With games of scrabble, cribbage, chess, diving chess, monopoly and many others to get through, the aim will be to see off all others players and become the winner of a cash prize.
Saturday sees the Hush House Super Market opens its doors for the first time this. A showcase of independent creatives, the day welcomes record labels, jewellery designers, printmakers, tailors, poets, clothing designers, publicists, florists and many more to sell their wares.
Stay informed on all the best events happening in London every weekend with LondonTown.com's Something for the Weekend mailer, a weekly compilation of the top ten events.
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