It’s the Winchester Comedy Festival this weekend, with a gala night on Saturday 3rd October. There’s a special kids comedy fest on Sunday 4th, same format minus the ‘rude bits’ and no doubt with some hilarious heckling. The festival will take place at four venues across the city including the Theatre Royal, Discovery centre, Greens Pub and the Railway Inn.
Littleton pre-school will be celebrating its 40th birthday with a Barn Dance and Sausage Sizzle event on Saturday 3rd, 5pm-8pm. Tickets are free but there is a pay for bar and child friendly food. Advance booking is requested by email.
Good luck if you’re running or walking the Clarendon Marathon on Sunday 4th October. Although online registration is now closed, registration on the day will be possible for an extra £5 (donation to Rotary charities). The entry fee for 2015 is an inclusive one. All entrants will be given a free medal and a free t-shirt when they cross the finish line. Use of the buses will also be included. The prices for 2015 are £30 for the full marathon, £22 for the half marathon and £70 for a 4 person relay team.
Winchester Cathedral will be hosting its annual Hampshire Harvest celebration 3rd & 4th October. There’s plenty of outdoor entertainment on offer including a mobile farm, vintage farm machinery, horse and carriage rides and the farmers market alongside free entry into the cathedral all weekend.
The celebrated Ballet Black return to the Theatre Royal on the 9th October at 7.30pm. The triple-bill will feature Mark Bruce’s Second Coming, a gothic fairytale. The Theatre Royal is offering an Introduce a friend to ballet offer, get 2 for 1 tickets if you bring a friend who has not seen ballet before. Contact the Box Office on 01962 840440 for more details.
CHALK has its grand opening on 10th October. Organised by 10 Days, an interdisciplinary contemporary arts platform established by arts professionals in Winchester, “Chalk, time, sense and landscape” will offer a range of stimulating exhibitions across the city until 10th November inspired by the natural landscape under our Wintonian feet. Geologically, chalk is rare, yet Winchester is built upon and surrounded by it. Chalk has long been a material of art and local archaeology. 10 days invites you to join over 100 artists and writers at CHALK Hub, City Space (Winchester Discovery Centre) | City Museum | Winchester Cathedral | The Link Gallery (University of Winchester); Theatre Royal Winchester | The Winchester Gallery (Winchester School of Art, closes on 23 October).
Winchester Camerata have organised a concert on 18th October at 6.30pm in aid of Winchester Go LD, enabling people with learning difficulties. The evening will take place at St John’s House on the Broadway and programme highlights include Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis. Tickets are £12.50 (Students £5.00) available here: winchestercamerata.ticketsource.co.uk.
Half-term and Halloween end the month with a finale of witches, pumpkins and general ghoulish frivolity. The City Mill is offering half-term hallowe’en storytelling sessions, a family trail and its traditional baking. If you head to Marwell Zoo, you can join the Halloween Festival between the 24th and 31st October where you can design, carve and take home your own pumpkin or watch the animals explore and enjoy their pumpkin treats. Hinton Ampner will be offering a half-term pumpkin trail and a chance to discover all the gruesome punishments the terrible Tudors carried out.
It’s a treats galore October, we hope you enjoy it.