Summer Festivals

Summer is made for carnivals. As the bees buzz and the grass gently cooks, Sheffield chills out a bit. Missing Peace in the Park? Don't fret. It's back next year, and meanwhile there's a whole float of seasonal celebrations coming round the bend. Many date back centuries and they're all run on love and voluntary time, so go and show your support just by being there. Fancy helping a community event? Whatever you can offer, they'd welcome you in. On Saturday 11 July, Stannington Carnival should be good. It's run all afternoon in Stannington Park by the cheekily named Stannington Carnival Organisers & Festival Friends (SCOFF). Along with the usual stalls selling food and crafts, there are fairground rides, clowns, games, bouncy castles, birds of prey, belly dancing, classic cars and more. Over the weekend of 10-12 July, Woodseats Community Festival is held in various venues around Woodseats. This one even includes a car boot sale. Tramlines is back from 24-26 July, now a fully commercial "inner city music" festival. The £23 tickets offer a huge line-up of bands and venues. The highlight must be Billy Bragg, as seen in Sheffield supporting the Occupy camp (remember when the recession was something new?). On Sunday 9 August, the popular Lowedges Festival returns to Greenhill Park. This one's big, with far too many activities to mention. On top of everything, the military re-enactments removed from Sheffield Fayre are going to Lowedges. History brought to life is great, but it’s a shame if the actual Army turns up trying to recruit. See the pressure group Child Soldiers. In most countries military recruitment of under 18s is illegal. In Britain the minimum age for recruitment is 16. The annual cultural festival and celebration of the Left, South Yorkshire Festival, moves from July to Saturday 15 August this year. It's held in Wortley Hall - no longer a stately home, but instead co-operatively run in the hands of the trade union and Labour movement. Fun for all ages, with falconry displays, pony rides, exotic animal handling, dancers, face painting, entertainment, bars and food in a beautiful setting of acres of woodland and gardens. Admission's free, although the car park charges (with proceeds to charity). Bus 29 runs from Sheffield Interchange. Get off at Wortley, then go down the drive to the hall. Sharrow Festival was postponed due to rain this June, so if you missed it... well, you didn't. Make a diary note for 22 August and find your way to Mount Pleasant Park. The community of Sharrow always serves up a lively and varied mix of festivities, reflecting the area's diversity. Also on 22 August, Norton Show is held as usual on the showground off Bochum Parkway. This historic event includes ploughing matches and a farmers' market. Over the August bank holiday, Sheffield Fayre is held in Norfolk Heritage Park, with a great selection of crafts, community, trade and market stalls. It includes the renowned Sheffield Horticultural Show, traditional fairground attractions and new this year, the one and only world famous Ken Fox Wall of Death. You'll have to be there to find out what that is... At the time of writing, no details are online for Abbeyfield Park Multicultural Festival, usually a great musical carnival every July. Banner Cross also hasn't got its website together yet. Their festival is also usually in July. Looking forward to September, it's possible that Nether Edge will start holding a festival as well.5-13 September is pencilled in. More details will be available on the Alt-Sheff website when confirmed, along with details and links to all these events and more. If you know of any more 'alternative' Sheffield events, why not submit them to Alt-Sheff's listings? See you out in the sunshine. alt-sheff.org Repair Cafe Sat 18 July, 10am-3pm, Heeley City Farm Repair Cafe is a regular workshop where people can bring broken household items, from shoes to electrical items, for volunteer fixers to look at. They'll try to mend them, show you how to, or explain how to get repairs done. Peace Picnic Sun 9 August, 1pm, Meersbrook Park Community Walled Garden Famous veteran anti-nuclear activist Bruce Kent will be speaking at this event organised by CND to mark the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the first nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. )