Top 3: Spirit of Salford ft. Food Festival, Ordsall Hall & more

Salford pays homage to its local community this month as it launches a campaign to celebrate the city’s personality and spirit. Part of a year-long campaign, Spirit of Salford will work to promote awareness and the involvement of its citizens by way of exhibitions, live performances and festivals. Here are three recommendations to check out…

Spirit of Salford Weekender
The culmination of the festival, Salford Weekender brings the best of Salford together in one place for a two-day celebration. Headlined by Ren Harvieu (pictured), Saturday will also see performances from opera tenor John Christos, Girl Peculiar and BBC Philharmonic Quartet; live theatre in the form of Wrong ‘Un, A Suffragette’s Story; as well as a craft market, food stalls and a pop-up cinema. The celebrations then continue to Sunday with the Big Lunch on the Lawns, a vintage market, talks, live music and more.
Sat 31 May – Sun 1 Jun, Salford Civic Centre, Chorley Road, M27 5FJ. Sat 11am – late, Sun 11am – 3pm, day events FREE, spiritofsalford.info

Lowry Outlet Food Festival
Following the success of last year’s event, Lowry Outlet’s celebration of all things food returns for its second outing over the bank holiday weekend, complete with celeb chefs and over 120 artisan market stalls. Offering a range of treats, choose between local cheeses, traditional pies and enough street food to tempt all of your senses. Also making appearances across the weekend will be top TV chefs Gennaro Contaldo, James Martin and Rachel Allen, who will be giving live cookery demos and revealing the secret ingredients to their signature dishes.
Sat 24 – Mon 26 May, Lowry Outlet,
The Quays, 
M50 3AH. FREE entry, lowryoutletfoodfestival.co.uk

Mud, Sweat and Tears exhibition at Oldsall Hall
With the centenary of the start of World War One being marked this year, this exhibition explores the important role Oldsall Hall played on the home front. Find out the story of Salford’s pioneering allotments as it pays tribute to the city’s men and women who made a difference. The exhibition runs alongside Salford Museum and Art Gallery’s 100 Years Ago: Salford at War, which focuses on the stories and contributions of local characters – including soldiers’ diaries and letters sent from the front line. Find out more here.
Sun 25 May – Sun 28 Sep, Oldsall Hall, Ordsall Lane, M5 3AN. Mon – Thu 10am – 4pm, Sun 1pm – 4pm, FREE, salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk

Full listings can be found at spiritofsalford.org.