Free things to do in Manchester this weekend ft. Anne Aspinall + more

Anne Aspinall Exhibition Preview at Contemporary Six
For our first pick of free things to do in Manchester this weekend, we have this new exhibition launching at city-centre gallery Contemporary Six. A Welsh Collection brings together the landscape paintings of artist Anne Aspinall, whose brush has captured many scenes of Welsh tranquility, from rolling hills to familiar coastal towns such as Porthmadog. This is your first chance to catch the exhibition, which runs through til the end of May.
Sat 12 May, Contemporary Six, 37 Princess Street, Manchester, M2 4FN. 1pm – 5pm, www.facebook.com

Mas O Menos Label Launch at Eastern Bloc & Soup Kitchen
Local label Mas O Menos celebrates their launch this Saturday with a massive party spanning two venues on Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter. Mas O Menos – which translates from Spanish as ‘neither here nor there’ – are a new electronic music label, who currently represent South African House DJ Levi Love, DnB DJ Mako and Hit & Run resident Metrodome, all of whom will be playing on the night. The party kicks off early at Eastern Bloc, running through til 1am, but whilst Eastern Bloc is winding down, the party at Soup Kitchen will be powering up, carrying the revelry through to 3am.
Sat 12 May, Eastern Bloc, 5a Stevenson Square, Manchester, M1 1DN. 7pm – 1am,
Soup Kitchen, 31-33 Spear Street, Manchester, M1 1DF. 11pm – 3am, www.facebook.com

National Festival of Making in Blackburn
If you venture a little way out of Manchester this weekend, and into the deep, dark heart of Lancashire, you’re in for a real treat. This Saturday and Sunday, the town of Blackburn hosts its annual National Festival of Making – a festival dedicated to the very best in design, crafts and hand-hewn produce. See our full preview for more details.
Sat 12 May – Sun 13 May, Blackburn town centre, opening and event times vary, www.festivalofmaking.co.uk

Collections by Candlelight at John Rylands Library (pictured)
This Saturday and Sunday, The John Rylands Library are offering a unique opportunity to explore the collections in the same way people did at the library’s founding: By candlelight. Tour guides will take you through the library’s exquisite collection, shedding light on the stories of these objects as their flickering candles illuminates their intricate details. If you can’t catch Collections by Candlelight this weekend, your next opportunity is Saturday 2 June, with future dates running through the summer.
Sat 12 May – Sun 13 May, John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH. 2pm – 3pm, www.visitmanchester.com