Free things to do this weekend ft. BierFest, Unnatural Borders + more

Manchester BierFest at Albert Square
It may not be October, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the mini-Oktoberfest taking over Albert Square this weekend. The organisers have assembled have brought the wooden-village charm of the Christmas markets and transplanted it into May, with stalls offering Bratwurst, pretzels and three specially-brewed Bavarian beers. They’ve even got stalls selling souvenirs and heidi wigs. It won’t cost you anything to enjoy the beer garden and sample some boozy delights, but if you want to get into the big tent, you have to cough up £5 for a seat reservation, but they do throw in a half pint of FestBier for your trouble.
Thu 18 May – Sun 21 May, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA. 12pm – 11pm (Thu – Sat), 12pm – 7.30pm (Sun), manchester.bierfest.co.uk

Veggie Market in Levenshulme
Levy Market is hosting a veggies-only special this Friday night, boasting over 20 different stalls offering up all manner of vegetarian and vegan treats. Already confirmed in the lineup is Middle-Eastern cuisine from The Ottö-Men, Dutch waffle house Lekker (pictured) and vegan soap merchants BubbleOff. In addition to the stalls, you can also enjoy DJ from the Beatific DJs up til 9pm, and even get your face painted by the professionals at Liberosis Body Art: With a special discount if you get your face painted as a vegetable.
Fri 19 May, Levenshulme Market, Manchester, M19 3PJ. 5pm – 9pm, www.facebook.com

Art in Object Lessons at Manchester Museum
Oxford Road’s Manchester Museum launches its latest exhibition this weekend, which is a exploration of the intersection between science and art. The exhibition displays many artefacts used in the teaching of science during the 19th Century, including taxidermy, anatomical models and lithographs. See our full preview for more information.
Fri 19 May – Sun 20 Aug, Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL. Tel: 0161 275 2648, 10am – 5pm, museum.manchester.ac.uk

Unnatural Borders at MediaCityUK
Starting this weekend, you can catch this excellent, large-scale outdoor installation at MediaCity. The docklands area will be transformed by night into a glowing menagerie of illuminated animals – each one representing a different endangered species. Check out our full preview for further details.
Sat 20 May – Mon 29 May, The Piazza, off The Quays, Salford, M50 2EQ. 9pm – 11pm (light show), quaysculture.com