Free things to do this weekend, ft. Bird to Beast, The Whim Wham Café + First Chop Brewing Arm

We’ve got a while to go until it’ll be warm enough to spend our weekends lounging in the park on the cheap, so might as well take advantage of our round-up of free events and activities. With live music, vintage shopping and a brewery social all on the cards, it would seem Manchester’s feeling pretty charitable for January’s last weekend.

Special FX: Bird to Beast at The Royal Exchange
Few things in life are better than that Friday feeling you get at the end of a working week, but to really get celebrations moving the Royal Exchange Theatre are launching their weekly Special FX events, with free entertainment and happy hour drinks to truly welcome the weekend in with a bang. Taking to the stage this Friday are pysch-folk duo Bird to Beast (pictured), and after recently being awarded Manchester Evening News’ ‘Album of the Year’ for their eponymous debut album, we’re convinced this first show will have some gusto. Support comes from folk songstress Rachel Hillary, who’s also proving her worth amongst Manchester’s strong stock of nu-folk artists.
Fri 24 Jan, Royal Exchange Theatre, St Anns Square, M2 7DH, 6pm – 7pm (happy hour from 5.30pm), FREE, www.facebook.com

The Whim Wham Café Vintage Emporium
Every last Saturday of the month sees The Whim Wham Café transformed into a glorious treasure trove of vintage trinkets and curios, from homeware and collectables to men’s and women’s clothing. Combining local independent traders with the suitably antiquated, eclectic interiors of a bar famous for its gin saloon, this one’s a guaranteed good day out. And as this one’s their first shindig of 2014, it’d be rude not to.
Sat 25 Jan, The Whim Wham Café, Arch 64, Whitworth Street West, M1 5WQ, 12 – 5pm, FREE entry, www.thewhimwhamcafe.com

First Chop Brewing Arm Inaugural Brewery Social
A free event in a brewery is likely to rouse excitement for obvious reasons, but as well providing the most appropriate location for sampling a tipple or two, this social boasts munch from Honest Crust Wood Fired Pizza and The Moocher and plenty of live music from psych three-piece Noon, Sootytern and Reuben Hester. It would appear that not only can First Chop organise a piss-up in a brewery, but in doing so they will also spoil us rotten. Read the full preview here.
Sat 25 Jan, First Chop Brewing Arm, Unit 3 Trinity Row, Trinity Way, Salford M3 5EN. Tel: 07970 241398, 12pm – 1am, FREE, www.facebook.com