Free things to do this weekend ft. Companio Bakery, The Velvet House + more

Levenshulme Night Market
This Friday rings in another Levenshulme Night Market: An evening of food, homemade treats and live entertainment to ease you into the weekend. The theme of this market, located near Levenshulme Station, is summer holidays: Expect fresh fruit, prosecco, and fancy ice cream courtesy of the churns at Ginger’s Comfort Emporium. Other stalls include craft beer from Byrne the Cake Brewery, vegan skincare products from BubbleOff and hot Caribbean food from Hungry Little Critters. Entertainment on the night comes courtesy of the Good Afternoon DJs and in true summer party style there’ll also be facepainting from Em-Mazing the Mermaid Facepainter.
Fri 14 Jul, Levenshulme, Manchester, Manchester, M19 3PJ. 5pm – 9pm, www.facebook.com

Companio Bakery’s First Saturday Opening
Tucked away in Ancoats, Companio Bakery opened in 2015, offering real artisan bread from locally-sourced flour, as well as advanced baking classes. It’s always been somewhat limited by its restricted opening times, but all that changes this weekend as it opens up shop on Saturday for the first time. Between 9am and midday, the bakers at Companio will be giving out free breakfast cake and hot drinks for the first 100 customers who drop by. If you’ve not checked them out yet, this is perfect opportunity to do so, and get your hands on some free grub.
Sat 15 Jul, Unit 6, Flint Glass Wharf, 35 Radium St, Manchester, M4 6AD. 9am – 12pm, www.facebook.com

The Velvet House Pop-up Shop at Barton Arcade
The Velvet House is a new pop-up second hand clothes store for women, and it’s got a short shelf life: You’ve got just two days to get in and find a bargain. With hand-picked vintage wear going from as little as £7, there’s bound to be something for every shopper. If you’re not looking to shop, or not a woman, the Barton Arcade pop-up will also be hosting an exhibition of photographs by documentary photographer Jonathan Flanders, and collages from local art heroes DR.ME. On Sunday afternoon, you can also catch an acoustic set from an as-yet-unannounced Manchester musician.
Sat 15 Jul – Sun 16 Jul, Barton arcade, Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW. 10am – 7pm, www.thevelvet-house.com

Last Weekend of Manchester International Festival
It’s hard to believe, but this year’s Manchester International Festival is already drawing to a close. There’s still plenty of free stuff you can get your teeth into before they pack up for 2017, though: Susan Hefuna’s ToGather exhibition is running at The Whitworth until Sunday, as is CFCCA’s sound installation One of Two Stories, or Both. On Sunday, you’ve also got the chance to witness Ceremony (pictured), the unveiling of a statue of Communist Manifesto co-author Friedrich Engels that was rescued from obscurity on the outskirts of a Russian town.
Until Sun 16 Jul, Various venues, www.mif.co.uk