Weekend larks (July 22-24)

There goes the neighbourhood
It’s that time of year again when all those people living in One Park West get upset on Facebook and Twitter when the fairground moves in opposite.

The ups and downs of living
in One Park WestYes, The Beach is back, Liverpool One’s fun summer-in-the-city extravaganza which this year sees 142 tonnes of sand shipped in to create the city’s very own beach, complete with a large puddle of water for paddling in. But if you want to get something wet other than your feet, there’s a beach bar serving cold beer and rum cocktails, a barbecue turning out pretty good burgers and hot dogs, live Latin rhythms from the bandstand (on our visit, Martin Smith’s excellent Grapes Band), samba dancing and more (main picture, top).

The Beach launched on Wednesday evening and was a great hit with the kids, especially those fairground rides, including a thrilling roller coaster clattering in the background.

tAlso expect Zumba exercise classes taking place every Wednesday and Thursday from 6-7pm on Chavasse Park, and volleyball tournaments on the sand in the evenings.  Activity on the bandstand includes live music performances and DJs throughout the summer.  

Scream if you want to go faster. Or, maybe not.

*The Beach, Chavasse Park, Liverpool One. Every day and night until September 11.

Foreign fling
Liverpool is not short on festivals and carnivals this summer. This weekend it’s the turn of Brouhaha International’s big bash in Princes Park.

Take 26 international groups from 18 countries and 40 community groups from Liverpool. All you need after that is the hard bit: the weather.

BrouhahaOn Saturday, a procession from Liverpool city centre begins at 11.30am arriving at Princes Park where organisers foresee 40,000 people gathering for a day of cultural fun.

The park comes alive with new performance projects The Big Bang and Circus of Hip-Hop.  A community engagement tent with local information stands provided by Plus Dane Group. The Family Environmental area will keep children and parents entertained with craft, games and performances.

World in Princes Park will be bursting with exciting new collaborative productions, home grown talent, cultural food and activities for all the family to enjoy.

*Liverpool International Carnival, Princes Park, L8, Saturday July 23, 1pm-7pm, free.

Full English
If you prefer your pleasures to be more English and traditional, then put that Mail on Sunday down and take a short train ride to Port Sunlight.

Now in its eighth year, Port Sunlight Summer Festival, organised by Port Sunlight Village Trust, features everything from traditional fairground rides, a vintage car show, a dog show, live entertainment and the very best in local food and drink.
 
More tea, Vicar?  The festival’s free dog show has nine fun categories including the Best Six Legs and Best Looky-Likey.

Over 100 of the best local food producers, including Claremont Farm, Manna Foods and Cupcake Direct, will have stalls and you can relax in the manicured gardens of Port Sunlight and let yourself be entertained by the Arvensis String Quartet, Wirral Symphonic Wind Band, the samba dancers of Viva Brasil and Port Sunlight’s very own Lyceum Brass.
 
Wirral Historic Vehicle Rally will be displaying their fleet on Osborne Court Green at 2:30pm and a Pillbox Vintage Fair will be taking place in the Lyceum where you can pick up a retro mac or two, should the inevitable comes to pass.

*Port Sunlight Summer Festival, Port Sunlight Museum & Garden Village, Sunday July 24. Free, All 10am-6pm.

Toon tone
The fine musical tastes of those in charge of the Kazimier continues unabated. This Friday it presents “an evening hoedown of blusterous brass” headlined by Baghdaddies. 

Touring the world for 14 years and Newcastle born, the Baghdaddies’ thing is world music with strong Balkan tendencies alongside Caribbean grooves, Middle Eastern rhythms and even some Geordie touches, all awash with influences such as ska, jazz, punk and metal, delivered with theatre and exuberance. This is the sort of live music we want to chillaxto when Friday comes. Uplifting and infectiously danceable, full of blistering brass, rousing five part vocal harmonies and a rhythm section that you can’t keep still to.

*Baghdaddies, supported by Ottersgear and  Ewan Scarlett, The Kazimier, Wolstenholme Square, Friday July 22. 8pm-2am. Tickets £4