The August bank holiday is finally here, bringing with it the last three-day weekend of the year.
Manchester will be seeing out the summer in style with plenty of ways to make the most of that extra day off on Monday August 29.
From the return of Manchester Pride’s Big Weekend to free street parties and foodie events, there’s something going on for everyone in Greater Manchester.
We’ve picked out a few of the highlights to help you plan your weekend, below.
Check out our round-up of everything you could possibly want to do this summer for some more general ideas, or our family-friendly bank holiday events guide if you're looking for things to do with the kids.
Got any more suggestions? Let us know in the comments below or give us a shout over on Twitter @CityLifeManc and we’ll add the best.
Manchester Pride’s Big Weekend
The colourful celebration of Manchester’s LGBT life takes over The Village again with a line-up featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Tulisa, Will Young, Katy B, Heather Small and Fleur East.
Tickets are on sale now priced from £25, but as always the spectacular Pride Parade on Saturday will be free to watch as it makes its way through the city centre, from Liverpool Road to Whitworth Street.
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There’s also a free programme of events taking place at the former Cornerhouse as part of the festivities.
The Village / August 26 to 29 / bigweekend.manchesterpride.com / Tickets from £25
Bolton Food and Drink Festival
An all-star line-up of celebrity chefs will descend on the town as the four-day foodie celebration returns over the August bank holiday weekend.
Former Saturday Kitchen star James Martin, Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines and MasterChef judge John Torode will be making a welcome return to perform cookery demonstrations at the event, joined by Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.
The festival will also feature a speciality food, drink and crafts market with more than 150 traders plus live music and family entertainment.
Bolton Town Centre / August 26 to 29 / boltonfoodanddrinkfestival.com / Free entry, charge for some demos and events
Stockport Old Town Fringe Festival
Kicking off with the monthly Foodie Friday event on August 26, visitors can look forward to street food and live music in the Old Town surrounding the historic market hall as this three-day bank holiday festival gets underway.
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On Saturday and Sunday there’ll be more free entertainment in Market Place and Castle Yard, with live music, street performance,
There will also be free circus skills workshops for all the family and a chance to learn to play the ukulele with Stockport Ukulele Players.
Stockport Market Place / August 26 to 28 / stockportoldtown.co.uk / Free
Come As You Are street party at The Palace
DJ duo The Unabombers are throwing a free bank holiday street party in a secret space hidden away behind their new restaurant, The Refuge by Volta, at The Palace Hotel.
The two-day bash will feature sets from The Unabombers themselves along with Krysko, Ruf Dug, Aficionado, Jamie Bull, Trash-o-Rama, Meat Free, Jon Da Silva, Paulette, Now Wave, Gina Breeze, Will Tramp, JonJo Jury and Drunk At Vogue.
The Palace Hotel / August 27 and 28, midday to 10pm / @TheRefugeMCR / Free
Lowry Outlet Makers Market
The travelling treasure trove of food, drink, arts and crafts comes to the Salford Quays shopping centre this bank holiday weekend for the first in a series of new monthly markets there.
There'll be stalls all over the open air plaza area, selling everything from award-winning cheeses and pies to locally brewed ales and artisan breads, as well as vintage trinkets, homemade crafts, photography and artwork. There'll also be live music to entertain the crowds.
Lowry Outlet, Salford Quays / lowryoutlet.co.uk / Saturday August 27, 10am-7pm; Sunday August 28, 11am-5pm; Monday August 29, 11am-6pm
Gin and vintage fair at Manchester Cathedral
Manchester's huge vintage and gin fair heads back to Manchester Cathedral this weekend for two days of fashion and music.
On Friday and Saturday, more than 30 specialist traders will set up in the historic building for Vintage At The Cathedral, selling furniture, clothes, ephemera, jewellery, and china.
The Gin Society are also back to run their pop up gin and prosecco bar, and there's an old fashioned tearoom with drinks and cakes from A Taste of Vintage.
Award winning hair and make up artists The Vintage Beauty Parlour will be creating some classic coiffures and perfect pouts from decades gone by.
Manchester Cathedral / Friday, August 26, 10am to 8pm, and Saturday, August 27, 10am to 4pm / Free entry
Try out New Order’s first beer
Made in collaboration with Moorhouse’s Brewery, the Manchester band’s first beer, Stray Dog, hits the pumps this weekend.
The golden ale will be officially launched at a New Order-themed evening at The Sawyer’s Arms on Deansgate on Sunday, August 28, from 7pm.
It will also be available in Mitchells and Butlers pubs - including Sizzling Pubs, Vintage Inns, Harvester, Ember Inns, Toby Carvery, Crown Carveries, Castle and Nicholson’s - from the August bank holiday weekend before rolling out to pubs nationwide in September.
Go for a bottomless beer brunch
All Star Lanes’ macho take on the bottomless brunch trend begins on Saturday August 28 - just in time for the bank holiday.
Available every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm, diners first choose a dish - either American pancakes with mixed berries, sour cream and maple syrup (£7.50); buttermilk waffles, crispy fried chicken, treacle cured bacon, condensed butter with chilli, rock salt, and maple syrup; eggs and avocado on grilled toast (£8); a sausage and egg muffin with melted cheese (£7.50); or salt beef hash with sunny-side up eggs (£10).
For an extra £19, you then get an unlimited supply of beer, with choices including Beavertown, Steven’s Point, Brooklyn, Cerveza Pacifico and Boulevard.
All Star Lanes / From August 28 / allstarlanes.co.uk