Things To Do In London This Weekend: 28-29 September 2013

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Happy 400th birthday! Photo by Andrew Hughey

All weekend

WALK LONDON: Join free, led-walks all over London this weekend as Autumn Ambles from Walk London offers 36 different routes, of varying length and topic. Free, various times and starting points, check the website.

THE FUTURE: Futurefest gathers together some fine minds, makers and creators to stimulate discussion about shaping the future. In a half-day session you could encounter technoscience, gardening, cyborgs, human enhancement, illusions, immersive performances, rejuvenation, sci-fi writers, food futures and Big Science. Tickets £36 per half day, prebook, at Shoreditch Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday.

NEW RIVER: On Sunday afternoon it's 400 years since Sir Hugh Myddelton's Glory, the New River, was officially opened. There are various celebrations going on along its route from Enfield to Islington across the weekend, including a reenactment of the opening with fireworks. Peruse our round up of events and go and explore its banks.

KINGS CROSS: Twin festivals celebrate the opening of Kings Cross Square. Find a Victorian Carnival out the front of the station on the Square and behind in Granary Square is the Kings Cross Journeys Festival. Both are free, just turn up.

SOHO: A storming line-up of history, books and actors characterises Soho Literary Festival, which begins on Wednesday and runs through till Sunday at Soho Theatre. We picked out highlights in our preview, get more info and book tickets at the festival website. All tickets £9.

UNSOUND: Polish music festival UNSOUND presents its first London edition over four days and four venues ahead of its Krakow event featuring artists from Poland, the UK, Germany and Austria. UNSOUND focuses on innovative music from different genres, including experimental and artsy collaborative stuff. Look at the Facebook event for programme, venues, tickets. Runs Thursday to Sunday.

BRAZIL: Braff London brings the best of new Brazilian Cinema to the Odeon Covent Garden with 13 feature films and a bunch of shorts screening from Friday till Monday. Book tickets.

CHISENHALE: It's 30 years since a group of artists transformed the disused Chisenhale works in Bow into an artplace with studios, gallery and dance space. An Open Weekend marks their anniversary, with exhibitions, performances, live music, workshops and a community day on Sunday. Full programme here. Free, just turn up.

BOOKS: Wimbledon Book Festival begins on Saturday with a chance to hear about the churches that Betjemen forgot, Britten's centenery and attend sessions with Dan and John Snow in quick succession. Find the full programme online. The festival runs till 13 October.

TATTOOS: The 9th International London Tattoo Convention takes place at groovy Tobacco Dock from Friday to Sunday. As well as skinfuls of body art and tattoo artists from around the world, there's live music from Fun Lovin' Criminals  and others and a raft of burlesque and alternative performances. Advance tickets from £20/day.

APPETITE: The food festival is in Nunhead with a foodie trail, walks, talks, demos, workshops, supper clubs and more. Check out the full programme here. Till 6 October.

CIRCUS: Gerry Cottle’s Wow! Circus Show is at Alexandra Palace with 50 acts spanning Cabaret, Carnival, Circus, Comedy Chaos and Daredevil acts. Tickets £13-£25+bkg, From Wednesday till 6 October.

STREET FOOD: Dalston Yard hosts #StreetFoodEurope. There are three sessions for tasting and grazing: Sat aft, night and Sun aft, tickets £8 (inc. some drinks).

LONDON FILM: Urban Wandering: Film and the London Landscape continues at Barbican Cinemas with Iain Sinclair in a swan pedallo, selections from London's Screen Archives, folk who refuse to budge for the building of the Royal Festival Hall and more.

Saturday 28 September

AQUATHON: To celebrate the opening of an Open Water Swimming venue at Stoke Newington West Reservoir Centre an early morning Aquathon is taking place. Online booking has already closed for swimmers but regular open water swimming sessions take place every Thursday and Saturday through October. Free to spectate from 7.30am

AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Regent Street will be traffic-free for a day of NFL fun ahead of the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers game at Wembley on Sunday. Free, just turn up, 12-6pm

HARVEST FESTIVAL: There’s food glorious food at Abbey Gardens in West Ham; competitions, cupcake decorating, a quiz and music, plus tea and cake to buy. Free, just turn up, 1pm-4pm

BOYS AND GIRLS: Gender and identity is under discussion at the Bishopsgate Institute, and how they’re expressed in our lives. Free, just turn up, 2.30pm

NIGHT BIKES: Join the iBike London monthly night ride starting from City Hall and crossing 15 bridges. Free, just turn up, 7-11pm

COMEDY: Sketch group Tasty Combo sketch group sold out their run at the Camden Fringe and now they’re bringing their A-Z of Sketch to the Hen and Chickens. Tickets £8, prebook or just turn up, 7.30pm

PECKHAM SOUNDS: Billed as a celebration of Peckham, this Oxjam fundraiser presents a string of DJs who have bought all the music they're going to play in local shops and CD kiosks. Takes place behind the Bussey Building in Copeland Park. Tickets £6.60, prebook, 10pm-4am

Sunday 29 September

WANDLE: Morden Hall Park hosts a celebration of the River Wandle with history, craft and wildlife activities for all. Free, just turn up, 11am-4pm

CHILLI: Celebrate the chilli pepper at Spitalfields City Farm with the Festival of Heat. There’ll be a bar, live music, and more chilli than you can shake a chilli at. Free, just turn up, 12pm-6pm

PEARLIES: The traditional Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival Parade Service sees the Pearly families turn out in their shiniest suits for a service at St Mary Le Bow church at 3pm, preceded by old-style entertainment in Guildhall Yard. Free, just turn up, from 1pm

BLACK HISTORY: As part of Black History Month, Sutton House in Hackney is displaying a series of letters, written by historian Miranda Kaufmann to 10 influential black Londoners of the past. The letters are accompanied by colourful stamps designed by Jane Porter. Normal entrance fee applies, till 30 November

VIOLIN: Hampstead Arts Festival commences with a concert from a young American violinist, Tai Murray, at St Stephen's. Tickets from £18, prebook, 3pm

LATIN AMERICA: Rich Mix hosts two talks as part of the Latin American theatre festival CASA 2013, a photographic survey of Britain’s Latin American community over the last 30 years and on theatre of exile. Both are followed by performances from Instrucciones para Abrazar el Aire. Free, just turn up, 5.30pm / 6.15pm

FILM: Catch a screening of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, starring Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand, at the Southbank Centre. Free, just turn up, 8pm

Other good stuff

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