Our top tips for making the most of the week ahead, with brilliant things to do across the whole of Greater Manchester…   
 

1. Manchester’s Oktoberfest returns with traditional beer, food and music 
 

Manchester’s Oktoberfest is back for a week of fun, which will see a big beer tent set up on First Street with live music, and traditional Bavarian culture. Open until Sunday 17 October, you can expect your tastebuds to be satisfied with specially brewed beer, Bratwurst, Schnitzel and Pretzel, alongside Oompa and German Schlager music – so pop on your lederhosen and dirndl and soak up the atmosphere. Tickets are available here
 

2. Pick a pumpkin in Dunham Massey 
 

As we approach the spooky season of Halloween be sure to get your pumpkin ready and pick your own at Dunham Massey Patch until 31 October. Some 20,000 pumpkins have popped up across the field, from traditional orange pumpkins to gourds, knobbly – and last year’s very popular Ghost Rider pumpkin! This unique experience lets you pick the pumpkin straight from the vine and take them home for your Jack-O-Lantern creations, whilst also enjoying on-site wood-fired pizza and Dunham Massey Apple juice and cider.  
 

3. Hear from Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo at HOME 
 

The first Black British author to win the Booker Prize for her stunning novel Girl, Woman, Other, Manchester Literature Festival is welcoming Anglo-Nigerian writer Bernardine Evaristo for a special evening event to celebrate her new book Manifesto: On Never Giving Up. Hosted by fellow writer Jackie Kay, the event takes place at HOME on 11 October. 
 

4. Watch live performance in Manchester Jewish Museum’s historic synagogue 
 

As part of a series of intimate performances held in the beautiful synagogue of Manchester Jewish Museum, She Seeks out Wool brings together spoken word and large-scale knitting in a performance by Sophie Ablett and Klein Blue, exploring the voices of generations of women. The performance, which premiered at Fringe Futures Festival, will take place on Thursday 14 October at the newly opened museum, with the performance taking in the atmospheric and lovingly restored Synagogue building. Tickets are available online

Find out more about events taking place as part of the Synagogue Nights series, running until 2 December, here
 

5. Enjoy a colourful youth performance and supporting refugees 
 

Supporting refugee and asylum seeker families in Manchester, Afrocats hosts Umbrellas In The Sun, a celebration of the things that unite young people beyond nationality and language, told through dance, singing, drama and improvised performance. Taking place on Saturday 16 October (and also next week on Saturday 23 October), young people aged seven to 16 spell out what Manchester, their home, and their own global heritage means to them across four special performances.  
 

New opening of the week: One Star Döner Bar  
 

Brad Carter, Chef Director of Birmingham’s Michelin-starred Carters of Moseley, opened One Star Döner Bar this week at Escape to Freight Island, the 2,000-capacity urban market located at Depot Mayfield. Inspired by Gemüse Kebab, one of the best dishes Brad has ever eaten, and other Berlin street kebab vendors, Brad launched the highly successful One Star Döner Bar during lockdown while his restaurant was shut. The kebabs, all served on Pide flatbreads sourced from a Turkish Bakery in Manchester, use the very best of British produce including Cornish Lamb, Tamworth Mortadella and Cotswold White Chicken. 
 

+ Book now for Christmas – Peter Pan at Bolton Octagon 
 

Fly away to Neverland with Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost Boys who take on the dastardly Captain Hook in this classic retelling of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale. Tickets are now on sale for the live theatre production, which is sure to be filled with music, mischief and magic – a perfect family Christmas treat. Shows start from 26 November 2021 and run until 9 January 2022.