Summer SSumS mer FESTIVALS FFFFEEF STIVAL
L-R: an intimate set at Doune the Rabbit Hole, tasty produce at Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight and Festival of the Erotic Arts
Y IS FOR YUM IS FOR YUM Let’s be honest, there are a few Let’s be honest, there are a few places promising to serve ‘only the places promising to serve ‘only the
finest local, seasonal food’ that are being a finest loca little economical with the actualité. But come little econ September, when the fields and the fruit Septemb trees are full of food, if you’re not tucking trees are into Scotland’s local larder, you’re missing into Sco out. This is the month when many villages, out. Th towns and regions run food festivals, towns while all sorts of markets, special menus, while talks and tasting sessions take place talks under the umbrella of the Scottish und Food & Drink Fortnight, a specially Foo designated time frame to promote all de that’s good and healthy about the th terrific food right under our noses. (DR)
SCOTTISH FOOD & DRINK FORTNIGHT SCOTTISH FO DATES: Sat 7–Sun 22 Sep DATES: Sat 7 + Hey world, we’ve got decent food here. + Hey world, w - Nationwide promotion has a whiff of - Nationwide p propaganda. TICKETS: Events individually priced. INFO: scottishfoodanddrinkfortnight.co.uk
Z IS FOR ZERO COST It’s hard to believe the Meadows Festival has been running for almost 40 years.
The event’s longevity is mainly down to a simple, winning formula: you get the whole neighbourhood involved, with stalls for local food sellers, shops, businesses and community groups; make sure there’s a massive variety of vintage clothing, records, books and furniture on sale; then throw in two live music stages, a kids’ football match and a funfair. Oh, and make sure the whole thing costs absolutely bupkis, so that even if you aren’t buying anything, you’re still welcome to soak up the friendly atmosphere. (NB)
MEADOWS FESTIVAL Edinburgh DATES: Sat 1 & Sun 2 Jun + Friendly ambience, family-friendly attractions, wide variety of decent stuff to browse. - Works best as a relaxed, outdoorsy afternoon but can be a bit of a washout in the rain. TICKETS: Free. MORE INFO: meadowsfestival.org ➙
16 May–13 Jun 2013 THE LIST 29
S O N G S O F T H E S U M M E R I t w a s o n o w n e d , b y D e x y s . I t h e fi r s t e v e r c a s s e t t e ‘ G e n o ’ l a t i o n w h i c h w a s a n 8 0 s c o m p i i n a r a f fl e t a p e m y m o t h e r w o n i a n t B r i w a s a b o u t s i x . 8 0 s c l a s s i c h i t ! S t i n a M a r i e C l a i r e , H o n e y b l o o d w h e n
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- The fuzzy, - The fuzzy, family-orientated family-orientated
feel might not be to the hard- partying reveller’s taste. partyin TICKETS: Fri £35, Sat £40, Sun £30; TICKET Advance Weekend (with camping) £78, Advanc Full Price Weekend (with camping), £88. Full Pric MORE INFO: dounetherabbithole.co.uk MORE I
W IS FOR IS FOR WEANS Doune the Rabbit Hole moves to a brand
new site this year, Cardross Estate near Lake of Menteith, but the charitable event’s raison d’être remains the same: spreading happiness by helping kids to get involved with art from a young age. The annual culmination of year-round activities is all geared towards assisting less privileged weans to experience creativity from a young age, the festival – free for under 12s – mixes theatre, comedy and spoken word performance with a broad church of musical acts. Top names this year include shadowy psychedelic Liverpudlians Clinic, reformed 60s psych-rockers July and Scottish indie godheads The Pastels. (MJ)
DOUNE THE RABBIT HOLE Cardross Estate DATES: Thu 22–Sun 25 Aug + A cross-generational crème-de-la-crème of Scottish bands.
X IS FOR XXX IS From male burlesque that challenges Fr simplistic gender identity through to
an exhibition of sex-positive visual art, Edinburgh’s Festival of the Erotic Arts celebrates its second year with an expanded programme. We have the return of legendary nightclub Torture Garden, which has done so much to unite Edinburgh’s burlesque and fetish scenes, and a revival of The Mating Ritual, Chris JS Wilson and Gypsy Charms’ comic study of love and lust through the ages. Currently the only festival dedicated to sexual expression across many disciplines, it insists on non-exploitative, daring, sensual and challenging performance and art. (GV)
FESTIVAL OF THE EROTIC ARTS Edinburgh DATES: Mon 10–Sun 16 Jun + A vibrant celebration of an often marginalised subject. - Requires an open and mature mind. TICKETS: Events individually priced. MORE INFO: erotic-arts.co.uk