Our guide to what's on in the borough this weekend

Lots to do in and around the borough this weekend: Besses o’th’ Barn Band at Hare Hill Park, Big Dig 2.0, The Friday Lunch Club, Rochdale Gramophone Society, Mill De Gras Carnival, Bobby Barber’s Smile Fundraiser, Rochdale AFC v Ebbsfleet United, The Magic of Motown, Swing Into Summer at The Royal Toby, Springhill Hospice’s Summer Garden Celebration, Alkrington Village Craft Market, Ellenroad Engine House Open Day, Rochdale Hornets v Hunslet RLFC, Summer Saturdays, Bowlee Car Boot Sale and Market, Visit Firegound Museum, Rochdale Ramblers walks, Exhibition: Watercolours, Helene Appel: Among Trees, Among Sand Grains & Shezzad Dawood: Levitation: From the Forest to the Sea.

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• Events happening all weekend

Big Dig 2.0 – Rochdale Town Hall, Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August, 9.30am – 12pm & 1pm – 3.30pm

Open to all ages, this is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to gets hands on with the history of Rochdale town centre. RDA want you to help them uncover the story of this area from the late medieval ages through to the 1860s when the town hall was built.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72784/

Visit Fireground Museum – Fireground, Maclure Road
Open 10am - 4pm, Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August

Fire Museum attractions are on show including historic and recent day artifacts.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72910/

Gallery Exhibitions: Watercolours – Littleborough Coach House, Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August, 10am – 3pm

Colin Weldon & Robert Lees - Watercolours and John Cannell - Photography.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72469/

Exhibition: Helene Appel: Among Trees, Among Sand Grains – Touchstones Rochdale, Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August, 10am – 5pm

Helene Appel creates images that straddle the threshold between realism, sculpture and abstraction.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72650/

Exhibition: Shezad Dawood: Leviathan: From the Forest to the Sea - Touchstones Rochdale, Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August, 10am – 5pm

Set in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Episode 8 blends indigenous cosmology with fictional narrative, shot footage and especially commissioned animation by Anita Ekman, to chart an embodied, spiritual and ecological journey along the age-old Guarani path that links the forest to the sea.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72651/

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• Friday 4 August

The Friday Lunch Club – Rochdale Masonic Hall, 12pm – 2pm

Held on the first Friday of the month.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/73044/

Rochdale Gramophone Society – St George’s Church Hall, 2pm – 4pm

Today’s title is members afternoon.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72754/

For a full list of Friday’s events see the Rochdale Online Events Diary:

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/search?searchvalue=04-08-2023&searchtype=date

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• Saturday 5 August

Summer Saturdays – Riverside Retail & Leisure Complex, 11am – 3pm

Hosted by Rochdale Bid. Visitors to the town centre will be able to soak up the atmosphere this summer with free entertainment and activities.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72906/

Mill De Gras Carnival – Heywood, 11am

Celebrate Heywood’s mill town heritage Mardi Gras style.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/73147/

Summer Open Day - Hopwood Hall Estate, 11am – 1pm or 2pm – 4pm

Tea/coffee & cake will be served inside the hall. Bring along your own picnic to enjoy on the lawn (weather permitting).

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72867/

Bobby Barber’s Smile Fundraiser – Spotland Reform Club, 12pm – late

Raising smile money for the children of ward 86 at RMCH.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72142/

Rochdale Ramblers - Saturday Walks – Memorial Walk starting from Syke Common, 1pm

Walk distance = 5 miles.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72992/

Rochdale AFC v Ebbsfleet United – Crown Oil Arena, 5.30pm kick off

The opening game of Dale's first season in the Vanarama National League.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72895/

The Magic of Motown – Middleton Arena, 7.30pm

Celebrate the sound of a generation with one vert special night of The Magic of Motown!

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72647/

Swing into Summer at The Royal Toby – The Royal Toby Hotel

80s, soul and motown hits, along with a mouth-watering three-course dinner.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72774/

For a full list of Saturday’s events see the Rochdale Online Events Diary:

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/search?searchvalue=05-08-2023&searchtype=date

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• Sunday 6 August

Bowlee Car Boot Sale and Market – Bowlee Community Park, 7am

One of the biggest car boot sales and markets in Greater Manchester.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72475/

Rochdale Ramblers – Sunday Walks – Anglezarke – the other way round, 10am

Walk distance = 8.7 miles.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72993/

Springhill Hospice’s Summer Garden Celebration – Springhill Hospice, 11am – 3pm

Family fun day out in the award winning grounds of Springhill Hospice.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72721/

Alkrington Village Craft Market – Alkrington Community Centre, 11am – 4pm

Over 30 stalls with a fantastic range of brilliant handmade and unique crafts not available on the high street.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/71441/

Ellenroad Engine House Open Day – Ellenroad Engine House, Steam Museum, 11am – 4pm

This month they welcome an exhibition by Rochdale Photographic Society.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72643/

Rochdale Hornets v Hunslet RLFC – Crown Oil Arena, 3pm kick off

Betfred League 1 match. This game is themed ‘Blue Lights Day’.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/71838/

Friends of Hare Hill Park Band Concert – Besses o’th’ Barn Band – Hare Hill Park, 3pm – 5pm

Kick back and relax to the sound of a brass band in Hare Hill Park.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/72276/

For a full list of Sunday’s events see the Rochdale Online Events Diary:

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/search?searchvalue=06-08-2023&searchtype=date

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