Sheldon Country Park Fair is a yearly summer event that has turned into a tradition to me. It's a…read morehighlight of most people's festival season on the east side of Birmingham, and sees thousands enter the park gates to take part in a wide range of activities. The park is literally filled with events, from fairground rides to nature talks to local emergency service rides, which are both educational and entertaining for children of all ages. We're usually lucky because the fair more than often hits a lovely summer's day, which provides a real festival feel to the whole experience. My favourite part is the owl show, I love watching and holding them. I'm a kid at heart! During the day, there are also clown shows, dirt bike shows and pantomimes. These are perfect to keep children's attention, but for me, I personally find them a little tedious. The fairground rides are the usual ones you can find at any fair, and cost no more money either. There's also a bar there which is great for people who just want to soak up the vibrant atmosphere.

Moseley Folk really are the Kings of the local folk revival and their main festival held annually…read morein Moseley Park and Pool is a real highlight on the Brum music calendar. Growing this successful brand this year they attempted their first camping festival and were wise enough to start with a very small acorn. Only 500 tickets were available and even though some of the names were fairly big (Fionn Regan, Scott Matthews, Benjamin Francis Leftwich) the festival had a lovely, intimate, family feel. The site itself is a real find, very near the home of Nick Drake, in Tanworth in Arden. There was yummy food from the Soul Food Project and local booze from Purity. They've started some nice traditions already including an outdoor fire that was kept alight the whole time the festival was running. No, the weather didn't help. But it is a great start from these chaps and I imagine a great oak will grow from this . . .

Newly launched in 2012, The Lunar Festival is run by the same team who brought us Moseley Folk…read moreFestival and the Mostly Jazz Festival. The setting was Nick Drake's spiritual home of Tanworth-In-Arden. A festival of acoustic music with folky-leanings, Scott Matthews, Fionn Regan and Benjamin Francis Leftwich headlined the main stage on each night, while singer-songwriters from the local area and further afield played sets on both the Northern Sky and the Riverman stages. With only 500 tickets on sale, most of them were snapped up by those preferring a more intimate festival, a welcome change from the corporate, sponsored rock-based behemoths. With this small amount of people you see familiar faces, the queues for food and toilets are small, and everything is more amiable and easier. Kids can get into Umberslade Farm Park to look at the animals and to play in the adventure playground. The highlight of the weekend for me was Fionn Reagan whose witty, wordy, highly poetic songs with references to literature, historical figures and odd places are among the best that I believe have been written. You don't believe me? Buy his 2006 album 'The End of History and you might be converted. Keep a watch of the website for details of next year's festival.

The seasonal markets at The Bond in Digbeth are one of my favourite events in Birmingham, I think…read moreI've been to all but one of them in the last couple of years. The Bond is an events and conferencing space which backs on to the canal on Fazeley Street. The markets are held each season and they are packed with street food traders, sweet and savoury bakers, arts and crafts stalls, vintage clothes stalls and various bars, including one in an old routemaster bus. There is a £2 charge to get in, with 50p off if you have an Independent Birmingham card. Some markets are bigger than others, sadly today's Summer market wasn't one of the big ones (probably as Brum Yum Yum is also on today in Kings Heath). There was still a really good choice of food and drink on offer, but as usual I was drawn to the wonderful Buddha Belly who do the best Thai food I've had outside Thailand. I had a selection of their dishes including spicy veggie noodles with crispy chicken and Thai green curry all of which were delicious. There are always so many wonderful cakes on offer, this time I opted for a beautiful lemon drizzle cake from Peel and Stone. As always it was a lovely afternoon despite the showers and I'm already looking forward to the Autumn market later in the year.

I am ashamed to say that this was the first seasonal market I had managed to get to. As the name…read moresuggests, there are 4 of these markets a year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) held at the Bond Co in Digbeth. There is a small fee for entry (£1.50 for Winter) and there are Street food traders, crafts and locally produced food stalls, music being played out over the course of the day and a beer bus (to keep you hydrated as you wander round). Firstly, the Bond is a great venue for an event of this nature. With indoor and covered spaces, even if the weather isn't on your side (which, thankfully, it was on Saturday) you can still grab some delicious food and eat it without being soaked in a Birmingham style downpour. The choice of streetfood was fantastic. From the award winning "Rootz" (Caribbean) and "Buddha Belly" (Thai) to "Meat Shack" (burgers) and the "Bournville waffle company" (to name a few), there really is something for everyone. Inside the covered area you could grab beautiful pies, cheeses and cakes from top Brum bakery "Peel & Stone". We had enjoyed a hearty breakfast before our trip, so didn't partake of anything too substantial on the day but did pick up some delicious bread pudding from "Peel & Stone" to enjoy later. Inside the venue, the selection of handmade arts and crafts was fantastic. We found ourselves drawn to "Working Clasp" (lasercut jewellery), "Sparrow & Wolf" (fabulous notebooks and cards) and "Broquet" (who offer bespoke beer buckets as presents). I also managed to get some lovely presents for people from other stalls, meaning a lot of my Christmas shopping was done in one fell swoop. The beer bus is a fantastic addition to this venue. A kitted out red double decker, this "bar on wheels" was serving a lot of different ales as well as hot mulled cider. The guys from the market had even installed a snow machine at the entrance, meaning you got a little extra festive cheer as you entered the market. I could have spent a good day here. As it happened, I DID spent a fair amount of money in the hour we dropped by, but that was down to the amazing traders and the selection of goods they had on offer (as well as my lack of willpower). I came away with craft beers, greetings cards, jewellery and cake. Next time I am planning to spend a whole afternoon here. I recommend you get down too!

This is a community and arts festival that takes place in Moseley every late June/early July. I've…read morebeen here three years in a row now, and there seems to be more and more events each time. The main festival day clutters the streets of Moseley (and surrounding venues) with stalls and activities such as morris dancing and live cooking. The arts and crafts stalls are more on par with Moseley Arts Market (and some of the stall holders are often the same, which is a little bit of a let down for me.) Other stalls are set up by the community, selling car boot-type items such as toys and vinyl. It's a great place to hunt for hidden gems and sought after records. For me, the highlight of last year's fest took place in Moseley Park & Pool, where a free live jazz band played to chilled out visitors in the blaring sun. (If you get too hot, you can always cool down in the ice house underneath Moseley Park!). In addition to the main festival day, other venues open their doors for specific events throughout the seven days. These venues include Zen, Birmingham Buddhist Centre, O'Neils and The Fighting Cocks, which all put on unique celebrations, from yoga sessions to beer tasting. I think the most obscurest event as part of 'Moz fest' has to be ginger fest, which tooks place in The Prince of Wales a couple of year's back. It's a mini festival within a festival that allows red heads to unite. Let's hope it returns this year!

Local event based in the Moseley area, Moseley festival is quite a well-known event which occurs…read moreeach year. I've only been twice and both times I went to the festival I quite enjoyed it. The streets become jam packed and the residents from the area take part either by setting up a stall or taking to the streets. The fact that they have so many events which take place during the seven days; makes the festival more interesting. It can become a little repetitive each year but I guess many festivals similar to this become slightly repetitive too. When you attend the festival, be prepared to leave the event with at least an item you've purchased from one of the many stalls. You'll have a continuous temptation to buy something and you'll find many hidden treasures. When I last went, I bought a couple of things including some vintage looking candle holders. They were absolutely magnificent and I just couldn't resist. Also, if you do I recommend you take a look at all the other mini events taking place across the city in association with Moseley Festival.

This weekend was my second visit to MCM Comic Convention in Birmingham. Strange really, that I…read moreshould travel halfway across the country to Wales to go to SciFi Weekender in Wales, but only my second visit to the Birmingham edition of this event (which is also held in Manchester, London, Telford, Belfast and Glasgow). I can only put it down to the fact that I wasn't actually aware of the event or when it was until last year when I saw some advertising online and knew that I had to go and check it out... Now, I really like graphic novels, anime, SciFi and fantasy. This place is a mecca for buying the perfect accessories to go with that obscure cosplay and incredibly cute toys and collectables. Unfortunately this year there seemed to be less actual comic stands, but this was more than made up for by the fantastic line up of guests and talks. The best reason to go (whether you are necessarily a fan of comic books or not) is the amount of effort that attendees go to, to create their costumes. I spotted characters from films, books and TV shows (some mainstream, some obscure) but there was more than your fair share of "caped crusaders" and Marvel/DC characters which was inevitable since the classic hero on paper was transformed into blockbusting big screen action stars. This year I was very impressed by the addition of two popular anime voice stars which were doing signings for free (well, for £3 with the purchase of a magazine). I am a fan of both of these guys and ended up getting their autographs without too much queueing or trouble. They also had talks from Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad) and it seems they had really upped their game with (almost) the complete cast of Red Dwarf and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) along for the fun as well. Now, one thing I did notice this year was how busy it was. Luckily, my partner had bought an advance ticket (highly recommended) and thus we were into the venue within a couple of minutes of approaching the hall. The wait to buy a ticket and get in was ridiculous and I can imagine some people queued for at least an hour to actually enter the event. This also meant there was hoards of people in the hall, which made it difficult to browse the stalls at some point. Again, this event is busy and you will probably end up spending a fortune if you are with/are a comic book/anime/superhero fan... However, if you can deal with the queues and the crush, it's well worth checking out MCM Birmingham (which takes place in both March and November each year).

I really wanted to enjoy MCM Birmingham Comic Con, but sadly it did not live up to my expectations…read more The biggest issue was the venue- two halls was simply not enough for the amount of people attending, and having other large shows on at the same time made public transport a nightmare. Being in a permanent crush made it difficult for me to see anything, but from what I could see there were little comics and board games. The majority of stalls were selling overpriced kawaii toys, and I left empty handed with no regrets whatsoever. The special guests held little appeal for me. I felt the autographs were over priced and I was particularly baffled by the presence of Eastenders actors Shane Ritchie and Jessie Wallace. I didn't feel they fit at all and honestly I would have rather they weren't taking up the already limited space. Still, some people must have wanted to see them as I could barely reach the bar thanks to the long queue right outside it. The events were similarly meh with the exception of the cosplay masquerade. The cosplayers are what made it in my opinion. The amount of effort they put into their costumes was astounding, and some were even in character which resulted in some funny moments. Unfortunately it just wasn't practical to ask/pose for photos in the crowds, and looking at the photos now I see I missed some amazing costumes. Until they improve their line up, I will not be attending again. I foolishly purchased a weekend ticket but was left so exhausted I couldn't face going again. If you do go, get a priority ticket and go early so you can leave before the crowds hit. I've been to cons before and I'm used to queues, but I don't see the point when you're queuing for a substandard con that offers very little.

This year will see the fifteenth edition of the Harborne Carnival, which literally takes over the…read moreentire high street of Harborne. The event was set up by Ron Hill in 1998, who took inspiration from the first Harborne charity fete in 1891, a carnival that had been revived several times, with the last in 1968. Last year's street party saw over 60000 attending what is often called the UK's second largest celebrations of its type. With the sun blaring, it was an absolutely perfect day out for friends and family alike. Taking to the streets are a wide range of floats and people, from dancers to old fashioned cars to bikes to brass bands, if you don't keep an eye on the road, you're sure to miss some of the most intriguing, artistic floats you'll ever see. Along with floats, the streets are also filled with fairground rides activities, and stalls which are all designed to raise money for local charities. The carnival is a hit with the kids, and the surrounding Harborne pubs are perfectly located for fueling the adults with alcohol to help them soak up the atmosphere. The smell of local grub sold on the street is also highly tempting, so be prepared to enjoy a jam packed, belly bursting event. My first experience of the carnival was last year, and I cannot wait for this years! Not long to go!

My friends and I only discovered the Harborne carnival last summer, which happened to…read morecoincidentally fall on my birthday, making all more reason to celebrate. The infamous high street is packed, whether it be floats or just people, it's seemingly one way traffic, but in all fairness, it's something that adds to the atmosphere if anything. Despite being a great day out, weather depending, you'll see your fair share of topless men/boys and drinking on the streets. With the pubs often closing for a few hours in the mid afternoon, people often take drinking outside, making the most of the Sainsburys towards the end of the street. Some people may find the off putting, but as my rating suggests, the day, overall, really is a laugh. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to anyone in their late teens, pushing 20. After all, it could fall on my birthday again, in which case you can buy me a pint..

If there's anywhere you should be at the beginning of September to celebrate the end of Summer it's…read moreThe Mosely Folk Festival! What a fantastic festival, if you want to soak up some cool vibes and chilled atmosphere it's situated off Mosely high street in Birmingham, down the side of an alley way is Mosely Park and where The Jazz and Folk Festival take place every summer. I've been going to the Mosely Folk Festival now every year since 2013, I was really skeptical regarding Folk music and thought it's all fiddles and banjos, old style folk songs and long fuzzy bearded men! but I've loved it ever since for its variety of old and new style folk, its community spirit and relaxed chilled atmosphere as well as the music. There's also been some unknown acts appear here who have made it into mainstream, one being Wolf Alice. I tend to go for the whole of the three day festival. Friday's are the cool trendy Folkers i.e. Mumford and sons style acts, Saturday is a combo of new and old and Sunday being the last day is more chilled and relaxed with traditional Folk and yes some fiddles! There's always some audience participation of a good ole Dosey Doh! In hay, music workshops or Morris Dancers around and anything goes with fashion. There are two seating areas on the grass; the rows in front of the two main stages are for blankets only and further back is for chairs. Along the sides of the seating areas are shops, a kids play area, face painting, cocktail bars, beer tents, street food vendors even a massage area Last year. The outside porta loos are also kept clean. All you need is a fold up chair, picnic blanket, hamper or rucksack filled with a couple of snacks and an umbrella for our unpredictable weather! Tips: Usual rules apply, no alcohol in bags and security checks on the gate, Deposit for a beer glass ( made of plastic )

I finally got to the Moseley Folk Festival last September, after three years of saying "I'm going…read moreto go this year!" and not making it. I'd heard the vibe was really relaxed, and even a bouncer I know who works on the door told me that "It's just full of drunken hippies." Which of course, is great! And he was right! Before the festival, I'd been to Moseley Park many times, and I kept wondering how such a popular festival fits so many people into one space. Once you actually go, you'll understand how it works, and you'll see the entire grass disappear, as people set up camp. I only went on the Saturday, but the atmosphere for that one day was amazing, with the music in equal good measure, from local talents Pram and Ben Calvert, to international stars William Mason and Tinariwen. However, if I'm honest, I don't really remember much of Tinariwen's set, because the high dosage of scrumpy cider had began to kick in. The only problem with the festival was the amount of wasps that kept trying to steal my cider, other than that, everything was top notch!

One of the most traditional festivals in Birmingham, Mostly Jazz Festival should be a compulsory…read moreitem in your bucket list. It's an incredible event and a wonderful way of getting closer to what Moseley village is in fact. This is a very lively part of Birmingham. Many culture events, fairs and concerts are held in Moseley pubs, cafés and spaces open to art, in general. Such an eclectic festival like this wouldn't be held in a better place. I have been to Mostly Jazz Festival last year and it was the best choice in leisure for a very hot summer in Brum. The weather was amazing, which helped to enjoy the concerts outside. Moseley park is gorgeous and it has to be highlighted all amazing job done by the local community that keep the place preserved. Food and drinks are not a problem in the area. The festival itself caters for the public with plenty of choice. From curry to a simple ice cream for the kids. Refreshments and alcoholic drinks are also sold inside the venue. By if you want to have a look around, Moseley have plenty of bars, restaurants and cafés available and open during the whole three days of events. Sometimes it's much better to go for these places for a meal. We had more options of food and also caught up with the news about Wimbledon ( in the pubs) because the Festival is held at the same time the tournament is on. And what a vibe in the village. 2013 edition was pretty especial because we could see the legend Nile Rodgers ( and Chic) at the main stage of the festival and the experience was unique indeed. One of the best gigs I ever seen and according to Nile, one of the best audiences he had. ( You're welcome!). Mostly Jazz Festival is for everyone. families, young and elderly ones. Everybody in the same vibe, enjoying sunshine ( if you are lucky) and nice music. it is great to see kids running in the park with parents sharing their Pimm's without being worried about their security. It's a big family festival indeed. And everyone is more than welcome. After the gigs, transport is not a problem. Buses are running until late in the trajectory back to the city centre ( takes 10 minutes or less). But if you are young and still want to party, Moseley pubs and bars are going to be there to help you carrying on the night. I love it. And I think Birmingham should be proud of such a great event. If you still don't have the tickets for the event this year, hurry up! It's on days 11-13 of July!

This was my second year at Mostly Jazz festival and I am happy to report that the event just got…read morebetter. Tickets for the Friday and Saturday sold out fairly early this year, and I was gutted to have missed out, but I managed to secure a ticket for the Sunday. The entrance points were well managed meaning that there were no delays getting in. One good thing about this event is that you can bring in as much food and drink as you like (unfortunately no alcohol or glass bottles) which means that many people were tucking in to their own little picnics. For those who wanted something a little more substantial, there were a variety of street food vendors serving a selection of cuisines including pizza, Thai and Indian. The main bar was huge and I didn't have to queue at all. The event was busy but not overly crowded and there was a great atmosphere. The line up at Mostly Jazz is always great and this year did not disappoint. There were a selection of local and national acts keeping the crowd entertained, culminating with George Clinton on the Sunday night - a fantastic performance. I will definitely be booking this event again next year.

Can't think of anywhere to take the kids over the summer holidays? But you still want to have a…read moregood time yourself? Then CoCoMAD Festival is definitely for you; And best of all, it's free (subject to donations for the bands and organisation). This yearly music festival takes place in Cotteridge park every July, and it's a very popular destination for families alike, who can lap up the sun while listening to some great local music. Well known Brummie band Misty's Big Adventure usually perform here (but I don't think they are this year), as well as returners Tempting Rosie, and other unmissable Birmingham talents. The general public are also invited every year to take part in the acoustic open mic tent, so the experience really does incorporate the whole community. There are also tonnes of activities for children to get involved in. such as folk instrument making, tree climbing, and a range of other events. CoCoMAD also houses several different arts and crafts stalls for kids and grown-ups alike, such as wood carvings, face painting and dark age jewellery. And of course, no festival would be complete without organic food stalls, from the likes of Soul Food Project and other local food specialists. I highly recommend the hog roast that can be purchased from the festival. It's truly delicious! CoCoMAD really does provide the perfect summery vibe, and it's always buzzing with people and vibrancy every year. The highlight of CoCoMAD is of course the float, which marks the beginning of the festival by circling roads surrounding the park. Children can get involved by help designing a float too!

This is one of my favourite annual events. It's an outdoor community festival set in the lovely…read moresurroundings of Cotteridge Park and it really does have something for everyone. The focal point is a main stage providing live music that ranges from local bands to church choirs, plus the occasional dance troupe or drumming act, which most of the visitors settle down in front of on rugs and with picnics. Around the outside of the park there are tens of stalls selling all kinds of different and interesting food, and also plenty of activity for the kids - face-painting, magic shows, balloons, etc. If the weather is nice this year when it's held in July I would heartily recommend spending an afternoon here. Great fun.