What a weekend.
Folk Week has well and truly taken over the town. I popped in to see Two Man Ting at Sonder yesterday afternoon, and Jed had the Pavilion absolutely heaving at his gig outside last night. This is Broadstairs at its absolute best, so make sure you pop in over the next few days if you’ve not managed to already.
How lucky are we to be surrounded by this much music?
There’s so many gigs on all day and all night up until Friday. There’s also plenty of children’s entertainment, crafting activities, and make sure you also take advantage of all the food specials going on over Folk Week around town. More on all of that and more below 👇
It’s going to be a sunny one! Don’t miss out - Kim xx
🎻 Broadstairs Folk Week
Fri 7 Aug - Fri 14 Aug / All over Broadstairs
Folk Week kicked off this weekend, showing Broadstairs in all its glory. And there’s still five whole days left to go! There’s dozens of gigs in pubs throughout the whole town every day this week, plus craft workshops, stalls and kids’ entertainment. For tickets and the full programme visit broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk and you can scroll through some pub gig guides on our Instagram page.
📜 Poet’s Breakfast at Bleak House
Mon 10 Aug - Fri 14 Aug, Daily 10am - 11am / Bleak House
Bleak House is home to the brand new Create, Relax & Reset space for Folk Week this year, and as a part of it they’re hosting a Poet’s Breakfast every morning for the duration. Join other poets for a get together and create poetry overlooking Viking Bay.
🎟️ Free, but donations appreciated / Book here
🎼 Neptune’s Choir Supporting Luke Wallace
Thu 13 Aug, 2pm - 4pm / Queens Road Baptist Church
Broadstairs’ own Neptune’s Choir will be supporting Canadian folk musician Luke Wallace this week as part of the folk festival. Luke has captivated audiences from the United Nations in New York City to stages across the U.S., Europe, and Canada.
🎟️ From £10 + BF / Book here
🌺 Film: Moana (PG)
From Fri 14 Aug / Palace Cinema
Moana's back in action and hitting the high seas once again, but this time The Rock is bringing his larger-than-life demigod Maui straight into the real world for a live-action adventure. Setting sail at The Palace from later this week.
🎟️ From £5 / Book here
🦪 Take Away Oyster Plates Folk Week Special
Until Fri 14 Aug / Kebbells
Oyster fans rejoice, Kebbells has announced a special take out oyster plate during Folk Week this week. Indulge in six of the freshest oysters with a touch of lemon to enjoy outside in this sunshine.
More info
👨🍳 The Bus Cafe Open Every Day This Week
Bleak House Gardens
Margate’s The Bus Cafe recently opened an extra pop-up in the little black catering unit in Bleak House’s courtyard. Usually they’re only open at weekends, but this week they’ll be open every day. Try out their loaded hash brown menu.
Follow them here
🍗 Backyard Birds Serving Up All Week
Neptune’s Hall
Neptune’s Hall will also be catering for the busier town every day this week. They’ll be serving up their new rotisserie chicken all week in the garden. Expect chicken fresh off the rotisserie, sweet potato fries, French fries, homemade slaw and so on.
More info
🌭 Folk Week Food Stalls and Pop-Up Bars
Until Fri 14 Aug / Victoria Gardens
If you’re feeling peckish and you want to grab some food on the go, then just head to the Folk Week tents across Victoria Gardens this week. There’s plenty of food and drink stalls on offer, from crab rolls to bags of fudge.
Follow Folk Week here
🪕 Folk Week Gigs Galore
Every day until Fri 14 Aug / All over Broadstairs
Broadstairs will continue to be one giant gig this week until Friday. If you love your live music you won’t be disappointed. Pretty much every pub has a schedule of bands throughout the day and going late into the evenings. Check out some of them here.
🤙 Summer Sup + Surf Social With Live Music
Sat 15 Aug, 7pm - 9pm / Kent Surf School, Joss Bay
Kent Surf School are hosting their second social of the summer at their new home on Joss Bay. Get in the water before the sun goes down, bring your own board or hire one, and enjoy an afternoon of surfing or SUP. Then kick back on the beach with live music from Bushy Acoustic from 7pm–9pm.
🎟️ Free, BYO drinks / More info
🎸 Paul ‘One Love’ Messenger Tribute Concert
Sun 16 Aug, From 12pm / Pavilion
You may well know Paul as Paul One Love, a beloved local musician who played acoustic, reggae and soul around town for decades. To mark his life, friends and local acts will be paying tribute, with Denny Barter and Lawrie Bolton from EK1 opening the gig, and lots of other bands throughout. Mark his life with some music in the sun.
🎟️ Free
🛹 Skate and Scoot Camps
Mon 10 Aug - Fri 14 Aug / Revolution Skatepark
Revolution’s popular Skate & Scoot Camps return this week. Send your children in for a single day or full week to enjoy skating, scooting and climbing. Go for a full week or a single day, from 11am - 3pm or 10am - 4pm.
🎟️ From £30 / More info
🐲 Hobby Horse Club
Every day until Fri 14 Aug, 10.45am - 12.30pm daily / The Bandstand
It’s Circus Day at the Hobby Horse Club at The Bandstand today. Every day until Friday you can catch the free entertainment each morning. Tuesday is ‘Back-to-Front’ Day, Wed is The Wizard of Oz themed, Thu is Pirate Day and Fri is Superheroes Day and Clarence’s birthday, celebrating the finale. Young ones just love it.
🎟️ Free / Check out the full schedule of family events here
🪇 Yuna Young Friends Singing & Storytime: Folk Jam
Tue 11 Aug, 9.30am - 10.30am / Old Curiosity Shop
On various Tuesdays throughout the school holidays Yuna Young Friends singing and story time sessions will be taking place at The Old Curiosity Shop, and this week will be a Folk Jam special.
🎟️ Free / More info
🌊 Kids Academy Kent Surf School
Wed 12 Aug, 10am - 3pm / Joss Bay
Keep the kids entertained while having fun in the water. Expect watersports tuition, beach awareness and games, mental and physical well being and plenty of fun at the beach. Ideal for 8-14 year olds who want to try surfing and watersports activities.
🎟️ £60 per child / Book here
🕮 Storytime and Workshop: Cally + Jimmy with Author Zoe Antoniades (6-10 yrs)
Thu 13 Aug, 10am - 11am / Kinder Collective
Join local author Zoe Antoniades as she reads from the fourth book in her Cally & Jimmy series, Twinseparable. Follow the fun and capers of the twins as they navigate family and friendships. Afterwards, children will become authors themselves, using their imaginations to plot and plan their very own original story.
🎟️ Free / Book a slot here
🎪 Punch & Judy Shows
Fri 14, Sat 15 + Sun 16 Aug, 11am, 12pm + 1pm / Viking Bay, bottom of the steps
Punch & Judy will be returning to Viking Bay beach this week. Spot it on the sand by the main stairs in front of Finxs, and just rock up ready for each showing.
🎟️ Free / More info
📚 Kids Author Events With Samuel Langley-Swain
Fri 14 Aug, 11am and 1pm / Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop
The Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop has so many book clubs and author events on over the holidays, but you’ll need to be quick to book the last ones up. Check all the events out here. This week there’s still some spots available at author events with Samuel Langley-Swain, based on his book ‘The Perfect Performance’ at 11am, and ‘What Wesley Wore’ at 1pm on Friday.
🎟️ £5 / Book here
✏️ Get School Ready at Kinder Collective, With Lenny & Loop Charm Bar
Sat 15 Aug, 9.30am - 4pm / Kinder Collective
Head to the shop for a Starting School Storytime at 9.30am – the perfect way to build excitement around starting school, while also meeting parents of other new starters. From 10am – 4pm Lenny & Loop will also be returning with the ever popular Pop-Up Charm Bar. Children can create a bespoke bag charm for their school bag. PLUS, enjoy 20% off any Liewood water bottle and lunch box combo throughout the day.
More info
🛹 Scorcha Saturdays
Sat 15 Aug, various slots between 11am - 2pm / Broadstairs Skatepark
Head to Broadstairs Skatepark just below the train station for the weekly Scorcha Skate School skateboarding lessons. Always check their insta for updates about whether they’re on.
🎟️ £9 / Book here
🧘🏻♀️ Group Pilates
Various, Mon - Thu / York Street Methodist Church
Try out Sandra Finley-Day’s pilates & wellness classes. She has group classes on Mon, Tue and Wed at 9.30am, Tue at 6.10pm and again on Wed at 6pm. Find out more here.
🎟️ From £9 / Book here
✨ Create, Relax & Reset Workshops
Daily until Fri 14 Aug / Bleak House
As mentioned above, Bleak House has become the brand new home for ‘Create, Relax & Reset’, a new addition to Folk Week this year. Featuring folk crafting, poetry, meditation and creative workshops. Check the schedule for things like Spoon Puppet Making, Creative Kitchen Music Making, Knitting & Crochet, Tai Chi, Circus Skills, Morning Meditation and much more.
🎟️ Various / Check the schedule and book here
📿 Charm Making Workshop
Sun 16 Aug, 1pm - 3pm / Flowers + Felicity’s
Lenny & Loop is also hosting a pop-up charm bar at Flowers & Felicity’s this Sun. Sit, relax and enjoy making your charms with friends or family. Refreshments and cake are included. This one’s ticketed, so book on below.
🎟️ £25pp / Book here
Finally, 3 Things To Know…
Sad news for the High Street: Michelle at The White Room Meditation has announced she is closing the shop on Sat 29 Aug, so pop on in over the next few weeks before she closes the doors. Although she’ll still be offering her services online, so keep an eye on her page for updates.
It was a false alarm about the new pizzeria The Base opening on the High Street last week. They’ve told me they’re a couple of weeks delayed, so I’ll update you when I know a definite opening date.
And another new opening on the horizon: Wagamamas at Westwood Cross is getting ready to open very soon. I’ll let you know when they announce that opening date too!
📌 The Noticeboard is here — for all of Thanet
Got a job to fill, a space to hire, a class to shout about or something to sell? The Don’t Miss Noticeboard is our new community listings board.
One place for jobs, volunteering, community notices, wanted & for sale, spaces, learning and local services across Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.
Listings start from £25 a month and go out to thousands of engaged local readers. Pop yours on here.
Browse what’s on the board:
Thanks for reading! If you found this useful, please share it so we can continue to grow in Broadstairs and beyond!
And if you missed it… last week’s newsletter still has lots of things happening that you might want to know about.
This Week: Folk Week Kicks Off, A Pride Hike to Margate & Gigs Galore
August is finally upon us, which means Folk Week is just around the corner. Kicking off this Friday in fact!