Something to do on Sunday? Try the Apple Cart Festival…

Being the height of British summertime, it’s time to think about festivals, and what better way to enjoy a grown up festival in the comfort of your own stomping ground? (If you live in East London anyway!) With a new breed of one- dayers emerging, Kevin Rowland from 80s super group, Dexy’s Midnight Runners invites you to jump aboard The Apple Cart Festival, which rolls into Victoria Park, Hakney on Sunday 7th August.

Apple Cart is a new addition to the festival calendar and is the sister festival to Field Day, which takes place at the same location; It is a family orientated affair offering local produce, magic, cabaret and lots of grown up bands, djs and extra curricular entertainment.

As well as the wide variety of music, it has a heavy slant on art and culture and the shopping facilities are what you would expect from a more mature gathering.. You will be able to browse and buy from the Art Car boot sale, which has relocated from Brick Lane for the day, visit the Art Clinic where you can bring in an item (any item!) where artist Oliver Guy Watkins and his team will transform it into a piece of original art; You will also be able to buy anti Royal Wedding china ware and even gold plated beer cans! Amongst other surprises. There are even storage facilities so you don’t have to hang on to your new 6 foot screen print while you dance!

The comedy tent has a hot line up too- as you can laugh/cry to the performances by Jon Richardson and Kevin Eldon amongst others. As well as offering ample entertainment to keep the kids amused.

Other unusual festival activities are the opportunity to play boules in a china shop, the Big Fat Gypsy Fortune Teller or the chance to watch the salacious Spankatron, a performance piece specially commissioned for Dita von Teese. Not something you see often in Hackney!

If the weather holds, this promises to be a spectacular event, with the sounds of Badly Drawn Boy, St Etienne, Giles Peterson as the icing on the cake. Well done Kevin Rowland – this is an eagerly anticipated day out, and thanks for bringing us a live performance by Tim Minchin- my personal fave. Cant wait!

By Sara Darling