Things to do this weekend including: Art, comedy nights and a makers market!

In partnership with

Morning Derby – it’s Friday, and the weekend’s looking fit.

You’ve made it through the slog, and now it’s time to earn that pint, that pastry, and that perfectly good reason to ignore your to-do list. We’re talking events, all over the city and beyond, ready to fill your weekend with laughs, crafts, cocktails and maybe even a message from the beyond (no, not your mum’s WhatsApp).

In today’s Local Scoop:

• Markets with more glue guns than a Blue Peter set

• Comedy gigs stacked with telly faces

• Mad hatters, mystics and massive art launches

• And yes, a real Peter Rabbit hopping about Derby

So bin off the boring, and dive into the good stuff.

— Local Scoop Derby

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📅 WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND?

🎨 - Derbyshire Makes: Swadlincote Weekender – Makers, Markets & Mini Masterpieces
📍 - Sharpe’s Pottery Museum
📅 - Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th April
⏰ - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
🎟️ - Free Entry
📷 - @derbyshiremakes

This isn’t your average market. It’s a full-on celebration of making — think pottery, wood turning, printing, shoemaking, and all sorts of hands-on wizardry.

You’ll find:

• Free workshops and demos you can actually try

• A buzzing local Makers’ Market

• Swad’s Reet Good Art Trail

• Forest-themed stalls & eco-events (including one about shrinking your carbon footprint via your shoes — yes, really)

Perfect for families, craft junkies and It's free! check out their website also at https://www.derbyshiremakes.co.uk/swadlincote

FRIDAY:

🤠 - Country Remix Workout and Line Dancing
📍- Duffield Road
⏰ - 6:00 PM – More Info

🎭 - Comedy Club Night
📍- Conference Centre
⏰ - 5:00 PM – More Info

🎭 - Word Wise #87 – Poetry, Clowns & Chaos (The Good Kind)
📍 - Dubrek Studios
⏰ - 7:30 PM - More Info

🎶 - Soul & Motown Night
📍- Kingsway Derby
⏰ - 8:00 PM – More Info

SATURDAY:

🐰📸 - Peter Rabbit Meet & Greet – Fluffy Ears & Photo Cheers
📍 - St Peter’s Church, City Centre
⏰ - 11:00 AM - More Info

🐉 - St George’s Day
📍- Derby Market Place
⏰ - 12:00 PM – More Info

🛠️ - Mickleover Repair Café
📍- Mickleover Library
⏰ - 1:30 PM – More Info

🛼 - Adult Late Night Skate
📍- Rollerworld
⏰ - 7:00 PM – More Info

SUNDAY:

🔧 - Sharpening Workshop
📍- Museum of Making
⏰ - 10:00 AM – More Info

🌿 Wild Garlic Forage, Ferment & Feast – Noodles, Nature & a Jar to Take Home
📍 - Firs Estate Allotments, Dean Street
⏰ - 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – More Info

💍 - Wedding Exhibition
📍- Pride Park Stadium
⏰ - 11:00 AM – More Info

🌼 - Urban Forage & Feast – Wild Walks, Fancy Bites, Full Bellies
📍 - Darley Abbey Park & Coach House B&B
⏰ - 12:00 PM – 6:30 PM – More Info

🎯 - Little Littler's Darts Competition
📍- Aspen Drive
⏰ - 3:00 PM – More Info

🍔 SCRUMPTIOUS SCOOPS

 🧀🍷 - A Slice of Indulgence at Brooks Deli & Wine Bar
📍- 8a The Courtyard, Ockbrook, DE72 3RF
⏰ - Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
⏰ - Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
⏰ - Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📷 - @brooksdeliandwines

Looking for a place that offers cheese boards, handpicked wines, and that chic ambience you’ve been craving? Say hello to Brooks Deli & Wine Bar, a hotspot tucked away in the charming village of Ockbrook.

Whether you’re in for a cosy brunch, afternoon charcuterie with friends, or a sophisticated evening with premium wine, Brooks has got you covered.

☕ - Been Coffee – Bagels, Brownies & Brewtiful Coffee on Tap
📍-  Derby & Burton Services, Etwall Road, Willington, DE65 6DX
⏰ - Mon–Fri: 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM
⏰ - Sat–Sun: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
📷 - @beencoffeeuk

Tucked just off the Toyota Island sits a place slinging the kind of coffee and comfort food that could make a traffic jam feel like a blessing.

Been Coffee is the real deal: award-winning, indie-run, eco-conscious, and slinging absolute flavour bombs like pizza bagels, monster cobs and thick-cut bacon bagels slathered in Philly. We're talking the kind of food that laughs in the face of sad desk lunches.

• Low-gluten? Vegan? Sorted.

• Cinnamon buns, flapjacks, sausage rolls so good they should be illegal, and a hot drinks list that'll have your inner barista weeping with joy.

• And the coffee? Rich, roasted and reliable – like your nan, if she made killer lattes.

Pop in for the bagel. Stay for the brownies. Leave smug with your compostable cup.

🎭 ACTIVITY ALLEY

🎤 - Funhouse Comedy Club – Big Laughs & Even Bigger Personalities
📍 - Melbourne Sporting Partnership, Cockshut Lane
📅  - Friday 25th April
⏰ - Doors: 7:00 PM | Show: 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
🎟️ - £14 advance
📷 - @themelbournefestival

If your week’s been flatter than a pint left out overnight, this one’s the tonic.

The Funhouse Comedy Club is back, and it’s stacked with certified legends. Headlining is Mandy Muden – Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist and the only woman fusing comedy with madcap magic. Think Vegas meets your nan’s living room. Expect chaos, charm, and a few card tricks gone rogue.

Opening the night is Rob Rouse – the shouty bloke off Upstart Crow, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and probably your telly. His stand-up’s like being hit by a glitter cannon of hilarious life trauma.

Bar’s open. Car park’s sorted. Laughter guaranteed. Go.

🎩 - Alice in Wonderland Cocktail Adventure – Riddles, Teapots & Total Madness
📍 - The Old Bell Hotel, Sadler Gate
📅 - Saturday 26th April
⏰ - Various timed sessions (Daytime for families, evening for adults)
📷 - @theoldbellhotel

Step into the rabbit hole and join Alice, the Mad Hatter and a few mischievous surprises for an immersive tea party like no other. Solve riddles to earn “Drink Me” shots, nibble on “Eat Me” cakes (your head probably won’t be removed), and sip from teapots flowing with Wonderland cocktails.

Dress to impress — there’s a prize for the best outfit — and don’t forget: we’re all mad here.

Family-friendly in the afternoon, cheekier in the evening. Book early or risk being late, late, for a very important date.

🌟 FRESH EXPERIENCES

🔮 - Psychic Medium Show with Helen Millward – Spirits, Messages & Mystical Mayhem
📍 - The New Inn, 2 Duffield Road, Little Eaton
📅 - Saturday 26th April
⏰ - Drinks from 6:30 PM | Show starts at 7:30 PM
🎟️ - £20 Early Bird | £22 Standard
📷 - @psychicvisionuk

Ready to peek behind the curtain? Helen Millward isn’t your average Saturday night out. She’s a lifelong clairvoyant with a Romany-Wiccan background, and she’s bringing a full-blown evening of spirit messages, eerie accuracy, and proper chills to The New Inn.

This is your shot at hearing from the other side (without a dodgy Ouija board involved). Expect audience interaction, jaw-dropping insights, and a few raised eyebrows.

Arrive early, grab a drink, and settle in for an experience that’s as moving as it is mind-bending. No tarot cards or fog machines — just pure, spine-tingling connection.

🖼️ - Common Grounds: Artcore Exhibition Launch – Bold Art, Big Talent
📍 - Artcore Gallery, 8 Osnabruck Sq, Albert Street
📅 - Friday 25th April
⏰ - 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🎟️ - Free Entry
📷 - @artcore_uk

Artcore’s bringing the heat with Common Grounds — a brand new exhibition showing off work from eight seriously talented artists, including Derby’s own Vivian Viv Taylor.

It’s a mixed bag of styles, themes and stories — from bold brushstrokes to abstract angles that’ll leave you thinking (or just saying “ooh, nice”).

This launch night’s not just for the arty crowd either — it’s for anyone who likes a good browse, a decent vibe, and meeting local creatives doing exciting stuff.

Grab a mate, swing by after work, and soak up some culture!

🎶 LIVE MUSIC

Friday

• Turning Point - The Smithfield - 12:00 PM

• Oasish - The Venue - 7:30 PM

• Paul Tabor - Mickleover Golf Club - 8:00 PM

• Amy Winehouse Tribute - Flowerpot - 9:00 PM

• Radio Romantic - Needles Pub - 9:00 PM

Saturday

• Midlands Trance Festival - Bluenote - 2:00 PM

• Nu-Ality - Hairy Dog - 2:30 PM

• The Higher Line & Carpet - Dubrek Studios - 7:00 PM

• Ding n John - The Last Post - 8:30 PM

• The Incredible Skank Brothers - White Horse - 9:00 PM

Sunday

• Spin Sunday - Mr Shaws House - 1:30 PM

• Dr Blues UK - Flowerpot - 4:00 PM

• Crimson Dawn - Spondon Liberal Club - 4:30 PM

☁️ WEEKEND WEATHER

Friday
15°C 🌡️ 8°C | Sunny intervals changing to cloudy in the afternoon.

Saturday
15°C 🌡️ 7°C | Overcast changing to sunny intervals in the afternoon.

Sunday
19°C 🌡️ 6°C | Sunny intervals.
Temperature readings taken from the Met Office the night before publication

THANKS!

Thanks for reading Local Scoop Derby today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who loves Derby as much as you do.

The Local Scoop Derby

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