Yet another bank holiday is here, here's a few ideas of what to do this weekend

Food and Drink festival, Market Place, Darlington on Friday-Monday
A great outdoor event to showcase and sell great food and drink in the North-East. With celebrity chefs, local producers, street food traders, walkabout entertainment and more.

Tel. 01325-528236. 

The Northern Echo: Mr Bloom pops into Truro school

Children's gardening weekend, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate, from Saturday

Pop along on Saturday and say ‘Ello!’ to CBBC’s Mr Bloom, who will launch RHS Garden Harlow Carr’s new Children’s Gardening Weekend, which is designed to inspire the gardeners of the future to grow.

There’s the chance to see Mr Bloom perform live on stage, and three lucky children will get the chance to meet him in person (Saturday only).
During the weekend, kids big and small can take part in a range of activities from 11am to 3pm. 

Make your own Thumbelina-style rock garden, learn about bees with the Harrogate & Ripon Beekeepers, or pot up your own sweet pea seeds to take home and enjoy all summer. Specialist plant societies will be in the garden inspiring the next generation to get growing at home.

Tel: 01423-565418. 

Swaledale Festival, various venues, from Saturday, until June 9

Young stars of the future alongside world-class instrumentalists, singers, actors, choirs, poets, films, exhibitions, talks, workshops, puppets, and a series of themed walks celebrating the magical landscape of the northern Dales.

For full programme details visit www.swaledalefestival.org or call 01748-880018 . 

Brewery Open Day, The Hambleton Ales, Melmerby, on Saturday, 2-9pm

The Hambleton Ales brewery open day is back for 2018, and this year it is going to be even bigger and better than ever before. As with previous years, we will be serving beer straight from our cellar on our Brewery Bar all day, and there will also opportunity to buy bottles and merchandise at hugely discounted prices. 

As a brand new additon, this year we will also have a dedicated Gin Bar, serving craft Gin from across Yorkshire and beyond. Between 2pm and 5pm we have behind the scenes brewery tours, along with guided beer and gin tastings. From 5pm the party really starts, with the Brewery's in house band kicking off the party and playing much loved cover songs into the night.

There's also ice cream, local food and a bouncy castle available all day. Best of all entry is free. Tel. 01765-640108. 

The Northern Echo:

Croft Hall garden open to the public, on Sunday, 2-5pm

A lovely lavender walk leads to a Queen Anne-fronted house (not open) surrounded by a five acre garden, comprising a stunning herbaceous border, large fruit and vegetable plot, two ponds and wonderful topiary arched wall.

Pretty rose garden and mature box Italianate parterre are beautifully set in this garden offering peaceful, tranquil views of open countryside. Home-made teas. Refreshments in aid of St Peters Church.

Opening of Middlesbrough Town Hall, on Saturday/Sunday, 7.30pm

To celebrate the reopening of the Town Hall, Middlesbrough Council have commissioned Southpaw Dance Company to create a spectacular site specific performance which will bring the new building to life.
Erimus takes its inspiration from Middlesbrough’s motto, We Shall Be, and will celebrate the future of Middlesbrough Town Hall, exploring what it means to be from Middlesbrough, celebrating Middlesbrough’s rich cultural identity and how the Town Hall acts as a beacon for all things culture in the Town.

Told in Southpaw’s distinctive narrative style, the performance will highlight the history of the building and lead audiences into previously unknown areas, such as the cells and courtroom, culminating in a large-scale mass movement finale, with projection mapping and text derived from conversations with Middlesbrough residents and participants in the show. Tel. 01642-729 729

The Northern Echo:

Thornton Hall Gardens open with specialist plant fair, Staindrop Road, Darlington, on BH Monday, 10.30-4pm

The Grade 1 listed Thornton Hall opens surrounding walled gardens this Monday, including a plant fair in the courtyard featuring many local nurseries offering rare and unusual plants for sale. Also chain saw carving demonstration.

The gardens will also be featuring a Sculpture Exhibition by Le Blanc Fine Art with many original bronze sculptures scattered around the gardens.
Over the years visitors have watched the gardens evolve, this year Sue has designed her own new vegetable garden "I wanted to create a vegetable garden that is as beautiful to look at as it is productive”. It is planted with heritage vegetables and espaliered apple trees and features raised beds, an oak pergoda and small wildflower meadow to attract the beneficial insects.

There will be morning coffee, light lunches and afternoon tea in the Bowes Tea Room situated in the centre of the gardens, plus bacon and sausage sandwiches from a mobile unit.

Combined entry to the Gardens and Specialist Plant Fair is £7. The gardens are situated 3 miles west of Darlington on the B6279 Staindrop Road (Postcode DL2 2NB). For further information please see www.thorntonhallgardens.co.uk