Chocolate, gold and art – these are a few of our favourite things that you can expect to see in London this weekend.
Chocolate Week 2013
Prepare your tastebuds for serious indulgence at London’s Chocolate Week, which celebrates the best cocoa-based products and the people that make them. All of London’s top chocolatiers are taking part, and you can enjoy exclusive tastings, lectures, workshops and special restaurant menus as part of the festivities. One of the festival highlights is the Salon du Chocolat this weekend: an enormous exhibition of chocolate-related goodness in Olympia, which features demonstrations, tastings and an extraordinary Chocolate Fashion Show alongside exclusive shopping opportunities. For more information on all Chocolate Week events, visit the website. 14-20 Oct
Frieze Art Fair at Regent’s Park
The Frieze Art Fair is one of the world’s most famous art festivals. Located in the beautiful Regent’s Park, the fair gives art fans the chance to view 150 of the globe’s leading galleries in one place. As well as seeing an astonishing range of contemporary art, you can attend film screenings and listen to talks and music. Adult tickets are £34.40. 17-20 Oct
Beyond El Dorado: Power and Gold in Ancient Colombia
Track down the truth about South America’s lost city of gold at this fascinating new British Museum exhibition, which explores what Colombia was like in the three millennia before the Spanish arrived. You’ll see an array of rare objects including textiles, stone necklaces and spectacular gold masks, and learn about how gold was used as both a symbol of power and a way to get in touch with animal spirits. Adult tickets are £10. 17 Oct-23 Mar
The Family Arts Festival
Following on from last year’s hugely inspiring London 2012 Festival, this event takes place across the UK and features dance, music, arts, theatre and much more. In London, highlights include jazz at the artsdepot, a family performance of ‘Muse of Fire’ at Shakespeare’s Globe, and Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. For full details of what’s on near you, visit the festival website. 18 Oct-3 Nov
Russell Square Weekend
Both children and adults can expand their minds at this fun festival in the heart of Bloomsbury. Running from 10am until 7pm on Saturday and from 10am until 5pm on Sunday, the festival offers a mix of projects, installations, performances and events guaranteed to entertain and intrigue. Highlights of the diverse programme include the SOAS World Music Stage, a lecture on the history of poo and the performance of a dance inspired by insect bites. Entry is free. 19-20 Oct