A massive food and drink event is taking place just a 20-minute drive from Leeds this weekend - and organisers have just revealed an extensive free music line-up.
The inaugural Summer Unlocked food and drink weekender takes place from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 July, bringing a host of street food traders, a dedicated bar and a huge roster of live music to City Park in Bradford.
There'll be an array of open-air and covered seating areas, a bespoke bandstand and lush greenery - creating a woodland themed drinking and dining experience that looks set to rival similar dos in Leeds and Manchester.
Ilkley favourites Luigi street food will also be at the festival / Image: Luigistreetfood
The Summer Garden, a unique pop-up festival space, will include tents and picnic-style areas offering both indoor and outdoor seating, with free, walk-in access for all.
Food traders like The Savvy Baker, whose lockdown brownie business has taken Leeds by storm, and Ilkley food festival staple Luigi Street Food will be on hand with tasty treats; alongside plant-based Indian food from Honest Supper Club and authentic Canadian poutine from Spud n Bro’s.
Other food traders include Big Phillies, JJ’s Caribbean Kitchen and Rum Shack and Lekker Eat Dutch. There will be a mix of bars across the site, including a prosecco bar, a gin and Pimms station and beer bar, plus a range of coffee stations.
On the music front, Friday and Saturday will see Buskival take over the stage in City Park with music from the likes of Ntantu, Lissy Davies, Sunflower Thieves and many more, whilst on Sunday a Musical Calligraphy takeover will put D Dipak Mistry and Razwan on the ones and twos.
On Friday 30 July, live music will run from 2 pm - 7 pm, featuring the likes of Mookie + the Bab, Miranda Arieh and Terri Shaltiel.
A selection of the street food treats on offer this weekend / Image: Luigistreetfood
Then on Saturday 31 July, music runs from 1 pm - 7 pm with performances from Chante Amour, Sunflower Thieves, Henna, Harris, Skinner and Ntantu.
Sunday will close with sets from DJ Dipak Mistry and artist Razwan Ul-Haq, who will combine the music of classical South Asian Ghazals and Qawwali with traditional Arabic calligraphy in an exciting visual performance from 11 am - 3 pm.
Food and drink vendors will operate daily from 12 - 8pm.
This weekend, Summer Unlocked will bring to life the public spaces that have become so important to so many during the lockdown months - our streets, neighbourhoods and civic spaces, our moors, our gardens and our parks.
Taking place alongside a programme of live theatre, music, film and much more, with acrobatic displays on the canals, poetry in car parks and vibrant street art, families can also look forward to getting out and active with activities such as climbing towers, dance and den building.
Coming at a time when the district continues to expand its cultural activity, as it prepares to bid for the UK City of Culture 2025 title, the Summer of Fun project is funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF).
Feature image - Spud n Bros.
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The Yorkshire artist who’s put together the official FIFA World Cup scarf collection
A Yorkshire-born and bred artist and his creative team have earned the huge honour of creating the official FIFA scarf collection for this year's World Cup.
Nothing short of massive for anyone from our part of the world.
The local legend in question is Tom Pitts, who was born in Sheffield and is now based just beyond Leeds, leading the campaign right from the helm.
Hand Drawn Pixels is a graphic design and digital studio based in Otley, and while you'll see plenty of folks wearing football shirts and even the odd scarf on the town's famous pub crawl, these lot are venturing on an entirely different kind of run this summer.
In fact, the work has very much already started, with Tom and co. collaborating directly with FIFA and US manufacturers, Global Scarves, to create the World Cup collection.
With this year's tournament obviously taking place across America, Mexico and Canada, they've joined up with a big LLC, but they describe themselves as "a true English custom scarf company with American parents."
In their words, "We knit scarves for clients all over the world", with a presence both near Leeds and over in Seattle, Washington.
The fixtures themselves kick off next month (England's first game coming against Croatia on 17 June), and so Hand Drawn Pixels have been hard at work meeting the briefs for each of the nations taking part.
Here's a quick breakdown of how the opportunity came about, their vision for the project, and how everything starts for them as a whole process.
You can see more of their work HERE, but as the brand name would suggest, it's pretty simple to begin with: nothing more than a pencil.
It's worth noting that the 2026 World Cup also featured the largest number of teams in the competition's history: 48 qualified national squads, to be exact. So, technically, they've had even more designing to do than they theoretically would have in any of the previous years, too.
Tom confessed that winning this bid is obviously a big deal on its own and that seeing his creations being worn in person by supporters at the stadiums will be a "surreal" experience.
Speaking exclusively with The Hoot, he said: "It’s been an amazing creative challenge for us to truly reflect the individuality and diversity of the nations competing in this prestigious tournament on such an iconic product as the football scarf."
He went on to add that "the whole project has been a huge learning experience, gaining deeper cultural insight into every nation involved."
We can't wait to cast eyes upon a sea of colour and finely crafted fabric in unique but somehow universally familiar patterns, all designed right here in 'God's Own Country'.
Award-winning Sardinian restaurant Domo announces Leeds opening date
Clementine Hall
Domo will officially open the doors to its Leeds venue this summer.
Get ready for Domo Leeds, a Sardinian independent born in Sheffield that is loved by many for its delicious food, inviting atmosphere and stellar service.
Run by Raffaele Busceddu and Sarah May Elliott, Domo serves a range of traditional Sardinian specialities from homemade pasta dishes to show-stopping grills.
They've also got a banging cocktail menu full of signature serves and refreshing spritz, perfect for enjoying with friends over some delicious sharing plates.
Images: The Sheff
Domo has confirmed it will officially open the doors to its first Leeds venue on Friday June 5, so we really don't have long to wait.
Located at the iconic Tower Works development, Domo Leeds will offer a vibrant new canal-side destination, perfect for the summer months.
Alongside the main restaurant menu, there’ll be a dedicated bar food menu designed around relaxed dining and carefully crafted small plates designed to pair with the drinks offering creating a more informal way for guests to experience Sardinian flavours.
Domo co-founder, Sarah Elliott-Busceddu, said: “We’re incredibly excited to finally open the doors and welcome people into Domo Leeds. From day one, our vision has been to create a space where everyone feels welcome and somewhere that brings people together in the true spirit of Sardinian hospitality.
“Whether it’s an evening out with friends, a relaxed catch-up over drinks after work, or a big family celebration, we’ve designed Domo to feel warm, inclusive and full of life. We can’t wait for people in Leeds to experience not just the food and drinks, but the atmosphere and sense of community that sits at the heart of everything we do.”
Georgina Pellant -
30th July 2021 
