Things To Do In London This Weekend: 13-14 April

All weekend

FRINGE!: Get involved with east London's excellent Fringe! Queer Film and Arts Festival which runs Thursday to Sunday, by seeing a film, going to talks, workshops and discussions, quoting along to Mean Girls or participating in Cringe! which provides an alternative school experience. Check the website for full programme and ticket information.

SECRET 7": Ahead of Record Store Day, view the whole Secret 7" collection of designer record sleeves, Downstairs at Mother in the Biscuit building, Shoreditch. Free entry, just turn up between 10am-6pm

LATIN MUSIC: La Linea festival of Latin Music starts on Friday. There are still tickets left for the amazing sounding Brass Band Battle – Mexico vs. Balkans at Barbican Hall on Sunday. Check the website for full programme and booking info.

ALCHEMY: The Southbank Centre's annual festival of music, dance, literature, design and debate from India, the UK and South Asia is in full swing. Join the Bollywood Big Dance, witness Talvin Singh improvise a score for a silent movie, watch rising dance star Aadash Odedra and much more. Check the website for the full what's on.

STEAM: London Transport Museum opens its Acton Depot and offers footplate rides on an old steam engine. Tickets £10 standard, £8 concessions, under 16s go free, prebook, open 11am-5pm

NIBFEST: That's the first Notting Hill International Book Festival, which runs Friday to Sunday with a fabulous line up of writers, readers and celebrity appearances. Check out our recommendations in our lit listings and consult the website for full programme and booking.

POP-UP MARKET: The Asia House Fair in Marylebone presents the best in arts and crafts from across the pan-Asian region. Free entry, just drop in, open 10am-6pm on Saturday and 11am-4pm Sunday

FILM: London Independent Film Festival runs from Thursday to 21 April with plenty of great films by emerging directors, films shot on a budget and other indie stuff you won't find elsewhere. It's all happening at Shortwave, Bermondsey. Check the website for the full programme and tickets.

ART: See "uncompromising visions of the visceral body" in Raw Skin at Karin Janssen Project Space, E9. Free entry, open Saturday & Sunday, 12-6pm

LIVE PAINTING: This weekend only, visit Repre 2 at Silwex Studios, E1 and see live painting, plus an artist's talk on Sunday. Free, just turn up, open Saturday & Sunday, 12-6pm

EXPERIMENT: Still time to see something completely different at SPILL Festival of Performance.

SPRING: If weather forecasts are to be believed, it should be warm and springy this weekend, at least by Sunday. A great opportunity to inspect spring's progress at London's lesser known parks, gardens and wild open spaces. While you're out you could take some pictures to submit to our Away From It All photo challenge.

Saturday 13 April

TWEED: Watch out for a phalanx of tweedy cyclists participating in the tres civilised Tweed Run through town.

THE BIG WEAVE: Spitalfields Market hosts the highlight of the Festival celebrating the Huguenots weavers community with The Big Weave, featuring over 60 stalls, sheep from the city farm, have a go sessions, demonstrations, morris dancing and guided walks of the area. Free, just turn up between 10am-5pm

GREEN FINGERS: Get help sowing and growing at Telegraph Hill community garden, Common Growth. Register by emailing commongrowthuk@gmail.com. Session runs between 10.30am-12.30pm

SONGKRAN: Celebrate Thai New Year with water fights in St Martin's Courtyard, Covent Garden. Free, just turn up, between 12-10pm

SALON: Explore the notion of touch in a salon at Black's club, Dean Street with Urban Woot. Tickets to The Midas Touch, Platonic Touch Throughout Life costs £10, and runs between 4-6pm

ODD FOLK GIG: Hladowski & Joynes play refreshed, traditional English songs while the Dead Rat Orchestra play, responding to their surroundings. In this case, The Dentist, Chatsworth Road E5. Tickets £6, prebook, doors 7pm

COMEDY: The upside-down purple cow is back on the Southbank. Playing at Udderbelly tonight is Phil Nichol plus those fine funny folk from the Comedy Store. Check the brochure for more details.

Sunday 14 April

NUNHEAD: Interested in investing in the Ivy House community pub? Go to the public meeting to find out more. Free, just turn up for 10.30am

VINTAGE: The Vintage Fashion Fair is at Cecil Sharp House. £3 entry but free tickets available from the website, open 11am-5pm

JAZZ VERSE: Siddhartha Bose, FLOetic Lara, John Berkavitch, HKB Finn and E. Amato join Jumoke Fashola for Jazz Verse Jukebox at Ronnie Scott’s. Tickets £8, starts 7.30pm

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Photo by John Levick via the Londonist Flickrpool.