Things To Do In London This Weekend: 21-22 September 2013

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Get ready to queue, it's Open House weekend

All weekend

LONDON FILM: Barbican's Urban Wandering film season is underway. Things to watch this weekend include Saint Etienne's Finisterre, silent tube film Underground, Mike Leigh's Naked and more. Check the website for full programme and booking.

OPEN HOUSE: 830 London buildings open up for the annual bonanaza of London geekery, architecture admiration and snooping. There's also a junior strand for little Londonistas. Plan your attack here. Free.

CLEAN THE THAMES: Volunteer with Thames21 and take part in the mass Cleaner Thames Challenge on the Isle of Dogs and at Hammersmith. Free, just turn up, details here.

BRIXTON: The community comes together for the Brixton Come Together festival in SW2. Centred on St Matthew's Peace Garden there'll be music, art, performance and local stalls, with a focus on better water management. Talks and screenings take place in the Brixton Ritzy and the Electric Brixton host big music acts (tickets £10). More info on the Facebook event.

LIT FEST: ArchWay With Words literary festival begins on Super Spectacular Saturday with free stories, games, crafts and poems for children, pop up poets, a chance to meet authors and other author events, with more on Sunday, including an Irish singalong. Check the full eight day programme here.

METROBUS: is celebrating its 30th birthday and on Saturday there are depot open days, on Sunday Metrobuses go on tour. Book in advance to get on board, it's free.

FASHION: Shop for designer labels and sniff out new trends at London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House which follows hot on the high heels of London Fashion Week. Tickets start from £16, Londonist readers get 25% off.

CIRCUS: Gerry Cottle's Wow! Circus Show is on Hackney Downs with 50 acts spanning Cabaret, Carnival, Circus, Comedy Chaos and Daredevil acts. Tickets £13-£25+bkg, Thursday to Sunday.

URBAN FOOD: There are loads of foodie events going on for Urban Food Fortnight, including harvest festivals, open gardens, open days, cook offs, feasts, produce swaps and talks. Browse events by date here.

COLOURSCAPE: Clapham Common has been home to a colourful walk-in structure hosting music events and workshops for Colourscape Festival. On Saturday afternoon, listen to contemporary recorder music and Finnish instruments and on Sunday, have a go on a new Harmonic Wind structure which can be played and controlled by you and watch out for masked and costumed dancers - more info here. Adults £8.50, children £4.50, 1-6pm

APPETITE: The food festival comes to Nunhead with a 17-day foodie trail, including walks, talks, demos, workshops, supper clubs and more. On Sunday, join the free Feast on Nunhead Green with a picnic and Auntie Maureen's Gourmet Food Fair. Check out the full programme here. Til 6 October.

Saturday 21 September

GORILLAS: People in gorilla suits will be running 7km through the City of London in the 10th Great Gorilla Run. Free to spectate but runners are seeking sponsorship, starts 10.30am

BERMONDSEY: You'll find a fashion show, dog show, community stalls, designer-makers, live music, bouncy castle, artist open studios, poetry, food and drink at Bermondsey Street Festival in SE1. Free, just turn up, 11am-7pm

HOME RECORDING: Yamaha Music London hosts the Home Recording Expo 2013. Find out how easy it is to make music and record it in your bedroom upstairs at 152-160 Wardour Street. Free, just turn up from 11am-5pm

POP-UP FOREST: Seven Dials will become much more verdant than normal as a 'pop-up forest' of 60 trees appears for Car Free Day. A juice bar, live music, cycle repair workshop and food & drink stalls complete the picture. Free, just turn up, 11am-5pm

STRATFOOD: Eat15 Food Festival is at the Old Town Hall, Stratford with street food traders and independent UK producers plus kids' activities and music. Free, just turn up, 12-5pm

BLOCK PARTY: There'll be DJs, street food, live music, games and workshops in Shoreditch for Hewett Street Block Party, which is raising money for children's charity, Hackney Pirates. It's free entry, but please register, 12-9pm

FARMIVAL: A festival of peace, love and vegetables takes place at Meanwhile Gardens, Notting Hill as part of Urban Food Fortnight. Acoustic music, seedling giveaways, food growing workshops, communty stalls and veggie creatures. Free, just turn up, 1-10pm

PEACE: Streatham's Little Big Peace Event ends on International Peace Day with Pop-up for Peace, a documentary screening, a waste food meal and live music at White Lion Stables. Donation of £5 recommended, book your place, from 6pm

VIVA MEXICAN FOOD: September is Mexico's "patriotic month" and here's an opportunity to learn to cook an authentic dish with proper ingredients at a Mexican supperclub night with Mama Susana. You can also wear a sombrero and byo tequila if you like. Recipe cards, food, instruction and dining experience £30, BYOB, 6.30-9pm

FIREWORKS: Ian Visits has heard a rumour that fireworks will be set off at Royal Victoria Docks between 6.50-7.05pm

Sunday 22 September

LECTURE: Consider The Economics of Killing with author and activist Vijay Mehta in the Sunday Lecture at Conway Hall. Tickets £5, free to Ethical Society members, 11am

HORSES: Today's the day to take a horse to church as it's Horseman's Sunday at St John's Hyde Park. Horses and ponies and their riders/humans will start to line up outside the church from noon to get blessed and there will be rosettes awarded, live music, children's activities and a festival atmosphere in Connaught Street. Free, just turn up from 12pm

CYCLING: The final stage of the Tour of Britain starts and finishes on Whitehall, doing 10 laps of a central London route past lots of favourite sights. Two races precede the Tour finale, a women's race around Westminster starting at 10.30am and a men's Time Trial from 1.15pm. Free to watch on the streets, the main event runs 3.30-5.30pm

NEW RIVER: The Hidden River Festival celebrates 400 years of the New River across five north London locations, including in Finsbury Park. The New River runs through the park and the focus of the festival is local, with food, music, stalls, art, sport and the premiere of the specially commissioned New River Cantata, sung by local people. Find more New River events here. Free, just turn up, from 12-5pm