🦊 Things to do this weekend in North London Oct 11 -12

Bits and bobs worth knowing.

🎉 Seven Sisters 'Latin Village' market finally reopens after 5 years: The beloved Latin American market returns with 40 indoor and outdoor stalls, new seating area, and customer toilets. Five years of campaigning by traders paid off ( I attended the relaunch event last weekend and had a great time chatting with the locals).

🤝 £900k fund opens for London community groups building social cohesion: Mayor's 'Loved and Wanted' campaign offers grants up to £60k for organizations creating welcoming spaces, bringing diverse communities together, and improving access to local services. Applications close 19 Oct.

🍛 This Stoke Newington corner shop sells homemade Gujarati curry: 85-year-old grandmother cooks traditional food at family-run Londis every Monday and Thursday. What started as a side hustle became a community favorite - even Glass Animals hosted a DJ set there.

🍽️ Did you know two hospitality businesses are closing every day? There's a petition asking the government to cut VAT to 10% and reduce business rates to help independent restaurants and bars survive. If you've noticed your favorite spots shutting down, this could explain why. Sign if you want to help.

Knit + Stitch | 📍Alexandra Palace, N22 | 9-12 Oct | (£)
Big textile craft show at Ally Pally with exhibitors selling yarn, fabric, sewing machines and craft supplies. Workshops, demonstrations, and galleries showing textile art. Used to be called The Knitting and Stitching Show.  

Zippos Circus | 📍Finsbury Park, N4 | 10-12 Oct | (£)
Britain's largest circus at Finsbury Park for three days with comedy, acrobatics and aerial acts. Watch aerialists swinging through the big top, physical comedy that makes kids and adults laugh, plus thrilling performances from artists around the world. Friday preview shows £9.99 per person (£12.99 ringside). Saturday-Sunday use code FINSBURY50 for up to 50% off.

Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair | 📍Fidelio Café, EC1R | 11-12 Oct | Free entry, ticketed talks
Chocolate Week is coming and Cocoa Runners are kicking it off with craft chocolate makers from across the UK at Fidelio Café. Browse the indoor market and buy chocolate, plus ticketed talks and tastings on things like chocolate and wine pairing, coffee, and ceremonial cacao. The market itself is free but the specialist sessions need tickets.

Open Studios Muswell Hill & Alexandra Park | 📍Multiple venues | 11-12 Oct | Free
Local artists open their homes and studios for the weekend from 11am-5pm. Nearly 30 venues including two cafes, over 50 artists showing their work. See art on easels, potters at wheels, and creative spaces up close. Meet the makers and buy pieces directly from them - good for early Christmas shopping or just browsing. Entry free, runs Saturday and Sunday across Muswell Hill and Alexandra Park. 

Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs | 📍Lightroom, N1C | Now- 25 Jan | (£)
360° immersive dinosaur experience narrated by Damian Lewis showing life-size dinosaurs at dramatic moments. Based on Apple TV's Emmy-nominated show with new CGI sequences and illustrations. Experience spans deserts, skies and ocean depths with dinosaurs from 66 million years ago. Set to Hans Zimmer's original score. 50-minute show but you can stay for multiple viewings. 

Beyond Expectations: Black British Communities Exhibition | 📍Swiss Cottage Gallery, NW3 | 9 Oct -11 Dec | Free
Photo exhibition exploring Black British communities in Camden during the 1960s and 1970s. Features photographs from the Neil Kenlock Archive showing leadership, activism and cultural expression during this pivotal era. Opens during the 60th anniversary year of the Race Relations Act 1965. 


Wholesome Girls Book Swap | 📍Gail's Bakery, Finsbury Park N4 | 12 Oct | (£)
Monthly book swap at Gail's from 3-5pm upstairs. Bring a book you've read, swap it for someone else's, and meet other women who like reading. Warm drinks and pastries included in your ticket.

According to ghost lore, Monken Hadley is England's second most haunted village. Most people have never heard of it, but it's only a 20-minute walk from High Barnet station.

Paul Baker, City of London guide, has been guiding walks through Barnet and London for 20 years. He's lived in Barnet for 35 years. This Halloween he's running ghost walks on three nights. You'll hear about Maggie Entwistle, the kitchen maid who died at the Red Lion pub in 1760 and whose spirit a barmaid saw in 1986. You'll walk through a churchyard and past haunted buildings where sightings have been recorded for centuries. The route covers High Barnet and Monken Hadley.

You can dress up if you fancy it, in fact Paul encourages it.

Halloween Guided Walks | High Barnet Station, EN5 | Oct 30, 31, Nov 1 | 7:30-9:30pm

My North London readers get a special discount:

 £12 adults (usually £15) / £3 under 12s (usually £5)

Just mention you're a subscriber when you book.

Book: [email protected] / 07506 761294. Spaces are limited across the three nights.

_{**Full transparency: Paul reached out and offered a discount for My North London readers in exchange for a feature. I said yes because it's local, seasonal, and the kind of thing some of you look for at Halloween. I'm not being paid - just connecting neighbours with local things to do.}

Upcoming events you should consider booking in advance or planning ahead for. In and out of North London. Events marked with (£) require a ticket in advance.