How can it be June already? I’ll be away for two weeks in June, and you know there’s some good stuff on in Bradford when you almost wish you were staying at home. It’s the start of the festival season with the Bradford Literature Festival opening on 28 June for two weeks of events, talks, shows, comedy and films. There’s also the Eid Festival, Bradford Cathedral Centenary Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Ilkley Food Festival and Bradford Volunteering Festival all taking place this month.

June starts with a bang with Bradford Pride and the St George’s Hall opening gala weekend. Enjoy!

• Bradford Pride Saturday 1 June from 12pm at City Park followed by after parties at LGBT venues across the city.
• St George’s Hall celebrates its official reopening with a gala weekend over two nights of music and comedy on Saturday 1 June and a People’s Music Hall on Sunday 2 June celebrating local Bradford talent.
• Wibsey Park has a gardening club for children aged 5-12 on Saturday 1 June and is looking for volunteers for a clean-up of the park at 10am for half an hour. Meet at the community garden for the clean-up and message for details of the gardening.
• Cudworth’s Bradford Undercliffe Cemetery is hosting a talk about William Cudworth who wrote and researched Victorian Bradford from its beginnings as a small town to a huge industrial city. Saturday 1 June at 11am.
• There’s a Peter Rabbit themed ‘Mischief and Mayhem‘ family drop in art workshop at Cartwright Hall on Sunday 2 June between 1pm-3pm.
• Outdoor Tai Chi for Health classes at Cliffe Castle Park, every Monday at 1.30pm.
• People Can, Bradford’s Festival of Volunteering takes place on Thursday 4 June, 11am-3pm at City Park. Learn more about some great work being done across the city, featuring over 30 organisations promoting their services and recruiting volunteers.
• The Light Cinema are holding two nights of music with a Liam Gallagher documentary and live screened performance on Thursday 6 June and Take That live to the big screen on Saturday 8 June.
• Five Rise beer festival raising money for good causes with over 60 different types of beer, ciders, prosecco and gin. Bingley Arts Centre. 7-8 June.
• Free talk on the origins of football in Bradford at the old central library on Saturday June 8 at 10.30am
• Hirst Wood Guided Walk, Shipley. Learn more about the area’s past from possible pre-historic settlements, the first mills in the area and visit a disused burial ground. Thursday 13 June at 7pm.
• Bradford Cathedral Centenary Festival  celebrating the cathedral’s 100th anniversary with a day of fun family activities, music, entertainment, food and drink, and an indoor street party. Saturday 15 June from 11am.
• Bradford Eid celebration weekend 8-9 June at Bradford Moor Park with music, food court, bazaar, face painting, mehndi and a funfair.
• Saltaire’s annual Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Robert’s Park over the weekend of 21-23 June with youth teams and charities competing for prizes.
• Windrush Generations Carnival of Roots and Culture in Centenary Square celebrating Caribbean music and arts with local and international performers, dancers, DJs and poets. Saturday 22 June. 12pm-9pm
• DJ workshop at the Brick Box Rooms on Ivegate. Thursday 27 June, from 7pm
• The Bradford Literature Festival begins on the 28 June until 7 July. Highlights include visits from: Jeannette Winterson, Michael Rosen, June Sarpong, Lemn Sissay, Simon Armitage, Shazia Mirza, John Barnes, Paul Mason, Luke Goss and so much more. There are lots of free events for kids too and discounted tickets are also available. You can pick up a copy of the programme at venues in the city centre.
• The first ever Bradford Fringe Festival begins with a launch party at Delius on 28 June 5.30pm-7.30pm. Look out for comedy, music, workshops and more until 8 September.
• Bradford Zine Fair and zine-making workshop Saturday 29 June from 11am–4pm at City Library, Centenary Square. Stalls, speakers, workshops and more, all on the theme of ‘zines with a message’. A zine-making workshop will be held at the Impressions Gallery next door and an after party at Bread + Roses Café.
• The Ilkley Arts Trail and Ilkley Food and Drink Festival will take place over the weekend of 29-30 June with houses open as art galleries and the food festival taking over East Holmes Field for the weekend.
• Bingley Bantams Beer and Gin Bash takes place at Valley Parade on Saturday 29 June, 1pm til late. Real ale, craft beers, premium gins along with music, VIP guests and food.
• Farmers Market at the Chapel House pub Low Moor. Sunday 30 June, from 10am.