August gets off to a great start with Yorkshire Day on 1 August – how are you celebrating? Hat throwing at Bolling Hall? Biscuits making and a cuppa at Cartwright Hall? Or are you in Ilkley for the start of the Summer Festival? For the rest of the month, make the most of the summer in Bradford, with the Bradford Food Festival, Bradford Classic car show and more from the Bradford Fringe Festival. And there are plenty of indoor choices for when the rain just won’t stop. For ideas for children over the summer holidays check out my recent post too.

• Celebrate Yorkshire Day on 1 August at Bolling Hall with hat themed activities, competitions and a funfair; and free family drop-in at Cartwight Hall with an ‘edible’ workshop and a free cup of tea, inspired by the city’s experiment to introduce free school dinners in 1907.
• The Ilkley Summer Festival starts 1 August with music and entertainment around the town. Later in the month there’s a continental market, jazz festival and concerts.
• Speaker’s Corner hold their regular Tenx9 storytelling night on Friday 2 August at 7pm, 4 Ivegate. This month’s theme is ‘crazy’.
• The Bradford Family Film Festival starts on 3 August with films on the big screen at City Park, pop up cinema in Oastler market, community cinemas around the city and discount tickets at the Light Cinema and Picturehouse at the Media Museum. Part of the City of Film’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
• Undercliffe Cemetery has a family history day on Saturday 3 August from 1pm-4pm. Find out if any of your ancestors are buried at the cemetery with the help of volunteers and find out more about the Victorian cemetery itself.
• Outdoor Laughter Workshop inspired by the Laughing Clubs of India, physically laughing out loud combining exercise, drama and laughter therapy. Saturday 3 August at 10am at City Park, meet by Cake’ole Cafe.
• Open mike poetry and spoken word night at Bread and Roses cafe as part of the Bradford Fringe Festival. Saturday 3 August, 7.30pm-9.30pm.
• Bradford Food and Drink Festival begins on Friday 9 August and continues all weekend at City Park with street food, producer stalls, speciality bars, live music and free children’s entertainment.
• Did you work at the Black Dyke Mill in Queensbury? Weaving Stories want to hear from you at their open day at Victoria Hall, Queensbury on Monday 12 August at 11am-4pm as part of their local history project to capture local stories. Free tea and coffee too.
• Bradford Classic car show returns to City Park and Broadway on Saturday 17 August showcasing a range of vintage, prestige and racing cars. There’s also a classic film series starting with The Italian Job at the Light Cinema on Friday 16 August.
• Three days of grassroots comedy, music, poetry, dance and arts at the Shuttle Shuffle Festival in Little Germany over three venues and six stages. 16, 17 and 18 August.
• Horton Community Farm Family Fun Day with green woodworking, ‘plenty’ ice-pops and mushroom growing, gardening and mindfulness activities. More activities to be announced soon. Saturday 17 August from 1pm.
• Charity football match Bradford City Legends versus Supporting Charities in support of Pathways at 1.30pm on Sunday 18 August. Campion AFC, Scotchman Road.
• Outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at East Riddlesden Hall on Wednesday 21 August at 7pm. Take a picnic along and book your tickets here.
• A day celebrating cricket with Bowl Up Bradford on Saturday 24 August at Centenary Square with live broadcast of the Ashes, games, activities, face painting, street food, music and more.
• Tai Chi in Lister park as part of #IamteamGB the nation’s biggest sports day on Saturday 24 August 11am-12pm. It’s free to take part, you just need to sign up to participate at this link.
• 80s classic Raiders of the Lost Ark showing at the Picturehouse Cinema on Sunday 25 August at 1.30pm
• Mek Summat Tasty vegan and vegetarian summer fair at the Caroline Street Social Club in Saltaire on Monday 26 August 10am-4pm.
• A full weekend of activities from 29 August at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Railway Children filmed on location in Bradford.