The Croydon Fun Weekend is an annual celebration of things to do in Croydon. It takes place on the last full weekend of January each year (except in 2017, when I had a year off).
It's not associated with any formal or informal organisations — it's organised solely by me (Kake) with the aim of showing my friends some of the things that are great about living in Croydon. Anyone is welcome to come along.
Pricing
All activities are free of charge aside from the costs of food and drink. If you’d like to attend a session that involves food and/or drink but are unable to afford this, please let me know and I’ll find a way to make sure you can come and join in.
Photography policy
Photos are great in general (and you can put them in our Flickr pool afterwards if you like) — but please don't take photos of other Croydon Fun Weekend attendees unless you have their explicit permission.
The 2019 programme
Friday 25 January 2019
- noon–5pm
- Crafts, lunch/snacks, and chat at Communitea, 80 South Norwood High Street, SE25 6EA. Various crafting materials will be provided, but please feel free to bring your own.
- Accessibility: Step-free access to all areas, but the toilet is rather small. All the food and drink is vegetarian, and there are plenty of vegan options.
- 6pm–7:15pm
- Drinks at the Royal Standard, 1 Sheldon Street, CR0 1SS.
- Accessibility: A step to get in, possibly another step to get to seating and toilets (depending on where we find space). Small, narrow spaces inside.
- 7:30pm onwards
- Dinner at Galicia, 269–273 High Street, CR0 1QH.
- Accessibility: Step-free to get in, to get to the seating, and to get to the accessible toilet. Vegetarian options are present but sparse. They are unsure about their ability to feed vegans.
Saturday 26 January 2019
- 11am–11:45am
- True Croydon, a pervasive game run by Kevan Davis. Meet at Uncle Lim’s (see below) from 11am to start at 11:15; we’ll be back there for a wrap-up by around 11:45.
- noon–1pm
- Lunch at Uncle Lim’s, 1123–1124 Whitgift Centre Upper Level, CR0 1UZ. Vegetarian options available.
- Accessibility: Step-free via Whitgift Centre lifts. Toilets (including an accessible one) are some way away, also accessed via Whitgift Centre lifts.
- 1:15pm–4pm, Team Crafts
- Art and craft session at the Museum of Croydon, Katharine Street, CR9 1ET. This will be one of their regular sessions, so other members of the public will also be present. The activities are aimed at children aged 5–11, but adults and children of other ages can enjoy them too. The session lasts all afternoon until 4pm, but people can join and leave at any time.
- Accessibility: Step-free entrance via a ramp and lift. Toilets on the same level.
- 1:15pm–6pm, Team Pub
- Pub crawl. Please note that you don’t have to drink alcohol to come on this — we’ve had at least one teetotal participant every year we’ve been doing it.
- 6:30pm
- Teams converge for dinner at Taste of Kerala, 305 London Road, CR0 3PA. (Please note change of venue from Kalpa, which doesn’t seem to be open at the moment.)
- Accessibility: No steps to get in, but the toilets are up a flight of stairs with a sturdy handrail and one bend. Plenty of vegetarian options.
Sunday 27 January 2019
- 11am–2pm
- Dim sum at Tai Tung, Wing Yip complex, Purley Way. Please arrive as early as possible for this, as otherwise we’ll have to wait a long time in the queue. There are no cash machines in the complex so please bring enough cash to pay for your lunch – it will probably be around £15–20. Pound coins and £5 notes are likely to be very helpful in splitting up the bill, so do consider bringing some.
- Accessibility: Step-free access to the restaurant. The tables inside are quite close together. The restaurant is on two levels, with toilets on only one of the floors, but step-free access between the levels can be managed by going out into the main hall of the complex and using the lift there. Vegetarian and vegan options are available but sparse.
- 2:30pm–4:30pm
- Walk led by Julia and Angela of
Croydonist: Never
Mind The Boxpark. Explore Croydon's evolving culture while
learning snippets of musical history, viewing the latest street art,
and discussing architecture and urban regeneration. There will be
many great photo opportunities, so bring your cameras! We’ll meet
at the benches next to East Croydon bus station (come out of the
main exit at East Croydon Station, bear left, cross all the tram
tracks at the crossing, then go left again towards the 50p building)
and finish at Reeves Corner.
- Accessibility: Extended walking and standing required, including moving on and off pavements without kerb cuts. There is one set of stairs in the walk, but there is an option to use a lift. There will be several opportunities to sit briefly during the walk for those who need a rest.
- 5pm onwards
- Board games, dinner/snacks, and chat at The Ludoquist, 63–65 Croydon High Street, CR0 1QE.
- Accessibility: Step-free throughout. Some narrowish spaces on the way to the toilet but staff are happy to make these wider if needed. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free food options.