Christmas listings

Santas gear up for Christmas with fun run in Victoria Park

Markets and festivals

Snowy Fingers vintage market, 10 December, 2.30-9.30pm, Round Chapel, Powerscroft Rd, E5 0PU.
Including Beatles tribute band, street food, and hot spiced cider.

Hackney Speaker’s Charity Christmas Market, 10 December, 12noon -6pm, Hackney Town Hall Assembly Hall, E8 1EA. Christmas market, carols and Santa’s Grotto to raise funds for the Speaker’s charities, St Mungo’s and The Prince’s Trust.

Stour Space Christmas Market, 14 December, 12noon –5pm, 7 Roach Road, E3 2PA. Independent Christmas market featuring selection of designers, illustrators, makers and artists. stourspace.co.uk

Well Street Market Festival, 14 December, 11am -5pm, Well Street, E9. Market festival to celebrate the Christmas season and encourage local enterprise. Residents are encouraged to run a stall (contact ian.rathbone@tiscali.co.uk for details).

Christmas on Ridley Road Market, 14 December, from 12noon, Ridley Road, E8 2NH. Steel pans will be beating out traditional Christmas songs accompanied by carol singers.

A Celebration For Christmas Gift Day, 14 December, 103 Stoke Newington Road, N16 8BX .
Free entry community event, featuring arts and crafts, illustrative art work and hand made decorative items.

Christmas Craft Fair Sunday, 15 December, Hackney City Farm, 1a Goldsmiths Row, E2 8QA
Full of creative stalls to inspire your Christmas presents. hackneycityfarm.co.uk

Festive Feast Christmas Market, 14-15 December, 11am -5pm, Stoke Newington Town Hall, Church Street, N16 0JR.

African Christmas Market, 15 December, 10am -7pm, Gillett Square, N16 8JN. Mask-making, facepainting, African drumming and food on offer alongside traditional African crafts.

Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, until 17 December, various venues around Spitalfields. Early masterpieces, classical and contemporary music including a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Christ Church Spitalfields. spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk

Shoreditch Design Triangle, 12, 19 December, in various Shoreditch locations. Local shops, studios, galleries and cafes hold late night events with discounts and give-aways in the run up to Christmas. shoreditchdesigntriangle.com

Make Hackney Sparkle Christmas Bazaar, 14-20 December, 12noon -7pm, 37 East Road, N1 6AZ.

An alternative Christmas shopping experience featuring East London based designers selling homeware, fashion, accessories, toys and jewellery.

Hackney Homemade Christmas markets, 14, 21 December, 11am-4pm, Mare Street (opposite M&S), Seasonal markets celebrating Christmas traditions with handcrafted gifts and classic seasonal fare. hackneyhomemade.com

Of Cabbages and Kings Christmas Market, 14-15 December, Abney Hall, 73A Stoke Newington Church St, N16 0AS

Christmas at Stoke Newington Farmers’ Market, 14, 21 December, 10am-2.30pm, West Hackney Recreation Ground, Evering Road, N16 7PX. Goose, turkey, beef, home-cured bacon and other fresh organic produce on sale. growingcommunities.org/market

Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays, 11, 18 and Saturday 21 December, Columbia Road, E2 7RG.

Christmas on Broadway Market, 24 December, 9am -4pm, Broadway Market, E8 4QJ. Produce, street food by local designers and artists. Carol singers from St Joseph’s Hospice, St. Michael’s Church and neighbouring schools to entertain shoppers. (Late night shopping until 9pm on 12, 19 December.)

Parasol Unit Winter Book Sale, until 13 January, 14 Wharf Road, N1 7RW. Annual book sale with up to 50 per cent off selected art books, plus specially designed Christmas cards and postcard bundles. parasol-unit.org

Festive events

St John-at-Hackney Christmas, throughout December, Lower Clapton Road, E5 OPD. Festive events include carols by candlelight, children’s carol service, midnight mass and a Christmas service. stjohnathackney.org.uk

Victoria Park Singers and Sing Tower Hamlets Winter Concert, 11 December, 8pm, St Peter’s Church, Bethnal Green. In aid of local charity Growth Night Shelter. For tickets email: singtowerhamlets@gmail.com

Stoke Newington Christmas carols, 12 December , 6.30pm, Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0AP. Carol singing outside the Fire Station on Stoke Newington Church Street. Father Christmas to make an appearance as well as festive dog show.

Disappearing Dining Club, Town House, 13 December, 224 Brick Lane, E1 6SA. Four course supper at an 18th century weaver’s house in antique dining room. dinners@disappearingdiningclub.co.uk

Santa’s Grotto at St Augustine’s Tower, 14 December, 11am -4pm, Narroway, E8 1JB. Including performances from the Hackney Empire choir and East London Dance School.

Hoxton St reet Market Christmas knees-up, 14 December, 9am-4pm, Hoxton Street, N1. Cockney sing-a-long, historic theatre performances, traditional carols, festive stalls and much more.

Hackney Singers Christmas Concert, 15 December 2013, St John of Jerusalem, 9 Church Crescent E9 7DH, 7pm (Collection for Hackney Nightshelter)

Free film screening powered by bicycle: Home Alone, 18 December, 5.30pm doors for 6.30pm, St John-at-Hackney, Lower Clapton Road, E5 0PD. Free screening of festive film Home Alone powered by bicycle. Those arriving by bicycle, or willing to help power the cinema with their bikes to receive free cake!

Stoke Newington Late Night Shopping, 11,18 December, until 8pm

Rivington Street Christmas Thursdays, 12, 19 December, 5-9pm, Rivington Street, EC2A 3AU.

Display of Christmas decorations plus late night shopping from local boutiques and the a pop-up market of fashion, arts and food, acoustic performances and hot cocktails.

Hackney Heart’s Christmas specials, 12, 19 December 6-9pm, 411 Mare Street, Narroway, E8 1HY.

Shop for fine prints, silk cushions, jewellery and home-made Christmas cards while enjoying mulled wine, hot cider and mince pies.

Snapshots Christmas Festival, 21 December, Rich Mix, 35-67 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA. Performance of It’s a Wonderful Life with mulled wine and festive fare, followed by a Christmas Ceilidh with live band. richmix.org.uk

Shows and exhibtions

‘Oh Yes It Is’ exhibition, throughout December, Hackney Museum, 1 Reading Lane, E8 1GQ. Celebrating 15 years of the Hackney Empire pantomime with costumes, photographs and behind-the-scenes footage from this and previous year’s productions.

Puss In Boots, until 5 January, Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ. hackneyempire.co.uk

Christmas Past at the Geffrye Museum, until 5 January, Kingsland Road, E2 8EA. Annual exhibition showing how Christmas has been celebrated in English middle-class homes for the past 400 years. geffrye-museum.org.uk

Buttons: Another Cinderella Story, until 7 January, Rosemary Branch Theatre, N1 3DT

Dick Whittington, until 11 January, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN