Your Friday morning essential read. Five local feel-good highlights, including exclusive special offers and events. Prepared with love by the team at Camdenist

 CULTURE: Discover the best Camden Fringe shows 

What better way to celebrate the legal return of live theatre, comedy, music and culture than the arrival of a whole month of

Camden Fringe

shows? The acclaimed performing arts festival is back for 2021 with hundreds of events at venues big and small across the borough. In fact, there's so much to choose from we decided that rather than attempt to pick highlights, we'd open the mic for the performers themselves to convince you as to why their show is simply unmissable. Check out the growing collection of these cool 1-minute spoken voice promos, and if you'd like to review any of the shows for us, there's info on how you can join the Camdenist editorial community, too. 

 EXPLORE: Buck Street Market - your local guide 

London's first 100% eco-conscious market can be found in the 88 recycled shipping containers assembled right next door to Camden Town tube station. Over three floors including a central courtyard and large, sun-trap rooftop terraces you'll find cutting edge streetfood vendors, ethical gifts and personal pampering experts. It's proving itself to be a great new social hangout right on our doorsteps, so we've produced a guide specifically for local to discover more about Buck Street Market and the exciting sustainable businesses it has attracted. Take a look around here. 

 FESTIVAL: Kentish Town Square - coming weekly 

Legendary NW5 hairdresser and gallery owner, Michael Ptootch, would usually have spent the last few months booking brilliant artists, musicians, food stalls, DJs and other merriment for the uber-cool annual Alma Street Fair. Covid, of course, has put the popular summer street party on hiatus, however Ptootch has just announced a series of less hectic free community events with the working title Kentish Town Square. He'll be taking over the space in front of the experimental climate pop-up Think & Do on Highgate Road every Sunday, so expect plenty of food, live entertainment and much-needed outdoor social interaction each week. The first event will be next Sunday 8th August, but if you fancy participating in some way, from playing music to keeping the site tidy, you can also drop by this weekend to volunteer your services. The party spirit of Alma Street is alive and well 🥳

 NEW: Monarchy opens on Chalk Farm Rd 

Lockdown saw Camden music pub The Monarch looking sad and very much out of business, so it's exciting to see it reborn with a fresh new outlook as

Monarchy

. The brand new venue is designed as a social space to meet up and watch the big games, attend special talks, meetings or events and above all drink top beers, wines and cocktails. Food comes courtesy of the tried and tested burger impresarios Nanny Bill's, making a welcome return to Camden.

 HEALTH: Weekly sunset rooftop yoga at Selina 

We've been banging on about the joys of taking mini urban staycations this very UK-based summer for months. The art is feeling thoroughly transported without actually travelling, and yoga on a rooftop at sundown is the stuff of the most exotic holidays. Fortunately you can experience right here, it at the Selina Camden hotel, where every Thursday at 9pm Thierry Giunta takes a Hatha Yoga wind-down session to make you forget where you are.

 THIS WEEK'S ONE-CLICK POLL Climate change and poor air quality mean we need to reduce driving cars, but what do you think about the policy of blocking off roads to create Low Traffic Neighbourhoods? 

LAST WEEK WE ASKED:

There are now 18 Council-approved ‘streateries’ offering dining on pavements and roads in the borough. What do you make of them?

Locals love eating alfresco! To be honest, we all know how nice it is to be sat in the sunshine or under the stars, that's why we love to do it on holiday. One positive of the disruption of Covid is that the UK may finally become more of an outdoor dining kinda place, which we've now proved can work even with our patchy weather. Perhaps the moaning NIMBY sentiment for answer 3 was too much for many to vote for, but clearly most Camdenists are fully behind a vote for street dining. 

 COMMUNITY: Support local businesses. Get money off 

Remember the current discounts available to Camdenist readers, including

20% off your first service at Salon Marisol

, and the last days of being able to claim

15% off your total food and drink bill at Ethika

in Buck St. As ever, just mention Camdenist to get the offer, and support local independent traders whenever you can. 

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