April is here and it brings with it the promise of brighter days, Easter chocolate and colourful displays of blossom. Or perhaps it will live up to its reputation and give us lots of rain instead.
Either way there are lots of events taking place in Greater Manchester this month - and we’ve got all weather conditions covered with indoor and outdoor activities. If we are treated with some sunny days, one way to make the most of them is to follow the Bloomtown blossom trail across the city.
We’ve got Easter to look forward to this month - and one thing which is a must for families is an Easter egg hunt. Heaton Park is hosting one again this year, while you take part in a bunny hunt at Fog Lane Park.
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We’ve rounded up some of the things you can do in Greater Manchester in April below.
See an exhibition
For the last 50 years photographer Jill Furmanovsky has snapped some of music’s greatest icons, from Pink Floyd and Bob Marley, to Amy Winehouse and Beyonce. Her work will be shown in a retrospective exhibition, Photographing the Invisible, at Manchester Central Library from April 15.
Curated by Noel Gallagher and photo-historian Gail Buckland, the show, presented by Rockarchive.com, will run for ten weeks and features 80 images. Visitors can see some of her most famous works, as well as hidden gems from her extensive archive.
Accompanying the photos is an audio tour narrated by Jill, which will take them behind the scenes of her images. As well as music legends, expect more recent photos of the likes of Stormzy and Billie Eilish.
The free exhibition will be on the first floor exhibition space, Manchester Central Library, 15th April – 24th June 2023, St Peters Square, City Centre, Manchester, M2 5PD.
Immerse yourself in an arcade game at the Science and Industry Museum
Iconic arcade games are being brought to life at the Science and Industry Museum in their interactive experience Power UP. Visitors can be transported inside their favourite games as part of the Actual Reality Arcade, a life-size gaming experience.
Players can bring down spaceships in Invaders and watch life-sized bricks tumble in Breakout. Young gamers can also explore a special Pac-Man floor maze, and families can level up together with some super-size gaming.
General admission to the museum is free, tickets for Power UP cost £8 for adults, £6 for children. Power UP is running daily from April 1 to April 16.
Go on an Easter egg hunt
Heaton Park’s Big Easter Egg hunt is returning on April 8 to 9, for just £3. Everyone can take part and hunt for eggs hidden around the park.
All you need to do is visit the Heaton Park reception based in the tunnel at the stable block and follow the map to locate clues that will help you solve the puzzle. To claim the prize you just need to return to the reception with the completed puzzle.
From April 1 to April 16 Fog Lane Park will be hosting The Greater Bunny Hunt, where little ones will be encouraged to find rabbits hidden around the park. There’s an activity sheet and a small prize you can collect from Fog Lane Park café.
Check out the Spring Into Cring Easter event at Cringle Park on April 7 from 11am to 4pm, which will feature an Easter egg treasure hunt, music and food. Meanwhile visitors to Old Moat Park can follow a wildflower trail from April 10 to April 16.
Follow a blossom trail
Trees across the city will be putting on colourful displays of blossom in the coming weeks. To help you locate these beautiful blooms the National Trust has created an interactive map you can follow.
Named Bloomtown, the trail features 30 places where you can see blossom in Manchester, from Magnolias on the Rochdale Canal to cherry trees in Hulme Park. The digital trail will go live from April 1 until April 30 and you can scan QR codes at the locations. Alternatively you can pick up physical copies from Castlefield Viaduct, selected venues at NOMA, Central Library, local parks and more.
Discover some new music
The grassroots music festival Sounds From The Other City returns to Salford once again this year. Taking place on Sunday, April 30 it will be held across a variety of venues in and around Chapel Street.
The Old Pint Pot, Islington Mill and Porta are among the venues participating in this year’s festival. Among the acts already announced are Halo Maud, Saloon Dion and Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection.
Everything kicks off at 3pm with the partying continuing well into the night. For more information and to get tickets, visit the festival's website.
For more of the latest What's On news, click here.
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