What’s the quack? Here’s some ideas for things you can get up to in Cardiff this weekend and in the following days. There’s loads of fun to be had.

FRIDAY 10 MAY

Did you know the Cardiff Cycle Workshop has a sale on its super cheap recycled bikes 1pm-5pm on Fridays? See what’s available on their website here. Your new bike might come in handy for Sunday’s Car Free Cardiff- see below.

SATURDAY 11 MAY

I can’t believe it’s that time of year already. I am of course talking about that annual Cardiff institution, the Bute Park Duck Race, where hundreds of yellow rubber duckies sail down the Taff in a hilarious “race”. And don’t worry, they collect them all afterwards so there’s no littering. Donate £2 to Student Volunteering Cardiff to sponsor a duck (the money goes to support their volunteering projects with vulnerable people across Cardiff!). You can collect and decorate your duck and then try and win gold, silver, bronze, or “best duckorated”. Also on Facebook.

Looking for a club night? There’s the Big Alt Night at 6pm at The Big Top with Perfect Body, Red Telephone, Comfort State and The Bloodshots. Only £4 to get in if you book ahead of time. Facebook / Eventbrite.

SUNDAY 12 MAY

It’s my fave day of the year- Car Free Cardiff! Free the city of the motorized menace! Unfortunately this doesn’t mean the whole city will be free of cars, just the area on the east side of the castle. See all the events here. Highlights include:

• BMX stunt shows once every hour
• A group bike ride for all ages and abilities
• Walking tour with Peter Finch- who we interviewed last year.
• Skateboarding with Spit and Sawdust
• Cycle powered art and disco
• Loads of live music
• Bike repairs from Dr Bike
• Accessible bikes and trikes from Pedal Power
• Sustrans Bling Your Bike
• Talks from Living Streets

There’s another event on too, and it’s really close by so nip over (on bike, skateboard, etc, haha so funny) – at the Temple of Peace from 2.30pm to 5.30pm they’ll be looking at how we adjust the great complex systems that dominate our lives in the wake of a (declared) climate emergency. Bring your thinking hats- this is serious. Click interested on FB and get your free ticket here.

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY

Executed on Cardiff Heath: this free event at 7.15pm, bookable via the Cardiff Uni website, will be a talk about two martyrs of the Merthyr riots. What’s a martyr you ask? It’s when a ruling body (in this case the judge Harding, representing the British state and the industry-owning capitalist class) executes someone, thinking it will scare others out of any further action, but instead just makes the oppressed group more determined. This should be a good one!

Thanks as ever for reading. If you want to get Free and Cheap Things To Do in Cardiff as a handy weekly email newsletter, you can sign up here.