From pressing apples to learning sewing, tech rescues to solar installations, October has some great free events from our local community and campaigns which inspire us to keep on sharing, repairing and passing things on to people who need them.
Makespace Autumn Market & Apple Day
Makespace, Aristotle Lane, Sunday 4th October, 11am-3:30pm
Makespace are hosting their autumn seasonal market and getting stuck in with our Apple Pressing Kit for a free community apple pressing session. Bring along any apples you’d like pressed, as well as bottles to take your freshly pressed juice home.
There will also be a green woodworking demonstration, where you can watch traditional woodworking techniques in action, and a clothes embellishment station where you can learn sewing skills with some creative upcycling.
In addition, you’ll have the chance to browse a wonderful selection of arts, crafts, and handmade goods from local makers.
Feeling peckish? Coffee, refreshments, and food will be available from our neighbours at The Anchor Pub.
Meanwhile, here’s a little taster of apple pressing in action last year…
Sustainable Fashion Week
SFW26 started a few days ago including last night’s sustainable fashion show at Blenheim Palace, but there’s still time to catch an exhibition, and a new sewing social group to join:
Makespace Oxford Traditional & Cultural Threads Exhibition
Makespace Aristotle Lane, Wednesday 30th Sept – Thursday 1st Oct, 9am-5pm
This small, free exhibition looks at traditional fabrics from around the world and the stories that bring them to life.
Ever wanted to learn more about African printed textiles? Or discover the similarities between Ukrainian and Palestinian embroidery? We hope to be a starting point for conversations about cultural identity and shared traditions surrounding fashion and textiles from around the world.
Makespace Sewing Social
WhatsApp / monthly events – email for an introduction
The Makespace residents have launched a new sewing social group, planning to meet once a month to share whatever projects or learning people are inspired to try. Get in touch with us at SHARE if you’d like to be introduced!
International Repair Day
SHARE Oxford Repair Cafe – Makespace Aristotle Lane, 18th October, 2-5pm
Our Makespace repair café this month falls just after International Repair Day, so what better excuse to see if we can help you fix that seized strimmer, or learn how to patch up a pair of jeans.
Repair Day, now into its 10th year, is all about celebrating the power of repair to bring our communities together, reduce our impact on the planet, teach new skills and so much more. 2025’s campaign saw more than 3000 events in 50 countries. It’s organised by an International group, including our friends at the Restart Project. Check out their pages to see the events around the world, their fixit factories in London, the UK Repair & Reuse Declaration and more.
Get Online Week
Get help at Blackbird Leys Repair Café or Makespace Tech Rescue or donate your unwanted IT to help others anytime!
Good Things Foundation’s Get Online Week campaign is a reminder that not all of us are thriving online and of the simple things we can make a difference:
- Do you know someone who struggles with IT and would benefit from joining a tech rescue or repair café for a hand with their computer or phone? Or someone who needs a discounted device from us or our Getting Oxfordshire Online partners?
- Do you have any unwanted devices you could donate to us or another GOO partner to help someone get online?
- Or do you have kit that’s too old or broken that you’d like us to securely wipe and find a home for, for a small fee?
We’re happy to receive donations for Getting Oxfordshire Online or take in older kit any day we’re open at the Library of Things. Get in touch if you have any questions about what we can do with the equipment you have.
Go solar with LCON
Woodstock Road Baptist Church, 13 October, 7pm
Our friends at Low Carbon Oxford North have joined forces with Dr Felix Leach, Associate Professor of Engineering Science from the University of Oxford for a free talk to get your head round all things electricity:
- Discover the hidden health benefits of cooking with electricity
- Find out how best to combine solar PV, batteries, heat pumps and air cooling
- Hear the latest on plug-in solar panels
