Hold on to your eyeballs as the Merchant City Festival gets underway for the eleventh time today. From now until Sunday, some 300 jaw-dropping events and performances will take place across 75 venues.
From the Big Man walking around the Merchant City to attempts at building a massive cardboard tower via more street theatre than you can shake a brolly at, much of Glasgow city centre is going to be alive with the weird and wonderful over the next few days.
This 5pm blogger is partial to a bit of street theatre, especially if there is also the opportunity to graze along route. Fortunately, the Merchant City Festival suits both culture vultures and plain old vultures.
As has been the case for the last few years, the Merchant City will be playing host to a number of street markets for the duration of the festival.
Concentrated around Candleriggs, Wilson Street and in Merchant Square, there will be markets selling Scottish, French and Italian produce – ideal for a little snack-sized morsel of Brie accompanied, perhaps, by a slice or two of salami.
Over the weekend, Culture Kitchen at the Merchant City Festival will be promoting new ways of looking at food with pop-up cooking stalls; growing workshops and the Fife Diet Seed Truck.
If sushi is your thing then make tracks for Sapporo Teppanyaki which is hosting sushi-making demos on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile Committee Room Number 9 is holding the colourfully titled Swallae Fest which promises a celebration of beer, wine and cocktails.
Alternatively, hats off to Home bar which is getting into the Olympic spirit with a toga party under the sensitive name of the Big Fat Greek Weekend.
Enjoy.