Your guide to what's on this weekend

Whether you fancy an evening at the ballet, a bit of live music, or a spot of Christmas shopping  this weekend, don't make any plans until you have checked out our essential guide to what's on in and around ‪Exeter:

THEATRE

The Nutcracker
Friday, Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth
Whether continuing a valued tradition or discovering the magic of this beloved festive classic for the first time – Ballet Theatre UK’s Nutcracker is sure to leave you with a sense of warmth and treasured memories that will last a lifetime. Shows at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. www.manorpavilion.com

The Exeter Blitz Project
Friday & Saturday, Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Exeter Blitz in May 2012, Viva Voce created a theatrical experience from interviews with 16 individuals who were between the ages of 6 and 25 in 1942. The staging of these extraordinary stories proved to be a wonderful event for people of all ages in Exeter. Don’t miss this chance to see this very special piece of theatre. Tickets £12, £8 concessions. Free with a Membership. www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk

Jimeoin
Sunday, 7.30pm, Exeter Corn Exchange
Hilarious world-class stand-up from internationally acclaimed star of Live at the Apollo, The Royal Variety Performance, Channel 4's Comedy Gala 2012, Best of Edinburgh Comedy Festival, Jason Manford's Comedy Rocks and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.  No gimmicks, just great craic... Tickets: £15.  www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

Chris Ramsey: The Most Dangerous Man on Saturday Morning Television
Sunday, 8pm,Northcott Theatre, Exeter
Fresh from a complete sell-out, twice extended 2012 tour, multiple appearances on Celebrity Juice and 8 Out of 10 Cats, and a starring role in BBC Two’s Hebburn, Chris embarks on a brand new tour for 2013/2014. Taking his brush with on air censorship as a jumping off point to muse on life, mistakes, expectation and offense, he examines what happens when you say the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tickets: £17.50. www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

MUSIC

Zion Train
Friday, 8pm, The Exeter Daily Auditorium, Exeter Phoenix
Zion Train are Dub/Dance pioneers and have been undisputed leaders in the genre for the past two decades. Expect top-notch reggae-fusion which combines soaring vocals, conscious lyrics, high-energy dance beats and the fat sound of the Crispy Horns in a live dub-mix second-to-none. Tickets: £10 in advance. http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/zion-train/

Live music
Saturday, Central Exeter
K2 rock The Kings Arms from 9.30pm; Shufflebones play rock and blues at The Royal Oak from 9pm; Dirty Money will be on stage at the Prospect Inn on Exeter Quay and The Blue Funk Allstars bring funk and soul to The Bowling Green at 9pm. All free entry.

Isca Ensemble Gala Anniversary Concert
Saturday, 7.30pm, Sidmouth Parish Church, Church Lane, Sidmouth
The Isca Ensemble will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Richard Jenkinson (lead cellist. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and member of the Dante String Quartet) will perform one of the great masterpieces for cello - Dvorak's most powerful and emotional Cello Concerto in B minor. Click here for further information and tickets.

FAIRS & MARKETS

Christmas Shopping Fayre
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, Westpoint Arena, Exeter
Why not take the pressure out of Christmas this year by doing all your festive shopping in one go at the annual Christmas Shopping Fayre. For three fun-packed days Westpoint hosts an amazing range of retailers, manufacturers, craftspeople, wholesalers and importers from far and wide who transform the vast 4,500sq m hall into an Aladdin’s cave of wonderful gift ideas and essential Christmas items. Open 9.30am-5.30pm daily. Admissin: £3.50 adults, £2.50 seniors, children under 16 free. www.christmasshoppingfayre.com

ELF Christmas Craft Fair
Saturday, 11am, St Johns Hall, Sidmouth
A two day Christmas craft fair in aid of Exeter Leukaemia Fund where you’ll find bric-a-brac stalls, Father Christmas in his Grotto and refreshments available all day. Open 11am-5pm.

Pinhoe Church Christmas Fayre
Saturday, noon, Pinhoe Primary School, Exeter
The perfect place to make a start on your Christmas shopping! You’ll find crafts, stalls, games, Father Christmas and food and refreshments, all between noon and 2.30pm.

Unique Boutique Arts and Crafts Markets
Saturday, 11am, Exeter Phoenix
Christmas comes but once a year…. Exeter Phoenix will be resplendent with over 50 stalls on each day selling Devon’s finest creative output. From accessories to soaps to etched glass, cards, wreaths and unique clothes this is the place for anyone who dares to be different. There will be a whole room dedicated to fashion and accessories, a well stocked bar and music to get the festive spirit singing. And it’s all indoors, so cast aside those winter coats and come shopping!

South West Christmas Without Cruelty Festival
Saturday, 10am, Exeter Corn Exchange
The region's favourite cruelty-free event returns to Exeter with its winning mix of cruelty-free shopping, great vegetarian food and special events - including a Christmas choir and cookery demonstrations. It's the ideal place to buy Christmas gifts that don't cost the earth and to support good causes! Admission is free - with a special cruelty-free gift from Lush Cosmetics for the first 50 visitors. 10am - 4.15pm. www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

PBFA Exeter Book Fair
Sunday, 10.30am, Matthews Hall, Topsham
The fair will again be held in Mathews Hall, Topsham from 10.30 am to 4pm. The fair has its own website at www.exeterbookfair.com  where dealers exhibiting and fair highlights can be seen.

Christmas Fair
Sunday, 10am, The Slade Centre, The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth
With more stallholders than ever before, a spectacular Christmas grotto and some festive refreshments on offer, this makes for a fantastic day out for everyone to enjoy, 10am-3pm. www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

EVENTS

Exeter City Football Club's Charity Santa Dash
Saturday, 1.15pm, Exeter High Street
Entrants will begin their mile-long Dash (or walk, or amble) from the Guildhall promptly at 1.15pm, and make their way through the City to St James Park stadium in good time for the 3pm kick-off against Bury. Make sure you go along to cheer the “dashers” on!

The Georgian Age
Saturday & Sunday, Exeter Quay
Exeter Quay embraces its Georgian heritage with a Winter living history display. Members of the Society of King George the Third, a Devon based group which has provided film footage used on History of Britain, Meet the Ancestors and many other documentaries, will be mustering and recreating a Georgian Naval dockyard here in Exeter. The event is free. For more information call 01392 271611.

EXHIBITIONS

Watercolours by Rachel Toll
Boston Tea Party, Queen Street, Exeter
Local watercolour artist, Rachel Toll, is holding an exhibition of her work in Exeter’s Boston Tea Party on Queen Street which is open until 4 January.   Inspired by Devon’s beautiful surroundings, Rachel’s watercolours feature the coast and plants that grow here.

West Country to World’s End: The South West in the Tudor Age
RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter
Celebrating the spirit of adventure and enterprise of South West people, this landmark exhibition explores the West Country in the age of the Tudors. Comprising loans from the Bodleian Library, British Library, BritishMuseum, National Portrait Gallery, National Trust and the Royal Collection, it presents compelling account of the remarkable contributions of individuals from the South West from 1540 to 1620. The exhibition runs until March 2014.  www.rammuseum.org.uk

Valerie Barden: Compositions in Oil Paint
The Art Room, The Strand, Topsham
Valerie Barden’s paintings fit into the genre known as paintings of 'modern life' first explored at the end of the C19th and beginning of the C20th and which has engaged many artists since.  The Art Room is open weekends and Wednesdays only from 11am-5pm. www.theartroomtopsham.co.uk