Everyone loves a good spoof – and that’s what the eagle-eyed among us might have spotted around town:

Yup, the Best of Manchester Awards posters have been re-imagined as ‘Best of Manchester Notions’ – click above for a larger version, and check out the ninja symbol top right in particular.

The (official) organisers love it and are appealing for the designer to come forward. They’ll get their space within the BoMA exhibitions. Alternatively, anyone who helps out with some detective work will get a couple of tickets to the awards night. Email marketing at urbis dot org dot uk.

It’s a busy week here at Mancubist towers so here’s a quick mid-week, mid-November round-up…

The biggest event this week is surely the re-opening yesterday of the Manchester Christmas Markets. The largest one, in Albert Square, is open daily, 10am until 9pm, right through to 22 December. For more information, including opening times for the other four – in St Ann’s Square and on Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street and Brazennose Street (here’s a map) – check out the council website.

Inside the town hall, meanwhile, the two-day NOISE Festival – Creative Futures event is currently taking place to promote careers in creative industries. Today’s schedule (10am-6pm) features portfolio reviews, one-to-ones, careers advice and a busking corner, plus an unsigned showcase and panel, and a seminar on art direction by Amelia’s Magazine. Warp Films and Badly Drawn Boy, who played last night, are among this year’s big-name curators.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of great gigs again this week: tonight, the Faint play at Academy 3, supported by an interesting Polar Bear-related band, the Invisible (’the Invisible Band’ would be a better name…). Or Parenthetical Girls are playing across the road at the small but perfectly formed Kro Bar. And on Friday, Four Tet’s Keiran Hebden returns with drummer Steve Reid.

Salford Film Festival is also in full flow at the moment – great to see it back after last year’s near-cancellation. It runs until 23 November at venues including Salford Arts Theatre, the Lowry, Islington MIll and the Theatre Organ Heritage Centre. Check out the day-by-day guide here.

Oh, and the Spinningfields Ice Rink opens tomorrow, Thursday 20 November, and for the first week it’s just £5 for all skaters.

With a chilly November almost upon us, here are a few things worth considering this weekend:

Art from the other city: Five Salford venues – including Islington Mill, Hot Bed Press and the Kings Arms – show work (paintings, installations, sculpture, prints, video, performances, glass, fashion, theatre, video etc) from dozens of the city’s artist. Friday 2-8pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-4pm. Free (no central source but check out the Islington Mill site)

Dogs, Thieves and Dead Girls: Opening night of a new exhibition of work by Guy McKinley, RichT and China Mike at ‘Manchester’s only designated street art gallery’, Upper Space in Marlsboro House on Newton Street. It’s an invite-only affair but contact them if you’re interested. Exhibition runs until 28 November. Free (Upper Space)

Jon Savage at Piccadilly Records: The author will be DJing in the Oldham Street shop to promote his forthcoming compilation, Dreams Come True, on Domino Records. Saturday 2pm. Free (Piccadilly Records)

Stockhausen festival: The RNCM hosts a day devoted to the late avant-garde composer. If you’re not up for a full eight hours of German minimalism, Vaganza, a recital by Manchester University’s New Music Group, (5pm, £5) provides the best taster with three pieces and a new composition by Stephen Pycroft. Sunday 2-10pm. Free to £10 (RNCM)

[Photo taken in Whitworth Park by i.rashid007]

The site’s been getting literally tens of hits from people trying to find out who won at last night’s Best of Manchester Awards ceremony. Here’s what you’re looking for:

Music: Richard Cheetham, High Voltage
Fashion: Simon Buckley, Rags to Bitches
Art: Naomi Kashiwagi, conceptual artist

So I scored precisely 1 from 3 with my random predictions, which fits well probability-wise.

I didn’t make it to Urbis last night but it was apparently very busy, with live music from Gideon Conn, Kid British and Keith. The awards were presented by Claire Lomax (fashion), Luke Bainbridge (music) and Peter Saville (art).

There were also three special commendation awards made earlier this week – to Naeem Bawany for club photography, Christopher Gray for commercial design, Liam Hopkins for product design and Daniel Clark for the Manchester-based label and boutique, Junk Shop.

The Best of Manchester exhibition, featuring samples from all nine shortlisted entrants, is now open at Urbis until 28 September.

The shortlist for this year’s celebration of all things Manchester was announced last week, and it contains some familiar and (for me at least) not-so-familiar names:

Music:

• Richard Cheetham, who runs the successful High Voltage bands night and monthly fanzine, and is also the booking manager for Night & Day Cafe
• Duncan Sime, aka Red Deer Club, which started out as a great folk night and now continues as a label and DJing guise
• Jasper Wilkinson, part of multimedia collective I Am Your Autopilot, which ‘blends hard-edged electronica with choral sounds, using synthesizers, guitar and multi-layered harmonies’
• Random tip to win: Duncan Sime

Fashion:

• Simon Buckley, co-owner of Tib Street vintage boutique Rags to Bitches (with wife Flic Everett)
• Nabil El-Nayal, recent winner of the Womenswear Award the Graduate Fashion Week 2008
• Hasan Hejazi, who shoots for YQ magazine among others
• Random tip: Nabil El-Nayal

Art:

• Paul Harfleet, who is behind the innovative council flat-based Apartment exhibition space
• Naomi Kashiwagi, shortlisted for ||: Repetition :||, Fugue No.1 in QWERTY for 8 Typewriters, ‘a music and text score composed for typewriters’
• Jai Redman, creative director of UHC (which I’ve written about before) and creator of the Thin Veneer of Democracy, a 16-foot table decorated with a ‘power map’ of Manchester’s corporate and political movers and shakers
• Random tip: Naomi Kashiwagi

More information is available on the Best of Manchester blog and works by the nine shortlisted entrants will be displayed at Urbis from Friday.

The winners, each receiving £2,000  and a tailored professional development package, will be announced at a ceremony at Urbis on Thursday evening.