Two events happening in the city later this month make me feel like (a bit) less of a geek…

The first Manchester Twestival takes place on Thursday 12 February at the Living Room on Deansgate. Yup, you guessed it – it’s an event dedicated to all things Twitter. It seems the site’s really starting to take off… between my accounts I’ve gained over 30 followers in the past two days, for example, and Mancubist’s Twitter now has 125.

The event, which is one of over 100 being held simultaneously worldwide, is a fund-raising concern – it’s sponsored by those clever people over at Code Computer Love and will feature a charity auction. All monies raised globally will go to charity:water, which brings safe drinking water to developing countries.

Manchester Twestival begins at 6.30pm. You should register your interest here and buy a ticket for £4 here. And, of course, follow the festival’s MancTwester here.

The second event is on Friday 27 February. It’s called Speak to the Geek and, again, it’s a charity event. This time, a few self-proclaimed ‘internet techie experts’ are donating their knowledge and time to help non-profit organisations in the North West. Here’s how organiser Guy Dickinson explained it to me:

Basically, as a bunch of geeks, we’re trying to get our skills used into the community, and thought running a panel of internet strategy ‘micro consultancies’ for decision-makers in the non-profit sector would be a good start.

It takes place from 2pm until 4pm at the Manchester Digital Development Agency on Portland Street. Check out the Speak to the Geek blog for more information and to sign up.

Later this month, two of the city’s most established live music nights – Blowout and Friends of Mine – are coming together for Friends of Manchester, a one-day event (inevitably deemed a ‘festival’ – this is Manchester after all).

This ‘12-hour music marathon’ takes place on Saturday 24 January at Jabez Clegg, just off Oxford Road, and – due to strong demand – Kro Bar next door, which is hosting a winter barbecue. I count about 50 bands confirmed so far – including personal recommendations the Longcut, its a buffalo, Ten Bears, Gideon Conn, Jo D of the Travelling Band and Islands Lost at Sea.

Tickets are £9 in advance from www.ticketline.co.uk, Piccadilly Box Office in Zavvi and on 0161 832 1111 – or, until Sunday evening, you can get a £7 early bird ticket here. There’ll also be some available from both venues, plus the Thirsty Scholar and Joshua Brooks.

Friends of Manchester is sponsored by Ben Sherman – but don’t let that put you off.

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.

Another week’s flown by, helped along by a decent fireworks display in Wythenshawe Park, plus cracking gigs from Micah P Hinson and Okkervil River. And the weekend ahead is particularly music-themed too:

Ladyfest Manchester: Starting tonight, Manchester’s annual celebration of women in the creative and cultural arts is a three-day event based at the much under-used Zion Arts Centre in Hulme. Open to all ages and sexes, it includes cabaret, theatre, cinema, arts, crafts and a particularly strong music strand, with bands including Sophie’s Pigeons, GeEk giRl (try typing that accurately at speed!), Hotpants Romance and Das Wanderlust, plus the event’s two biggest names, the Slits and Manda Rin (she who sang Kandy Pop with Bis). And Amelia Fletcher (of Tallulah Gosh/Heavenly) is a last-minute addition! Friday-Sun. £5-£25.

Manchester blogging workshops: Yes, Kate from the Manchizzle and I are back this month with three of our irregular blogging workshops. The first, tomorrow afternoon at the Manchester Digital Development Agency’s rather swish offices on Portland Street, is a ‘blog lab’ where we’ll aim to solve practical blogging problems (think feeds, stats, platforms, domains…) and discuss style and content. This is a drop-in session, but please let us know that you’re coming down – call 0161 236 5555 or email admin@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk. Saturday, 1pm-3pm. Free

Timbreland Recordings Showcase: Timbreland is quite simply one of the best record labels in this town, with two of their artists, Nancy Elizabeth (Cunliffe) and Starless & Bible Black, right at the forefront of Manchester’s new folk scene. Pete from Starless will be playing solo tomorrow, alongside the excellent Winter Journey duo and Sally Murray, who I haven’t heard but will apparently appeal to Cat Power fans. This is at the rather lovely Art of Tea cafe (formerly Zero Records) on Barlow Moor Road. Saturday, 7.30pm. £4

[Photo by daresbalat]

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]