As if in response to Julie’s recent plea for the city’s bloggers to emerge from the woodwork, Kate over at the vacationing Manchizzle has just announced details of the third annual Manchester Blog Awards.

The event’s format has worked well (I would say that, wouldn’t i?) but this year Kate’s refreshing things a bit by dropping the Best Political Blog category (so 2006/7…) and bringing in Best Neighbourhood Blog, to recognise a growing number of locale-specific blogs such as Mini Manchester and Roblog.

The awards, backed by the Manchester Literature Festival and Manchester Digital Development Agency, will take place on Wednesday 22 October back at Matt & Phreds on Tib Street. There’ll be readings by local bloggers including Chris Killen from Day of Moustaches, plus DJing from Manchester’s music bloggers (full information here).

In the meantime, voting is open until Thursday 18 September - so email mancblogawards AT googlemail.com, clearly stating your name, where you live, the name and url of of the blog(s) you’re nominating and which category or categories you’re nominating for. Check out the Manchizzle post for everything that you need to know, including details of who qualifies.

Beck’s Fusions isn’t Manchester’s first corporate-sponsored arts festival, nor will it be the last. But this one is notable for the line-up the mediocre lager brand has assembled. Headlined by Massive Attack, the Bristol trip-hoppers who haven’t played in Manchester since 2003, other highlights include New York’s Hercules and Love Affair (minus Anthony ‘and the Johnsons’ Hegarty), Sydney’s the Presets and Philadelphia’s Santogold.

And while 13 bands (of varying degrees of fame) alone aren’t enough to sustain this three-day event, it’s beefed up by almost the same number of visual artists - including British collective United Visual Artists, who have worked with Massive Attack in the past, including at Meltdown Festival just last month.

Tickets are free but you inevitably need to subject yourself to future Beck’s marketing campaigns to qualify. With 17,000 tickets available for Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September, you’d have thought it would be easy enough to secure some - but just yesterday I received an email informing me that I still hadn’t been successful.

The deadline for applying is this Wednesday, 20 August, and you’ve got to be over 18 to be at the UK’s ‘biggest ever collaborative art and music event’.

That’s the question posed by Julie Delvaux over at her Notebooks - Los Cuadernos de Julia blog. A year or two ago there were semi-regular events organised by and for Manchester’s blogging community - but in 2008 not even a quiet pint in a dingy pub (the Castle has shut down, after all).

Julie wants to right that wrong and is therefore appealing for anyone interested in going to a monthly/bi-monthly event to get in touch. Craig McGinty and several other Manchester bloggers have already posted comments in response, and a September date is in the offing.

Sarah Hartley over at the MEN’s The Mancunian Way blog has mentioned it too, in post explaining a new initiative she has just set up. Starting this week, she’s going to be highlighting some of Manchester’s ‘internet stars’ - people who have blogs or websites in some way connected to the city.

The profiles, including of this week’s www.manchester-blog.com, will go online as well as in the Saturday edition’s e-view section - so if you want to nominate yourself or someone else, email Sarah now.

It’s been a while since I last wrote about cycling but the Salford Folding Bike Race, which takes place on Saturday 30 August as part of the Salford Nocturne, is well worth a mention.

The competitors, dressed in business attire, will wait 10 metres away from their folded bikes. At the drop of the British flag the competitors will have to run to their steeds before building them as fast as they can and setting off on a four-lap dash.

In true commuter spirit, winner takes all - there’s no second chance when it comes to catching your train… Expect fierce competition, barging and even a little cheating as our commuters race to prove their skills.

The first incarnation of the folding bike race took place around Smithfield Market in London last year and attracted 5,000 people. Here’s a five-minute video about that event:

The field is limited to just 25 competitors, so if you’re interested - and own a folding bike - submit your entry form by 22 August. And check out the folding bike technology ‘row’ that’s developing.

Back to the theatre and this time the Library Theatre plays host to Les Puddings Noir, a ’slice of hilarious social satire’ following MaD Theatre’s 2006 sell-out Asbo and last year’s She’s Just Nipped Out For Fags.

The synopsis sounds entertaining:

In a bid to become Europe’s Capital of Cooking, the power-crazed Lady Mayoress has banned all-day breakfasts in Bury and forces black puddings to be re-branded as Les Puddings Noir. Revolt is in the air…

And the big-budget trailer is cryptic if nothing else:

Les Puddings Noir is only on for three days - from Thursday through to Saturday (including a Saturday matinée performance). Tickets are just £10 (£8 concessions) plus a 50p booking fee and I hear that some are available for each performance, though the opening night may sell out on the day.