Looking for a way to spend that extra day this long weekend, 30 September – 3 October? CW has you covered.
Floriade’s evening entertainment promises to deliver a mixture of relaxation and invigoration, with allocated nights for guests to choose their vibes. On Saturday, a whole day is dedicated to our purrfect feline companions at the Canberra Cat Festival, or let’s go fly a kite at the Arboretum Kite Fest on Sunday.
Looking for a way to keep dry? Check out some of the amazing exhibitions happening around the capital, a few new ones open this weekend while others are nearing their end date.
And remember, daylight saving starts at 2am Sunday when clocks jump to 3am, so set your clock forward an hour before bed on Saturday night.
EVENTS
NightFest: Explore Floriade’s dark side with entertainment, illuminations and more, from 29 September to 2 October 6.30-10.30pm, in Commonwealth Park; floriadeaustralia.com
Arboretum Kite Fest: Enjoy the sun and the sky with a day of flying kites at the National Arboretum Canberra on Sunday 2 October 10am-3pm. Bring a picnic or order one through Ginger Catering, or enjoy a selection of pop-up food options, plus kite demonstrations in the amphitheatre, live entertainment and more; nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/visit/whats-on/school-holidays-and-feature-events/arboretum-kite-fest
School of Magic: Children can enjoy potion classes, magic wand making, spell lessons and more at Canberra Outlet, until 9 October; canberraoutletcentre.com.au
Coco Melon at South.Point: JJ has landed at the southside shopping centre with crafts, bowling, and putt putt, South.Point, Tuggeranong, until 2 October.
Glassworks Holiday Program: Children will learn introductory techniques in glassmaking to create their own masterpieces, Canberra Glassworks, until 9 October; canberraglassworks.com
Kids Best Fest: Your child can unleash their inner artists with workshops run by MattyBro, Canberra Centre, 29-30 September; eventbrite.com
Everybody: A life drawing class to spice up your Friday night with a drink on arrival, art materials and tutor provided, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 30 September 6pm; trybooking.com
Lerida Estate: A two-hour wine tasting cruise around Burley Griffin with fine wine and grazing box, Kingston, 30 September 6.30pm; canberrapartyboat.com.au
Smith’s Alternative: Irish Jam each Friday from 4pm; Comedy Open Mic, first Sunday of the month 7pm; smithsalternative.com
The Arts Trail: Returns to celebrate local artists and makers from Queanbeyan, Bungendore, and Braidwood, 1-2 October; visitqueanbeyanpalerang.com.au
Canberra Cat Fest: Celebrate felines with a day of market stalls, food trucks, cats for adoption, and a screening of A Street Cat Named Bob, Old Bus Depot Markets, 1 October 10am; catfest.org.au
Be Your Personal Best: A panel discussion featuring national personalities as they share their stories, Canberra Centre, 1 October 1pm; eventbrite.com
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Whitefella Yella Tree: Dylan Van Den Berg tells a heartfelt tale of love, country and Blak queerness throughout history, Canberra Theatre, until 1 October; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Pingu goes to Law School: Moot Moot, the ANU Law Revue 2022 celebrates 50 years, Canberra REP Theatre, until 1 October; canberrarep.org.au
Dancing at Lughnasa: The Mockingbird Students Ensemble inaugural production, Gorman Arts Centre, until 1 October; trybooking.com
The Comedy of Errors: Bell Shakespeare presents this production of swapped identities, misguided love, and chaotic mishaps, Canberra Theatre, 30 September-8 October; bellshakespeare.com.au
Turned to Stone: Duneeater and Planet of the 8s bring the tour for their joint LP release to The Basement, Belconnen, 30 September 7pm; thebasementcanberra.com.au
Midnight Oil: After being rained out earlier in the year, the iconic band bring their Resist tour to Fellows Oval, ANU, Saturday 1 October 4pm; moshtix.com.au
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Start your engines Drag Race Down Under- Live on Stage hits the stage at Canberra Theatre, 1 October 7.30pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
EXHIBITIONS
Cressida Campbell: The artist’s largest exhibition features more than 140 of her works, spanning her entire career, National Gallery of Australia, until 19 February; nga.gov.au
Conflated: This new exhibition draws on the inflatable form as both material and metaphor, ANU School of Art and Design Gallery, until 4 November; soad.cass.anu.edu.au
MoAD: Home to a host of exhibitions, such as: Democracy DNA; Statement: Jack Green’s Paintings; and Behind the Lines 2021, at Old Parliament House. Free entry; bookings encouraged.
Valleys Views & Vines: Over 40 works in oil, watercolour and mixed media paintings by local artist Sylvie Carter, Rusten House, until 22 October; artwithsylvie.com
Who Are You: Portraiture across time, media and different institutions in this collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria. National Portrait Gallery, 1 October-29 January; portrait.gov.au
Positives and Negatives: Turning recycled wood into 3D art, Karen Warburton’s new exhibition focuses on upcycling, Rusten House Arts Centre, 1-22 October; qprc.nsw.gov.au
Jingo Was Born in The Slum: Matthew Thorne presents a powerful exhibition reflecting on Ned Kelly and his gang, Canberra Museum + Gallery, 1 October-4 March; cmag.com.au
Megalo Print Studio: Annie Trevillian takes inspiration from landscape, motifs and patterns from natural spaces, until 8 October; megalo.org
Connection: An immersive journey through indigenous culture at the National Museum of Australia, until 9 October; nma.gov.au
National Portrait Gallery: The Parkes gallery hosts the Darling Portrait Prize and National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibitions, until 9 October; portrait.gov.au
Moon in a Dew Drop: Artist Lindy Lee’s travelling survey exhibition comes to Canberra Museum + Gallery, until 3 December; cmag.com.au
Waterhouse Art Prize: See the winner and finalists from Australia’s most prestigious natural art competition at the National Archives of Australia, until 13 November; naa.gov.au
Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to now exhibition at the National Library of Australia, until 13 March; nla.gov.au
MARKETS
Trash and Treasure: Hunt for precious goods, produce and fresh-made treats at Jamison Centre, every Sunday 7am–12.30pm; trashandtreasuremarketjamison.com.au
Night Markets: The community-run event runs every Friday 4-8pm at Anketell Street, Tuggeranong.
Village Markets: Beautiful blooms, farm-fresh honey and eggs and more from local stallholders at Haig Park, every Sunday 8.30am-2pm; haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Bric-a-Brac Rummage: Hunt for second-hand treasure in front of South. Point, Tuggeranong, Sundays 9am-3pm.
Old Bus Depot Markets: The much-loved markets are back at the Old Bus Depot in Kingston, Sundays 9.30 am-2.30pm; obdm.com.au
Hartley Hall Markets: The first Sunday of the month can only mean one thing, the return of one of the Capital’s favourite markets, at Hall Showground, 2 October 10am-3pm; hartley.org.au
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