Contemplating how to spend those two glorious days off this weekend, 13-15 October? Here is a list of the best events and experiences happening across the Canberra region.
This Friday the 13th won’t be too spooky as Thelma Plum comes to Westfield Belconnen to put on a free concert and meet and greet for fans. It’s also a strong night for theatre with Bell Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Queanbeyan Players’ Oklahoma! both opening.
Fairs and expos are in abundance! Take a trip out of town and back in time (kind of) to Goulburn’s Steampunk Victoriana Fair, hop on the Queanbeyan-Palerang Arts Trail to meet the makers, learn how to live cleaner at the Sustainable Canberra Expo, spend time with the family at St John’s Community Fair, or celebrate our landscapes at River Country Community Day.
It’s your last weekend to soak up the springtime blooms at Floriade and the Tulip Top Gardens.
EVENTS
Sustainable Canberra Expo: Discover how to live a happier, healthier and more sustainable life, test drive an EV, get expert advice on how to cut down on bills, and more. Thoroughbred Park, 13-14 October; climatechoices.act.gov.au
St Kilda to St Moritz: The NFSA and the ANU School of Music present a unique program of home movies from the national collection, screened with original scores by student composers. Join curator Heather Gill and composers for a post-screening discussion about film composition and silent films in the modern age. National Film and Sound Archive, Friday 13 October 6pm; nfsa.gov.au
Arts Trail: Celebrate the local artists and makers of the Queanbeyan-Palerang region with studios and galleries opening their doors. This weekend visit creatives in Queanbeyan, 14-15 October; queanbeyanpalerang.com.au
Steampunk Victoriana Fair: Celebrate the new thriving sub-culture with a weekend full of retro-futuristic clothing, art, music, games, entertainment and more. Goulburn Historic Waterworks, 14-15 October; goulburnaustralia.com.au
St John’s Community Fair: Enjoy a fun day for the whole family with markets, medieval tournaments, reptiles, jumping castles, games, food and drink, live music and much more. St John’s Anglican Church, Reid, Saturday 14 October 9am-2pm; stjohnscanberra.org/fair
Kill Bill: 20th anniversary double feature: Experience both volumes of Quentin Tarantino’s martial arts revenge classic, presented on 35mm film. National Film and Sound Archive, Saturday 14 October 6pm; nfsa.gov.au
Tulip Top Gardens: Final weekend of this incredible display of tulips, blossoms and other flowers along with birds, live entertainment, food and wine. Tulip Top Gardens, Sutton NSW, until 15 October; tuliptopgardens.com.au
Floriade: Final weekend of Australia’s favourite Spring festival. On Saturday 14 October, numerous foreign embassies and high commissions based in Canberra offer a taste of ‘Windows to the World’ . Floriade 2023 ends Sunday 15 October 5pm, Commonwealth Park; floriadeaustralia.com
Japanese Film Festival: Experience the rich tapestry of Japanese storytelling at this year’s festival, at two venues in Canberra. Special series: Palace Electric, 11-15 October; japanesefilmfestival.net/films-schedule
River Country Community Day: A day of art, music, performance, storytelling and conversation to celebrate the launch of Living on the Edge: Caring for Australia’s Threatened Places. National Museum of Australia, Sunday 15 October 11am-3pm; nma.gov.au
At Her Table Gather: An invitation to join other women and engage in open and honest conversation about life, god, spirituality and values that matter most to you. Sanctuary Canberra, Narrabundah, 15 October; events.humanitix.com
ST. ALi Italian Film Festival: A stunning selection of the best in contemporary Italian cinema – award-winning drama, comedies and documentaries. Palace Electric until 18 October; italianfilmfestival.com.au
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Rockspeare Henry VI Part 1: This is Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 1 as you’ve never seen it, or heard it before. Welcome to the Rockspeare universe where the history plays are recast as political plays and epic text is combined with an epic soundscape. Previews: 11-14 October; season: 18 October–4 November. Show times: Wednesday-Saturday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm, and Sunday 4pm. Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick, until 4 November; milltheatreatdairyroad.com
Thelma Plum: The ‘Better in Blak’ singer/songwriter treats shoppers to a free concert, meet and greet, and Q&A for one night only. Westfield Belconnen, Friday 13 October 5pm; westfield.com.au
Oklahoma!: The Queanbeyan Players present this classic musical set at the turn of the 20th century and backdropped by the passionate rivalry between the farmers and the cowboys. The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 13-29 October; theq.net.au
Twelfth Night: Bell Shakespeare bring their production of the classic tale of hidden identities and unrequited love to Canberra Theatre Centre, 13-21 October; bellshakespeare.com.au
Yummy: QL2 present their Chaos Project 2023 with 50 dancers exploring five tastes – salty, bitter, sweet, sour and umami- which will you choose? Canberra College, Friday 13 October 6pm; events.humanitix.com
Designing a Legacy Live: Tim Ross brings his acclaimed TV series to venues across the country, telling stories anchored by his passion for Australian architecture and design. National Library of Australia, Friday 13 October 7pm; nla.gov.au
Graeme Connors: Spend an evening with a prolific songwriter as he shares tunes from his 25-plus albums in My Lyrical Life. The Street Theatre, Friday 13 October 7.30pm; thestreet.org.au
Jennifer Wong: Stories of minds, bodies and the way we see the world in the comedy show Jennifer Wong Has No Peripheral Vision. The Street Theatre, Saturday 14 October 8pm; thestreet.org.au
Halloween Burlesque Brunch: A special edition of the beloved performance event with games, best dressed competition, and snacks. Flazeda Hub, Belconnen, Sunday 15 October 11am; humanitix.com
The Mysterious Forest: Art Song Canberra presents soprano Susannah Laergren and pianist Bernadette Harvey with a program on the mystery of nature. Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 15 October 3pm; trybooking.com
Mahalia Barnes & the Soul Mates: Cover the full range of the soul music spectrum in this raw, exciting and intimate show. Tallagandra Hill Winery, Gundaroo NSW, Sunday 15 October 6.30pm; tallagandrahill.com.au
West Side Story: Dramatic Productions presents the beloved musical telling the story of romance and gang rivalry in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The Gungahlin Theatre, until 21 October; stagecenta.com
EXHIBITIONS
The Data Imaginary: Fears and Fantasies: A group exhibition from artists and designers exploring how creative applications of data technology are crucial for an inclusive and sustainable future. ANU School of Art & Design Gallery, until 27 October; soad.cass.anu.edu.au
Belconnen Arts Centre: Presents five new exhibitions – Kaleidoscope II, Shiver by Michelle Day, Remnants by Isobel Kennedy, The Future Unfolds by Faith Kerehona, and Zero Waste: Doing It Imperfectly by Nancy Lane. 13 October-26 November; belcoarts.com.au
Madonna40: A Celebration: Experience this incredible homage to the Queen of Pop, as one Canberra fan shares their collection of Madonna memorabilia. Canberra Museum and Gallery, 14 October-3 March; cmag.com.au
Canberra Contemporary Photographic Prize: Images that capture the essence of contemporary in an ever-changing world. PhotoAccess, Manuka Arts Centre, until 14 October; photoaccess.org.au
Canberra Contemporary Art Space: Presents two exhibitions – Sad State by Dean Cross, and Signal to Noise by Anna Madeleine Raupach. CCAS Lakeside, Parkes, until 14 October; ccas.com.au
ACT Historic Places Art Prize: Features 29 works from 26 artists with locals invited to come along and vote for their favourite piece. Lanyon Homestead, until 15 October.
Canberra Potters: Presents Emerging from the Earth: Clay & Flowers, a group exhibition challenging the idea of floral designs being relegated to flowers in vases. Canberra Potters Gallery, Watson, until 22 October; canberrapotters.com.au
Memoryscapes: A series of new paintings from Katrina Barter exploring the subjective nature of memories. ANCA Gallery, Dickson, until 22 October; anca.net.au
Care Structures: A group exhibition bringing together local, national and international artists with expanded drawing practice. M16 Artspace, Griffith, until 22 October; m16artspace.com.au
Threatened Species Open Photographic Exhibition: Photographers from around Australia share their works to shine a light on our at-risk native plants and animals and celebrate the conservation practices that are supporting their plight. Wild Bark at Mulligans Flat, until 13 December; belcoarts.com.au
Capturing Canberra: A display of CMAG’s recently acquired Press Photography Collection with over 3,500 images telling the story of our region. Canberra Museum and Gallery until 28 January; cmag.com.au
The ballad of sexual dependency: Nan Goldin’s career-defining work captures the intimate lives of a community of friends in the 1970s-1980s in these raw and captivating shot. View discretion advised. National Gallery of Australia, until 28 January; nga.gov.au
Grit & Gold: Tales from a Sporting Nation: Relive the highs and lows of Australia through our rich sporting history. National Library of Australia, until 28 January; nla.gov.au
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