40+ things to do on ANOTHER rainy weekend in Canberra
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Okay, look it’s no lie that we’re all sick of the rain. But that doesn’t mean there’s not still plenty to do around town this weekend.
So why not head to the safety of the cinema to enjoy some British films, and visit one of the many (and we mean many) exhibitions happening around town or discover some hidden treasures at a stage door sale? Here are over 40 things to do in Canberra.
Special events + festivals
REP Retro Stage Door Sale
The wardrobe storage at Canberra’s REP Theatre is bursting at the seams—and that means there’s a huge sale of costumes, dresses, tailcoats, dinner jackets, costume jewellery, suitcases, clothing and more! Head on down to discover some hidden treasures.
Saturday 22 October, 11 am – 3 pm | Canberra REP Theatre, 3 Repertory Lane | canberrarep.org.au
Windows to the World
Providing the rare opportunity to see behind the gates of the capital’s embassies and high commissions, head along to see, taste and experience cultures from across the globe this weekend. Who needs a passport?
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October | Canberra Embassies and High Commissions | events.canberra.com.au
Yarralumla Montessori Community Fun Day
Yarralumla Montessori is a unique program within Yarralumla Primary School offering a Montessori early childhood education in a public-school setting.
The school is hosting a free community fun day on Sunday 23 October from 11am to 2pm to mark the 40th year of this unique educational environment in the heart of Canberra. The family-friendly celebration will include performances by the Wiradjuri Echoes, In Swing, Warehouse Circus, Dante Musica Viva Choir, and a book reading by local author Soli Middleby.
Pack a picnic and join in the celebrations, share memories with other alumni, or come along to learn more about the school and the benefits of a Montessori education.
Saturday 23 October | Yarralumla Primary School, 24 Loftus Street, Yarralumla | Facebook event
The 2022 Finnish Crazy Games
Forget grabbing your passport to head to the happiest country in the world—the Finnish Crazy Games are bringing us the best traditional (and craziest) games day you’ve ever experienced.
And with a day packed full of activities (hello live music, a Finnish market hall, a CBR Brave Ice Hockey Challenge, and even a sauna session for the first 60 applicants who register—a very integral part of Finnish culture), trust us when we say you’ll soon be falling in love with the Nordic nation.
Saturday 22 October, 10 am – 3 pm | Embassy of Finland, 12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla | finnishcrazygames.com
Inspired: Home Styling with Gina Ciancio
Join Style Curator’s Gina Ciancio at the Canberra Outlet Centre this weekend as she talks through how to style your home and make it uniquely you. As an Interior Designer and the Editor of Style Curator (an award-winning interiors blog), it’s the perfect chance to gain some insight on how to create a more stylish home. As a little bonus, all attendees also will receive a $20 gift card for Canberra Outlet!
Saturday 22 October | Canberra Outlet Centre | Tickets here.
French Australian Preschool Community Fête
Bonjour French lovers—the French Australian Preschool Community Fête is returning after a 2-year hiatus due to COVID! Expect plenty of entertainment, games, kids’ activities, stalls and food (including wine, cheese and cakes!). There will also be live music and a plant stall. Comme c’est excitant!
Saturday 22 October, 10 am – 2 pm | 31 Astrolabe Street Red Hill | facebook.com/events
Dragons Abreast Canberra Social & Corporate Regatta
Ever wanted to try dragon boat racing? Experience the thrill of dragon boat racing while supporting breast cancer survivors in this unique event. All funds raised will allow Dragons Abreast Canberra to keep doing their good work while celebrating wellness, fitness and camaraderie. Perfect for team building ot a day out with friends, stick to the circus theme and dress up to make it even more fun!
Saturday 22 October, 7 am – 2 pm | Lake Burley Griffin, Grevillea Park, Menindee Drive, Baton | facebook.com/DragonsAbreastCanberra
The Grass Is Greener
Finally coming to Canberra, this loved music festival is bringing all the good things, including a daring and unique lineup. Expect multiple themed stages, adventurous activations and a renewed VIP package program that will provide festival goers with an unforgettable experience. If you blink you might miss out!
Sunday 23 October | Patrick White Lawns, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | thegrassisgreener.com.au
Spring Clothes Swap
Love flowers and swapping clothes? Spring is the perfect time for both, and this indoor-outdoor sustainable fashion-meets-florals clothes swap is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Hosted by Clothes Swap & Style in collaboration with Juniper Blooms, Je Fleur and CBR Gals Network, 100% of ticket sales will be donated to Black Dog Institute to support mental health research.
Bring along one to seven items of clean, good quality clothing or accessories to add to the swap collection pool—you never know what you’ll find!
Sunday 23 October, 11 am – 1 pm | 12 Provan St, Campbell | Tickets here.
Walk to Fight Parkinson’s
This weekend walk, run or Nordic walk to raise vital funds and show support for people living with Parkinson’s and their families in the ACT. Held on Sunday October 23, enjoy walking with friends and family, nibbling on delicious offerings from a vibrant collection of food and beverage stalls and engaging activities throughout the morning. Go on, grab your sneakers for a good cause.
Sunday 23 October, 8 am | Rond Terrace, Commonwealth Park | fightingparkinsons.org.au
The Big Bounce Canberra
In news that will be music to the ears of overgrown children (just me…?), the world’s largest inflatable bouncy castle has locked in dates for this weekend. Expect a mammoth monolith of bouncy brilliance, with a whopping 1500 square metres of inflatable fun. How, you ask? By combining four massive inflatable parks in one location, of course.
Read more here.
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October | Canberra Greyhound Racing Club, 235 Narrabundah Ln, Symonston | thebigbounceaustralia.com.au
Food + wine
Spring High Tea
Did someone day High Tea with a glass of sparkling or a seasonal garden spritz? Feast on savoury options, including smoked salmon, crème fraîche and roe tartlets, lamb and harissa pies, chopped prawn buns, smoked duck and mushroom cigars as well as an array of delicate mini-masterpieces including housemade rhubarb cheesecake, lemon and olive oil cake with lemon curd, hazelnut praline, and gingerbread cookies with mascarpone…yum.
Sunday 23 October | Pialligo Estate, 18 Kallaroo Road, Pialligo | thepialligoestate.com.au
Road trip! Orange Wine Festival
Degustation dinners, yoga in the vines, and endless cool climate wines to try—if you’re thinking of taking a road trip to Orange, there’s never been a better time.
A scenic three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Canberra, the Orange Wine Festival is back from Friday 30 September until Saturday 29 October to celebrate the region’s thriving wine and food scene. With the opportunity to taste delicious local produce while enjoying various events across the month (hello wine-themed night market) it’s the perfect excuse for a spring mini break—and after the last few years wine-not treat yourself?
Until Saturday 29 October | Orange, NSW | orange360.com.au
Stage + screen
Cunard British Film Festival
Some of the greatest British films are coming to your screens this October at the Cunard British Film Festival hosted by Palace Cinema! It will feature big names such as Stephen Frears, Sally Hawkins, Colin Farrell and Bill Nighy, and will include the highly anticipated premier of Mrs. Harris goes to Paris! Some other movies that will be showing include numerous James Bond films, Emily, the story of Emily Brontë, The Lost King and so much more.
Until Wednesday 16 November | Palace Electric Cinemas | britishfilmfestival.com.au
Music
Braddon Busking Festival
Busking is returning to the streets of Braddon and get ready for the ultimate show down. Buskers will compete for cash and other prizes and will be eligible for the Australian National Busking Championships. Enjoy the local talent and vote for your favourite busker with busking tokens. Entry is free so make sure to check it out!
Sunday 23 October | Lonsdale Street in Braddon and in Haig Park Markets | braddoncollective.com
Quentin Angus Quintet: The State of Things Album Launch
There’s no denying award- winning guitarist /composer Quentin Angus is one of Australia’s brightest stars on the international circuit. Now having firmly cemented his place in the NYC jazz scene over the past decade, Angus returns home with his brand new album, The State of Things—get ready to hear “lord of the strings” and “the future of jazz composition” play.
Saturday 22 October, 7:30 pm | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers St | Tickets here
Dan Tepfer: Natural Machines
In an age of unprecedented technological advancement, composer-pianist-innovator Dan Tepfer is changing the definition of what a musical instrument can be. In this unique multi-sensory experience see Dan program a Yamaha Disklavier to respond in real time to music he improvises at the piano while at the same time he turns his music into stunning animated visual art projected onto a giant screen. It’s sure to be an extraordinary live performance.
Sunday 23 October, 4 pm | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers St | Tickets here.
Schubert and Ravel: The Spina and Benignetti Piano Duo
Featuring Schubert’s Piano Quintet D667 (“Die Forelle”), (transcribed for piano four hands by Hugo Ulrich), Ravel’s Valses Nobles et Sentimentales and La Valse (both transcribed for piano four hands by Lucien Garban), you can’t miss this performance from acclaimed Italian piano duo, Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti at the Wesley Music Centre.
Sunday 23 October, 6:30 pm | 20 National Circuit, Forrest | Tickets here.
Exhibitions
GOST + ADC | Hope Exhibition
A creative exchange between GOST and Sydney’s Australian Design Centre, this exhibition presents two simultaneous exhibitions in each venue, bringing ACT-based and NSW makers to new audiences. Curated by Anne Masters, this timely collection of small-scale works are large in spirit – with each artist responding to the idea of ‘hope’
Until Sunday 23 October | Gallery of Small Things, 27 Wade Street, Watson | galleryofsmallthings.com
Great Goddess
Created by Sally Blake, this is her third exhibition exploring regenerative symbolism in ancient European mythology through drawings and wire sculptures. Full of spirals, labyrinths and multitudes of patterns that are drawn within the Goddess’s body, the generative female form of Sally’s drawings appears repeatedly in European mammoth, ivory, ceramic and stone figurines from c. 30,000 – 10,000 BCE.
Until Saturday 13 November | Grainger Gallery, Studio 1 & 2, Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Rd, Fyshwick | graingergallery.com.au
Net Works
Paying tribute to our traditional weavers and these ancient cultural practices through the contemporary medium of glass, Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello’s exhibition concentrates on “the incredibly beautiful forms of traditional woven eel traps, fish traps and baskets, fish scoops, sieves, scoops and dillibags of our peoples, seeking to evoke the interplay of light and form found in those objects.”
Until Saturday 13 November | Grainger Gallery, Studio 1 & 2, Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Rd, Fyshwick | graingergallery.com.au
Nurture: Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre annual members exhibition
Feeling craft-y? The Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre annual members exhibition will showcase contemporary expressions of craft and design uniting time-honoured techniques with modern interpretations. Demonstrating the trends in contemporary craft and design in Australia by practitioners from the ACT and surrounding region, this can’t be missed.
Until Saturday 22 October | Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit | craftact.org.au
Contour 556: Manning Clark House
Head along to Manning Clark House this October to experience the best of modern art in a historic home thanks to Contour 556. Hosting three artists—Brett Stone, potter from Utopia Art Sydney, Abdul Abdullah, painter from Yavuz Gallery and Rosalind Lemoh, sculptor—this unique exhibition os completely free of charge. What are you waiting for?
Until Saturday 29 October | 11 Tasmania Cir, Forrest | contour556.com.au
Chris Denton: mists
Inspired by the musings of Einstein, Aristotle and Descartes on the concept of space, Chris Denton’s prints and drawings are intricate, minutely observed and exquisitely executed. In this exhibition discover his abiding interest in numbers, science and philosophy (all of which underpins his atmospheric works) which are distilled into the motif of a tree shrouded in mist. You can also view the exhibition online.
Until Saturday 29 October | Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street, Deakin | beavergalleries.com.au
Conflated | a NETS Victoria touring exhibition
Drawing on the inflatable form as both material and metaphor, Conflated brings disparate artists together to explore bodies, environments and cultures through contemporary art. Investigating the possibilities of the inflatable through participatory works that entice audiences into finding new forms of COVID-safe intimacy the exhibition explores the idea of inflation and deflation as a provocation, offering new possibilities in and for our world.
Until Friday 4 November | ANU School of Art & Design Gallery | soad.cass.anu.edu.au
Tree Whispers
Have you ever wondered if trees can talk? Can you hear their whispers? Tree Whispers is an exhibition by members of Networks Australia that shares fresh insights into the world of trees. This group of artists from ACT and regional NSW present unique works in a diversity of mediums that will share secrets from the mysterious lives of our leafy companions.
Until Sunday 27 November | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Lovely People in Lovely Country
An Panwell is well known for his landscapes and floral works, but this exhibition shifts his focus to portraiture. Having immigrated to Australia, An seeks to reflect what he shares of his own experience of living in Australia combined with what he learns from their life. But the best part of this exhibition is visitors will have the precious opportunity to observe An in action and be gifted with many opportunities to speak to him, ask questions and enjoy the new work evolve.
Until Sunday 27 November | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
A City for All Seasons
Presenting the work of local artist Mick Ashley, this exhibition takes a look into the many facets of Canberra life, including its subtle urban sprawl, cultural quirks and that rich tapestry of exotic and indigenous nature. Head along to enjoy an image for every month of the year which typifies a classic Canberra moment.
Until Sunday 27 November | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Brindabella Series
Inspired by the landscapes of the Brindabella range, Brindabella Series by ceramic artist Oliver Owens explores the relationships humans share with place through an abstracted depiction of landscape. Expect to see ceramic vessels that capture the light and colour qualities of the land and sky of the Brindabellas,
Until Sunday 27 November | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Arranging Light
Featuring a showcase of work by Canberra-based glass artist, Hannah Gason, this exhibition brings together object-based and ephemeral works that explore illusion, optics, and methodical patterns. Within this exhibition, Gason pays homage to the light works of Frank Hinder from the 1960s (whose works have inspired her practice) while showing the transformational abilities of glass, light and shadow.
Until Sunday 27 November | Canberra Glassworks Gallery, 11 Wentworth Ave, Kingston | canberraglassworks.com
night changes things, you can’t see exactly how but you can feel it in your bones
A series of free-standing sculptural works that reference the artist’s body scale, Consuelo Cavaniglia’s exhibition in the Smokestack Gallery was inspired by the experience of being in the Smokestack’s unique environment and how this architecture defines the volume, light and sounds within—creating daring, thought provoking and beautiful objects using glass as an artistic medium.
Until Sunday 27 November | Canberra Glassworks Gallery, 11 Wentworth Ave, Kingston | canberraglassworks.com
Not the only Clay in the Village
Showcasing recent works of eight clayworkers who are proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community living and thriving in the Canberra Region, this exhibition explores what it means to be a member of a community.
Individually and collectively exploring this topic, there are echoes of their identities within their clay expressions as well as the idea that they are gathered together based on shared identities while remaining individuals with diverse lived experiences.
Until Sunday 6 November | Canberra Potters Gallery, 1 Aspinall St Watson, ACT | canberrapotters.com.au
Autumn Bounty
Featuring the work of well-known Canberra artist, ceramicist and sculptor Camelia Smith, this exhibition embraces the glory of this past Autumn Bounty from her Kambah garden, in a group of still life miniatures along with a selection of reproduction luminous watercolour prints and sculptures.
Until Sunday 13 November | Designer Op Shop Emporium, Corner Of Barrier Street And, 1 Lyell St, Fyshwick | dosemporium.com.au
The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize
Celebrating its 20th year, the National Archives of Australia’s latest exhibition showcases artists’ interpretations of the scientific properties that surround us. Exploring nature’s triumphs, disasters, and the scientific issues we currently face, the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize is a multimedia collection that encourages artists to offer their view of the world.
A much-loved fixture in many art calendars, come explore the beauty and destruction of natural sciences by some incredibly talented artists.
Until Sunday 13 November | National Archives of Australia, Kings Avenue, Parkes | naa.gov.au
Cressida Campbell
From her molasses-rich colour palette to her ability to re-imagine kitchen scraps with the deceptive ease of a film dissolve, it’s easy to get lost within Cressida Campbell’s world.
Her latest exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia is intimately soaked in her identity, the beautiful details of painted wood blocks and a ‘hard to pinpoint’ temporal energy that will disarm and transport audiences along the way. Featuring more than 140 works of art from the renowned artist, including new acquisitions and key works from private and public collections it will offer new insights into her life and work, featuring research and writing from a range of curators, artists, poets and other voices.
Until Saturday 19 February 2023 | The National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au
Workshops, webinars + more
Cressida Campbell: drop-in and draw
Cressida Campbell has always loved drawing the beauty of what she sees around her in everyday life—and now as her work is showcased in a stunning exhibition, you’re invited to gather around the table to observe, compose and draw together. A still life of objects from the National Gallery’s collection and from Cressida Campbell’s own home will provide inspiration for people of all ages and abilities
The space is open daily during the Cressida Campbell exhibition and an exhibition ticket is not required.
Until February 2023 | National Gallery of Australia | nga.gov.au
Markets
The Little Burley Market
The team from Local Village Markets, who revitalised Haig Park with their farmers and foodies market are launching The Little Burley Market, a bespoke market by the lake. Launching on the opening day of Floriade, the market will offer a diverse array of multicultural foods, much-loved beverages and brunchables, beautiful blooms, locally made art, fashion, photography and homewares, artisan bread, delectable pastries, seafood, smoked charcuterie, truffles, meats, puppy treats and much more. See you there?
Every Saturday, 9am – 1.30pm | Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | thelittleburleymarket.com.au
Sutton Village Markets
A new farmers market has entered the Canberra region. Located only thirty minutes away in Sutton, take a Sunday drive to enjoy some entertainment and the chance to explore a little slice of the countryside. The fresh and local produce is also a plus!
Fortnightly | Corner of Camp and Victoria Street, Sutton | suttonvillagecountrymarkets.com.au
Old Bus Depot Markets
With more than 100 stalls (including your old favourites), you’ll have the chance to shop for a brilliant variety of Australian-made, handcrafted and premium products. Sneak a walk around the foreshore while you’re down there.
9.30 am – 2.30 pm Sunday | Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.com.au
Capital Region Farmers Markets
With more than 100 stallholders each week, the Capital Region Farmers Market at EPIC Park has endless options when it comes to freshly picked, grown and handcrafted produce.
Fill the garden using their great selection of native and landscape plants, fruit trees, seedlings and shrubs or fill your stomach with freshly baked bread, cakes, macarons and croissants.
7 am–11.30 am Saturday | Exhibition Park in Canberra | capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au
Southside Farmers Markets
This village market is located at Canberra College, making it the perfect place to duck in to grab what you need (and maybe a few things you don’t). Order an egg and bacon roll to start the morning as you explore the best of fresh seasonal veggies, handmade pasta and pet treats.
8 am–11.30 am Sunday | 2 Launceston Street, Phillip | facebook.com
