NightFest is ready to light up the night for another year. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
You’ve almost made it to the weekend – and it’s a long weekend! – so you’ve got three days to fill. Lucky for you, we’re here to help you out – and for parents, we can even help keep the youngsters entertained. Let’s get into it!
Multiple days
The Boy from Oz is the most successful Australian musical and the first to make it to Broadway – and now it’s coming home. Image: Free Rain Theatre Company.
The Boy from Oz
When: 1 October to 20 October, shows at various times
Where: Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre (The Q), 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan
Cost: Tickets cost between $52 and $70 and are available via the Performing Arts Centre’s website.
The Boy from Oz is the first Australian music to make it to Broadway, but now it’s really hitting the big stage at the magnificent Q in Queanbeyan!
The show is a musical biography of Peter Allen, who was born in 1944 in Tenterfield. He made his entertainment debut at the age of five as an Al Jolson impersonator. His teenage years saw him become a pop star, tour Asia, work with Judy Garland and marry Liza.
Throughout his career, he would become known for his energetic performances and lavish costumes and songwriting ( ‘I Honestly Love You’, ‘(Arthur’s Theme) The Best That You Can Do’, ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ and ‘I Go to Rio’). The show’s music and lyrics are by Peter Allen and the book by Nick Enright. The Boy from Oz also features haze, adult themes and infrequent coarse language.
See Floriade in a new light when Nightfest arrives. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
NightFest
When: 3 October to 6 October, gates open from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Where: Commonwealth Park, Regatta Place, Parkes
Cost: Tickets cost between $27 and $35 (a family ticket costs $97) and are available via Ticketek.
NightFest is coming back to light up the night! Take a stroll through the flowers lit up in dazzling light displays and check out the range of shows and roving performers, be inspired by an art installation and grab something tasty to eat.
While NightFest is just starting this week, the daytime Floriade fun is set to continue until 13 October, including the Flowers in the Garden Tours at Lanyon Homestead, a circus show at the Kazador Tent, a wine-tasting masterclass and live performances from creatives of all kinds.
Gorillas are just one of the animals making their home at Mogo Wildlife Park. Photo: Karyn Starmer.
Junior and Kindy Zookeeper for a Day
When: 4 October and 10 October, 9 am to 12 pm (Kindy program); 8 October, 9 am to 3 pm (Junior program)
Where: Mogo Wildlife Park, 222 Tomakin Road, Mogo
Cost: Tickets for the Kindy program and the Junior program are available via the zoo’s website.
Stop by Mogo and take a behind-the-scenes look at what zookeepers do tacthese school holidays. The zoo is running sessions for young kids to try their hand at looking after the animals. They will also take home a printed photo, zookeeper cap and other souvenirs to help them remember the day.
The Kindy Zookeeper program is aimed at kids aged five to seven (a parent will also need to come along), and the Junior Zookeeper is for kids aged eight to 11. A qualified zookeeper supervises both programs.
Dracula’s: Sanctuary
When: 4 October to 5 October, shows at 8 pm and 2 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Civic
Cost: Tickets cost between $98 and $119 (plus transaction fee) and are available via the Theatre Centre’s website.
Vaudevillian variety show Dracula is returning to Canberra with its brand-new show, Sanctuary. From breath-taking acrobats to songs that will make you want to dance, this show is sure to entertain. Sanctuary contains partial nudity, coarse language, strobe, haze, fog, smoke effects and simulated pyrotechnics. It is not suitable for people aged 15 years and under.
Let the Durham Pub bring Germany to you this Oktoberfest. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Oktoberfest
When: 5 October to 12 October
Where: The Durham Castle Arms Pub, 52 Jardine Street, Kingston
Cost: Free entry, though bookings can be made via the venue’s online booking system.
Celebrate Oktoberfest in style in Kingston! The Durham Castle Arms Pub will have German beers by Maises Weiss on tap, as well as German-style beers by local and Australian breweries. Take a seat and enjoy traditional German food and German music.
Get up close and personal with some of nature’s smallest creatures. Photo: Wildlife Reimagined/Facebook.
Bugs Alive! exhibition
When: 9 October to 14 October, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Where: Australian National Botanic Gardens, Clunies Ross Street, Acton
Cost: Tickets cost $10 (for a child ticket) or $15 (for an adult ticket) and are available online.
This is a show for the brave souls among us. Yass-based business Wildlife Reimagined has partnered with the Australian National Botanic Gardens for a show all about bugs. Wildlife Reimagined will bring along more than 40 species of bugs for the brave to examine – learn about the world’s deadliest spider, insects that can live underwater and much more.
Saturday
Pat Powell is performing at Tuggeranong Arts Centre for Jazz Haus on 5 October. Photo: Murray Foote.
The Jazz Haus
When: 5 October, 7 pm to 9 pm (bar open from 6 pm)
Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed Street, Greenway
Cost: Tickets cost between $38 and $45 and are available via TicketTailor.
Finish your Saturday in style with a concert bringing together jazz, soul, funk and blues music. Jamaican singer Pat Powell will take to the stage, joined by bassist Nick Hoorweg, drummer Colin Hoorweg and pianist Damien Slingsby.
Sunday
The Hartley Hall Markets are back this month, with plenty of stalls to enjoy. Photo: Hartley Lifecare.
Hartley Hall Markets
When: 6 October (and the first Sunday of each month), 10 am to 3 pm
Where: Hall Showground, Victoria Street, Hall
Cost: Gold coin donation on entry.
There’ll be plenty of local stallholders at this weekend’s Hartley Hall Markets selling unique homegrown and handmade goods. You’ll also be supporting a local charity – Hartley Lifecare’s disability programs and services – at the same time! Dogs are also invited.
Enjoy Punjabi culture at the Khed Mela in the heart of Canberra. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Canberra Khed Mela 2024
When: 6 October, 11 am to 5 pm
Where: Budawang Pavilion, Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), corner of Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue, Mitchell
Cost: Free entry.
The Canberra Punjabi Sports and Cultural Association (CPSCA), organisers of the Khed Mela (Fair), is inviting people from across the bush capital to learn about the Punjabi language, sports, culture and food. Attendees will be able to browse stalls featuring traditional clothing, jewellery, henna tattoos, face painting and delicious food. They can also take in live performances and workshops.
Tuesday
Let the kids burn off some energy while learning about the world around us. Photo: Ginninderry Conservation Trust.
Junior Rangers School Holiday Program
When: 8 October, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: The Link, 1 McClymont Way, Strathnairn
Cost: Tickets cost $10 and are available via Humanitix.
If your kids have ever wondered what it’s like to work outdoors, this is their chance to give it a go. Attendees will meet at The Link before heading out into nature where they will learn how to conduct surveys, examine species, read maps and more.
This Junior Ranger program is suitable for children aged between four and 10 (a parent or carer must also come along). Attendees are also asked to wear long trousers, enclosed shoes and a hat, and also to bring a water bottle and snacks.
Townsend of the Ranges recounts Thomas Scott Townsend, a legendary figure from history. Image: National Library of Australia.
Townsend of the Ranges launch
When: 8 October, 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes; view live online via the Library’s Facebook and YouTube pages
Cost: Free entry; registration via StickyTickets is essential for in-person attendees.
Peter Crowley is sitting down for a chat with ABC National Affairs Correspondent Melissa Clarke about his debut book, Townsend of the Ranges. The book is a study of surveyor Thomas Scott Townsend (1812–1869), whose work spanned large swathes of what would become southern NSW and Victoria.
In his biography of Townsend, Crowley used primary sources to piece together his life and career, paired with original maps drawn by Townsend himself.
Wednesday
In the sci-fi horror movie The Thing (directed by John Carpenter, 1982), the enemy can look like the face in the mirror. Photo: National Film and Sound Archive.
The Thing
When: 9 October, from 6 pm
Where: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton
Cost: Free entry, though attendees must book a seat through the Archive’s website.
Love it or not, The Thing has become a cult favourite since its 1982 release – and here is your chance to see it on the big screen. At an isolated research station in Antarctica, a rescued dog reveals itself to be a monstrous creature that can shapeshift. When it begins to pick off the crew one by one, helicopter pilot MacReady (Kurt Russell) must lead them in a fight for survival.
Presented in collaboration with Geoscience Australia for Earth Science Week, the screening is part of Science. Art. Film., a free monthly series about the crossover between science and art in movies. It will be followed by a panel discussion about the things lurking in the ice. Dr Wilma Huneke, a research fellow at the Australian National University, will join Geoscience Australia’s geodesist Ryan Ruddick and Antarctic geoscientist Ross Whitmore. Senior Lecturer in Science Communication Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens will moderate the conversation.
Running for Resilience has partnered with Lifeline Canberra to raise awareness of mental health. Photo: Running 4 Resilience.
Walk for World Mental Health Week
When: 9 October, 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: The Dock, 37 Eastlake Parade, Kingston
Cost: Free event.
Local running group Running 4 Resilience will hit the pavement for a special course. On Wednesday evening, they will partner with Lifeline Canberra in a special event for Mental Health Week. Before the run starts, a guest from Lifeline Canberra will be speaking about the importance of mental health. Attendees are asked to wear something blue to show support for Lifeline Canberra’s work.
Thursday
See how funny you are at this open mic night for comedians. Image: The Durham Comedy Club/Facebook.
Durham Comedy Club Open Mic
When: 10 October, from 8:30 pm
Where: The Durham Castle Arms Pub, 52 Jardine Street, Kingston
Cost: Free entry.
Think you’ve got the skills for stand-up comedy? Head to Kingston and try your hand – or rather, your material – at this open mic night. Or, come along for a larf and witness the birth of Canberra’s next generation of comics.
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