An annual festival will light up the night in a display of Japanese culture. Photo: Jack Mohr.
Can you believe it’s almost November? We can’t! Here are our picks of events to enjoy that will help you slow down and relax as we get closer to the silly season. After all, we can all use a break by this point in the year.
Multiple days
The Wharf Revue – The End Of The Wharf As We Know It. Image: Supplied.
The Wharf Revue – The End Of The Wharf As We Know It
When: 25 October to 2 November, various times
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Cct, Canberra
Cost: Tickets cost between $89 and $99 (plus transaction fee) and are available via Canberra Theatre Centre.
After 25 years in the harsh and unforgiving spotlight of politics, The Wharf Revue is coming to an end.
Known for its incisive and witty satire, featuring a mix of sketches, musical numbers and hilarious parodies, this high-energy revue of the year in politics is an absolute must-see.
Now, in its final year, comedy’s sharpest wits take on our who’s-who of politics in a show that will have you rolling in the aisles, whether you have your finger on the political pulse or not.
LEGO creations of all kinds will shine at the Canberra Brick Expo. Photo: Jake Radloff.
Canberra Brick Show
When: 26 October, 9 am to 5 pm; and 27 October, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Thoroughbred Park, 1 Randwick Road, Lyneham
Cost: General admission tickets cost $12 and are available via TryBooking.
The Canberra LEGO User Group is back for another year to show people of all ages can enjoy LEGO. Across two days, the show will feature over 300 tables of displays and custom models, LEGO artworks, and collaboration builds. If you get inspired during your visit, there will be new and vintage LEGO sets for purchase so you can build your own creations. Kids can also free-build at the play tables, showing off their skills.
For the first time, there’s an adults-only ‘LEGO After Dark’ component from 6 pm on Saturday, where parents can leave the kids at home and enjoy canapes, fizzy drinks and some alcoholic beverages. Attendees can build on the fun with door prizes and games (all LEGO-themed, of course).
Explore all things psychic at this fair in Ainslie. Image: Canberra Psychic Fairs/Facebook.
Canberra Psychic Fair
When: 26 October to 27 October, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Ainslie Football Club, 52 Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie
Cost: Entry is $5 (children aged 16 years and under have free entry).
Have you ever wondered what the world of psychics and magic is like? Take a peek at it, and check out stallholders featuring crystals, handmade jewellery, Wicca products, Tarot cards and more spiritual items. For the curious and believers alike, there will also be opportunities for aura photography, wax art readings, spirit drawings and readings from psychic mediums.
The Canberra Writers Festival is a great opportunity to expand your mind with some shelf help. Photo: National Library of Australia.
Canberra Writers Festival 2024 at the National Library
When: 26 October to 27 October, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Where: National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Canberra
Cost: Tickets cost between $22 and $28 and are available online.
The Canberra Writers Festival is heading to the National Library! Eight events across two days will explore stories, our debts to the past, interwoven narratives, Aussie slang (drop bears and all) and more – all through the lens of some of the best reads out there.
Attendees will get 10 per cent off books written by authors appearing at Writers Festival events across the weekend. But you need to book!
Research Festival 2024
When: 31 October to 28 November, events at various times
Where: Locations across Canberra; see program.
Cost: Free entry.
Ever wondered what goes on behind the doors and in the labs of the University of Canberra (UC)? Start by checking out the Life of a CBRn pop-up exhibition – a visual timeline of UC research that has impacted Canberrans.
One of the key events is a chance for the public to learn about how UC and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) have worked together on research projects about women in sport. The rest of the program is packed with examples of how academic research from UC has shaped the world we live in.
Get involved in this theatre show from the comfort of your seat. Image: Canberra Theatre Centre.
Boo! A Trick or Treat Comedy
When: 31 October to 2 November, shows from 6:30 pm
Where: The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Circuit, Civic
Cost: Tickets cost between $29 and $39 (plus transaction fee) and are available via the Theatre Centre’s website.
Boo! gives the audience control over the spooky play, all about supernatural powers, ghosts and plenty of laughs, This performance may contain strobe lighting and haze effects and is suitable for audiences aged 13 and older.
Friday
Spooktacular is a family Halloween fundraising event. Photo: National Zoo and Aquarium.
Spooktacular at the National Zoo and Aquarium
When: 25 October, 5:30 pm to 8 pm
Where: National Zoo and Aquarium, 999 Lady Denman Drive, Yarralumla
Cost: Tickets cost between $90 and $250 (all children aged three or younger have entry via a gold coin donation) and are available online.
Spend some time in nature at a Halloween event with a twist. All proceeds will be donated directly to wildlife conservation projects to help protect threatened species around the world.
Every ticket covers after-hours entry to the zoo, a drink token, a trick-or-treat bag for each kid and bottomless candy. The young and young-at-heart will spend the evening enjoying scavenger hunts, craft activities, dance contests, face painting and more spooky activities. There will also be prizes for best dressed, so make sure to think carefully about what you wear.
The festival is going to close soon – but not without a party! Image: Canberra Art Biennial.
Canberra Art Biennial Closing Party
When: 25 October, 6 pm to 11 pm
Where: The Vault, Dairy Road Precinct, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick
Cost: Tickets cost $10 (plus booking fee) and are available via Humanitix.
The 2024 Canberra Art Biennial is set to finish, but not without a party first! Music and contemporary art will take over The Vault for a one-night celebration.
Saturday
This concert is bringing classical music to a historic homestead. Image: Canberra Museum and Gallery.
Live at Lanyon
When: 26 October, from 5 pm (gates open from 4:30 pm)
Where: Lanyon Homestead, Tharwa Drive, Tharwa
Cost: Tickets cost between $15 and $95 (children aged two years and under have free entry) and are available via Humanitix.
Keen on some live music to help you relax after a look week? Head to Lanyon Homestead for some newer and not-so-new pieces from Mozart, The Beatles, U2 and others.
Pack a picnic or pre-order a cheese box from Le Cheeserie to settle in with as you enjoy the music. The ACT Instrumental Music Program Senior Jazz Band will perform from 5 pm before the Canberra Symphony Orchestra takes to the stage at 5:30 pm.
Canberra-Nara Park will be bathed in the soft light of candles this Saturday to celebrate the sister-city relationship. Photo: Jack Mohr.
Canberra Nara Candle Festival
When: 26 October, 4 pm to 9 pm
Where: Canberra Nara Peace Park, Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla
Cost: Free entry.
Nara, in Japan, became Canberra’s first ‘sister city’ on 26 October 1993, and it has been celebrated in a light show since 2003. The candles are inspired by the larger festival, Nara Tokae, which is held annually in Nara.
This year, Canberrans can experience a taste of Japan through cultural displays and performances such as Taiko drumming, martial arts and calligraphy. There will also be a cosplay competition and chances to ring the Peace Bell. Through the night, 2000 candles will help light it all.
Sunday
This is your chance to pick up some new planet pets this Sunday. Image: Cactus and Succulent Society of ACT/Facebook.
Cactus and Succulent Expo
When: 27 October, 10:30 am to 3 pm
Where: Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club, 110 Gundaroo Drive, Nichols
Cost: Entry is $5.
If the arrival of warmer weather has had you thinking of your garden, this is your chance to get some new plants. In this event, organised by the Cactus and Succulent Society of ACT, a wide variety of cactus and succulents will be available from interstate growers and vendors, as well as a display and raffle.
Tuesday
An expo to give Queanbeyan’s small business a helping hand is coming this week. Photo: Small Business Month Expo.
Queanbeyan Small Business Expo
When: 29 October, 1 pm to 7 pm
Where: Royal Hotel Queanbeyan, 85 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan
Cost: Free entry, though online registration is necessary.
The NSW Small Business Commission is leading a series of expos across the state during NSW Small Business Month 2024. As October draws to a close, it’s stopping by Queanbeyan.
The Small Business Month Expos will give small business owners and their staff the opportunity to network with government agencies and large organisations, connect with other small businesses (including those from their region), and learn new skills. The day will see top industry professionals and emerging talent come together to showcase the latest advancements and trends.
Thursday
Test your spooky knowledge and see who comes out the winner. Image: The Durham/Facebook.
Spooktacular Halloween Trivia
When: 31 October, from 7:30 pm
Where: The Durham Castle Arms Pub, 52 Jardine Street, Kingston
Cost: Tickets cost $10 and are available via the venue’s online booking system.
How much do you know about Halloween, thrillers and the supernatural? Who was the lead actor in the film Ghost? Which American town was famous for its witch trials?
Put it all to the test in the Durham’s first-ever spooky-themed trivia. The best-dressed team will also take home a voucher for an escape room, so get cracking on the costumes!
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