The Weekend Edit

Posted on 9 October, 2020

Things are changing in Canberra as we work together to keep our community safe.

While restrictions are lifting, we strongly encourage you to keep physical distance between each other when you leave the house and be mindful of the current restrictions.

Let’s stay safe and sensible, Canberra, and we’ll get through this together.

Pets’ Day In + Dogs’ Night Out

Credit: Lean Timms.

Even COVID couldn’t stop Floriade pampering pooches in 2020, with not one, but two doggie-centric activities planned for the end of Floriade: Reimagined!

Pets’ Day In on Sunday 11 October will allow pet owners to download a series of at-home activities to celebrate our beloved fur babies, with on-demand dog yoga workshops, photography competitions, quizzes and resources—even cats are invited this year!

There will be tips from veterinarian and author Karen Viggers, advice on how to make sure there are no hidden nasties in your garden for unsuspecting pets, training tips and more.

Alternatively, if your pooch has already picked out their outfit for a big day out, be quick to snap up a ticket to Floriade: Reimagined’s hottest event—Dogs’ Night Out.

Happening Sunday 11 October—see floriadeaustralia.com/event/pets-day-in and floriadeaustralia.com/event/dogs-night-out for more information on each event.

The Gig Economy

Are you joining the gig economy in 2020?

Get in for a red-hot line up of some of Canberra’s funniest people all in one gig at The Gig Economy. Hosted by Chris Ryan, the night features Deadly Funny runner up, Benny Eggmolesse, Anthony Tomic, Roland Bull, Polly Hemming and Joey Richards.

Happening Saturday 10 October from 7 pm at Canberra Theatre Centre

See canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/the-gig-economy for more information.

Floriade: Reimagined

During Floriade’s 33-year history the festival has transformed into Australia’s biggest celebration of spring with approximately half a million guests annually. 2020’s festival not only marks flowers blooming to life after their winter hibernation but also celebrates the community spirit and resilience that Canberrans have displayed during recent challenging times.

In 2020, Floriade has been reimagined with the annual spring celebration moving from its traditional home in Commonwealth Park to bloom across Canberra. One million bulbs and annuals will create a tulip trail through the ACT’s suburbs and city. With floral plantings by the Floriade horticulture team and over 90 Canberra community groups, this year’s festival allows the community to connect safely while public health restrictions are in place.

Floriade: Reimagined offers all the Floriade activities you know and love with a mix of virtual and in-person experiences. From 12 September to 11 October 2020, enjoy Floriade Life featuring workshops, talks, and fitness classes to help keep your gardens green and minds inspired. Stock up on Australian designed products, gardening delights and spring-inspired eats at the virtual marketplace that showcases all your favourite Floriade traders and foodies.

Young Floriade fans can learn about sustainability and the environment, search for gnomes hidden throughout Canberra and uncover new worlds with Floriade Sprouts.

Free

Happening 12 September–11 October from 9.30 am–5.30 pm at various locations around Canberra.

See floriadeaustralia.com for more information.

Coin Operated Queens: Drag Brunch

Do you love Drag Queens? Phish and Phreak Productions is running Canberra’s first Drag Brunch and would love to see you there!

What’s a Drag Brunch I hear you ask? You and your best friends head on over to the lovely Reload Bar & Games, enjoy mimosas on arrival and a selection of delicious treats and enjoy fabulous entertainers taking you through an afternoon of shenanigans – including trivia, games, Drag Family Feud and a few wonderful lip sync performances too!

Tickets include a mimosa and Soul Cartel share platter on arrival, with the bar offering extra special drinks deals!

Happening Saturday 10 October from 2–5 pm at Reload Bar and Games, 38 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra.

See phishandphreak.com/product/coin-operated-queens-10oct for more information.

Exhibition: Pub Rock

Pub Rock is your backstage pass to 70s and 80s sounds and scenes.

Celebrate the people, places and sounds of Australian pub rock and its enduring impact on our nation’s identity.

Get in amongst the staged portraits, publicity shots and grungy energy of live performance as pioneering acts like The Easybeats, Little Pattie and Johnny O’Keefe share the stage with global players and local favourites. The line-up includes AC/DC, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, INXS, Nick Cave, The Bee Gees, Kylie Minogue, Paul Kelly, Yothu Yindi, Marcia Hines and many more.

This vibrant (sometimes sweaty) exhibition of homegrown rock ‘n’ roll, punk and pop features works from the NPG collection alongside images by leading Australian music photographers.

Showing until 12 February 2021 at the National Portrait Gallery.

See portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/pub-rock-2020 for more information.

A Wild Night Out at Tidbinbilla

There has never been a better time to experience Canberra’s iconic wildlife sanctuary than this September/October school holidays with the ultimate family sleepover—A Wild Night Out at Tidbinbilla.

More than just accommodation, the pop up wilderness family camp includes your overnight stay in glamping tents with real beds, four unique day and night ranger activities, dinner, campfire fun under the stars, breakfast as well as a day pass to explore Tidbinbilla after check out.

Explore this vast 54.5 square kilometre nature reserve with specially designed ranger-guided activities that offer new and exclusive ways to learn about the diversity of wildlife in this unique landscape. From hi-tech wildlife, behind the scenes at the vet centre to CSI Tidbinbilla, we have created engaging workshop for children ideally aged between five and twelve years. Younger children are welcome by arrangement, this is a family camp with lights out at 10 pm.

Wake up in the wild and experience Tidbinbilla in a whole new light.

Bookings can be made from Friday 25 Sept – Saturday 10 Oct 2020 (Closed Sunday 27 Sept, Monday 28 Sept & Monday 5 Oct 2020) inclusive.

Happening until 10 October at Tidbilbilla.

See wildfest.com.au/tidbinbilla for more information.

Lunchbox Acoustic

Introducing the City Renewal Authority’s new Lunchbox Acoustic program of​ live performances in the city centre!

The program features talented, local artists performing weekdays at lunchtime (12 pm – 1.30 pm) in Civic and Braddon from September until Christmas.

These live performances will bring life to the heart of the city and encourage people to spend time in our city centre’s outdoor public spaces.

The Lunchbox Acoustic program is a diverse mix of performances by entertainers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, female and non-binary performers, singers and musicians and theatre, poetry and dance artists.

Happening Monday–Fridays until 23 December from 12–1.30 pm in Garema Place, City Walk and Braddon.

See Facebook for more information.

Australian Dreams: Picturing our Built World

For over 200 years, painters, printmakers and photographers have been in a creative conversation with the built environment. Reflecting progress, social ideas, understanding of the world and how we have changed over time, the exhibition Australian Dreams: Picturing our Built World shows how, through images, these artists have documented, interpreted, and celebrated a variety of buildings from the Opera House and Flinders Street Station to the inner city terrace and the humble bush cottage.

Sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, these buildings are the backdrops to life. They reflect a sense of identity, hopes and dreams, rendered in bricks and mortar.

Drawing exclusively from the collections of the National Library, the exhibition features photographs, prints, drawings and paintings by Augustus Earle, Conrad Martens, S T Gill, Eugene von Guérard, Lionel Lindsay, Harold Cazneaux, Olive Cotton, Mark Strizic, David Moore, Max Dupain, Jeff Carter, Ruth Maddison, Wolfgang Sievers and John Gollings.

Free entry.

Showing until 31 January 2021 at the National Library of Australia, Parkes.

See nla.gov.au/exhibitions/australian-dreams-picturing-our-built-world for more information.

Australian Love Stories: an amorous online adventure

Australian Love Stories is an interactive storybook of Australian devotion, family ties, close friendships, passion and lust, not your usual online exhibition experience, these fascinating portraits and stories become a choose-your-own adventure, where you can navigate your way through the portraits and engage with the stories behind them.

At the end you will be given your own ‘love profile’, based on how and where your love interests lead you.

Featuring famous figures from the NPG collection, Australian Love Stories explores universal themes encompassed by ‘love’ and offers an exhaustive feast of love tales, from drama, lust, devotion, seduction and scandal.

This intriguing, moving, sometimes hilarious love journey is available for you to play online ahead of a major new physical exhibition scheduled for March 2021. Proudly presented by National Portrait Gallery

Happening until 31 October online, thanks to the National Portrait Gallery.

See portrait.gov.au/lovestories to get started.

Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians

This stunning exhibition takes you on a journey, travelling onboard the ship with Captain James Cook and for the first time hearing the stories from those on the shore.

In looking at our past, we have the chance to join together and imagine a shared future. Explore our new exhibition online or onsite and trace the Endeavour voyage.

Tickets are timed to assist in physical distancing.

Showing until 11 October 2020 at the National Museum of Australia.

See nma.gov.au/exhibitions/endeavour-voyage for more information.

Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe

In Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe (From my women), Shirley Purdie pays homage to the women in her family, representing herself through collective knowledge, culture and values.

Acquired by the Portrait Gallery in September 2019, this non-representational self-portrait is informed by Aboriginal ways of seeing and understanding the world.

Each panel contains a story, producing a portrait that is a complex kaleidoscope of personal history, identity and connection to country.

Showing until 1 November 2020 at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.

Find out more at portrait.gov.au.

Credit: VisitCanberra.