October 10

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It’s Friday, 10 October. This weekend 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland is coming to Canberra for the Highland Gathering and it's 🐶 Dogs' Day Out at Floriade. Plus celebrate our fantastic local 📚 bookshops at Love Your Bookshop Day!

💨 Weather: 22° and windy.

👉 This Weekend in Canberra

There’s the Canberra Highland Gathering, Dogs’ Day Out at Floriade, Sly Fox Markets, a concert at the Carillon and much more coming up this weekend.

Get the full rundown of weekend events.

This Weekend: 📚 Love Your Bookshop Day

This Saturday is Love Your Bookshop Day—the annual celebration of everything that makes local bookshops special.

The Book Cow: At The Book Cow in Kingston, there’s a weekend of specials and events, including book launches, a colouring-in competition, a scavenger hunt, and a spring sale with books from $5. Details here.

Paperchain: This Saturday, enjoy 10% off all children’s, junior, and young adult titles, plus surprises and bookish treats.

Harry Hartog: At Harry Hartog in Tuggeranong, there’ll be a Take and Drop book recommendation board where you can leave or take reading suggestions.

Something to Do: 🕵️‍♀️ A Night Out

Wild West Murder Mystery: Peacemaker Saloon in Braddon is hosting a Wild West–themed murder mystery dinner. Over the course of the night, you’ll share a two-course meal while piecing together evidence, interrogating your tablemates, and watching alliances form—and crack. Details here.

Rocky Horror Picture Show: The NFSA is celebrating 50 years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a midnight screening. Hosted by Venus Mantrap, the evening includes dress-ups, props, callbacks, a free drink on arrival, and a complimentary prop bag. Details here.

Coming Up: 👗 Clothing the Loop

Clothing the Loop is a festival where fashion, art, design, and activism collide to inspire circular textiles and sustainable fashion in the local community. The day–night festival features sewing and textile art workshops, panel discussions, a giant clothes swap, a local designer fashion parade, and performances addressing the fast fashion and waste crisis. It’s happening next Saturday at the Dairy Road precinct. Details here.

🎭 Coming Up On Stage

Come From Away: Based on the true story of a tiny town with a huge heart, this musical takes you to Gander, Newfoundland, where 7,000 airline passengers were unexpectedly grounded after 9/11 and the locals welcomed them with open arms. As part of Dramatic Productions’ Dramatic Difference program, each show (excluding opening and closing night) will be dedicated to one of twelve local charities. It’s on now until 18 October. Details here.

Newsies Jnr: A shortened version of the 2012 Broadway musical based on the 1992 film, inspired by the rousing true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City. It’s coming to The Street next week. Details here.

🪏 Canberra Gardening

Native Plant Sale: Next weekend, the Australian Native Plant Society Canberra is holding its Spring Native Plant Sale, where you’ll find 7,000 Australian native plants representing more than 250 species. And unlike what you’ll find at Bunnings, all plants are locally grown and selected to suit Canberra’s unique climate. Details here.

Bee Friendly Garden: If you’re looking to create a pollinator-friendly garden, ACT for Bees has produced a free planting guide tailored to the Canberra region. Details here.

Crop Swap: During COVID, the Canberra Tannery turned the old drying racks behind the workshop into a veggie garden, which is now the venue for a local crop swap. The idea is simple: bring something you’ve grown or made, place it on the table, and take something else in exchange. It could be veggies, fruit, seeds, seedlings, bulbs, flowers, eggs, honey, herbs, jams, pickles, or sauces. It’s a great way to meet other like-minded locals. The next crop swap is happening this Saturday. Details here.

📰 Tidbits

Additional Green Bins: From early November, residents will be able to sign up for a second 240L green bin. There’s a one-off delivery fee and an annual fee of $86. Collections will continue every second week.

Asparagus: Visiting the Farmers Market this weekend? Keep an eye out for fresh asparagus—it’s only around for the next two weekends. Details here.

🧩 Friday Quiz

Gather the office brains trust for the weekly quiz...

Play this week’s quiz.

Supported By:

🪐 Cottis Conducts The Planets: The Canberra Symphony Orchestra performs 'The Planets', an expansive, spine-tingling musical suite that served as a source of inspiration for some of cinema's greatest composers, including John Williams and Hans Zimmer. Don't miss this epic orchestral masterwork that shaped the sound of cinema itself! Details here.

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🎻 DroneArt: Immerse yourself in a magical evening where classical music meets cutting-edge technology. Beneath the starry sky, a talented quartet will perform masterpieces while a breathtaking drone show turns the air into a canvas of light and colour. A unique experience not to be missed. Details here.

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Canberra Digest will be back on Monday. Have a great weekend!