October 7

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It’s Tuesday, 7 October. This week there's a Highland Gathering, a concert at the Carillon and the Sly Fox Markets are back. I've got all the details in today's issue plus some more free school holiday activities.

⛅️ Weather: 20° and partly cloudy today. The weather is warming up but it's going to be a blustery week ahead with scattered showers.

📆 This Week in Canberra

Here are this week’s highlights:

Canberra Highland Gathering: The Canberra Highland Gathering is an Australian take on the traditional Scottish Highland Games. Pipe bands will descend on the capital, the Kilted Warriors competition will feature strongmen competing in the caber toss and atlas stones, and this year the National Town Crier Championships will be part of the event. Details here.

Windows to the World at Floriade: Before next weekend’s Windows to the Worldevent, where embassies around Canberra open their doors to the public, there’s a lead-in showcase at Floriade this weekend. Enjoy traditional performances, sample authentic food and drinks, and explore exhibits featuring traditional clothing and cultural displays. Details here.

Dogs’ Day Out at Floriade: Treat your pup to a day out among the flowers. This Sunday, the final day of Floriade, the festival welcomes dogs for a day of fun with dog-specific retail vendors and dog-friendly programming on stage and throughout the park. Details here.

Chime In: The Carillon is holding a concert featuring didgeridoo, marimba, saxophone, and music from the Beatles, Disney & Pixar, musicals, and new compositions. A jazz band will also perform in Kings Park. Kids can enjoy carillon-inspired arts and crafts and face painting. There will be food vendors, or bring a picnic by the lake. Details here.

Sly Fox Market: Held on the bike path in O’Connor, the Sly Fox flea market features vintage and second-hand books, clothes, jewellery and more, plus local crafts, food and drink. Details here.

The National Vintage Guitar Expo: A celebration of vintage and rare acoustic and electric guitars, amplifiers, and accessories from around Australia, held each year in Canberra. Details here.

Canberra Colour Frenzy Run: A non-competitive fun run where participants of all ages can walk, skip, hop or jump their way through the course. There’ll be a bubble machine, obstacles, and of course, colour stations that shower participants with bursts of powder. Details here.

ACT PGA Senior Golf Championship: Fairbairn Golf Club is hosting the ACT PGA Senior Golf Championship. Spectators can watch Legends Professional players competing on the Canberra course, with shotgun tee times across the day. Details here.

Ten -%!@ing Years: Smith’s Alternative is celebrating 10 years under the current management. There’s a weekend of live music plus a day of free entertainment and fun this Sunday at the Floral Frock Fringe Festival. Details here.

Open Gardens Canberra: Explore The Traveller’s Garden in Florey and Jinka Falls in Hawker as part of Open Gardens Canberra’s spring program. Details here.

Kids in Care ACT Community Fun Day: Kids in Care ACT is holding their annual Toyworld Community Fun Day this Saturday at Toyworld in Fyshwick. There’ll be a free sausage sizzle, visits from ACT Policing, Kenny Koala, and the ACT Rural Fire Service, a colouring-in competition, and 10% of sales will be donated to Kids in Care. Details here.

🎥 Film and Screenings:

TRON: Dendy is hosting a special one-night event for the upcoming release of Tron: Ares. Tickets include a welcome drink on arrival, a Zach Knows DJ set, medium popcorn and drink, a synchronised wristband experience, and your TRON: AresIMAX ticket. Details here.

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Kids: ✂️ School Holidays

It’s the final week of the Spring School Holidays—here are some events coming up that I haven’t covered before:

Libraries ACT: There’s an electrifying science show with Dr Graham and paper-mâché mask-making workshops at the library. All activities are free. Details here.

Free Pop-up Science Centre: Join the Questacon Science Circus for a free pop-up science centre at the Ainslie Arts Centre. Spin yourself dizzy, test your reflexes, explore your fingertips under the microscope, and watch some spectacular science shows. Details here.

Emma Memma: ARIA Award-winning children’s entertainer Emma Memma is bringing her bright new Dance Island Party tour to Canberra this Saturday. Expect a mix of classics from her Boop and Twirl tour and new songs like Coconut Tree, Welcome to Dance Island, Beach Trolley and Jellyfish Blob from her upcoming album. Details here.

More: For more activities and events—including plenty of free and low-cost options—see the website. Details here.

Classifieds:

🎻 DroneArt Show: 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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Classifieds support Canberra DIgest

Due to the public holiday, this week’s arts guide will be in tomorrow’s issue.