September 22

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: What’s on this week in Canberra + See Canberra’s best gardens.

🌦️ Weather: 17° and partly cloudy. A 70% chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening.

📆 This Week in Canberra

It’s a busy week ahead with plenty happening for everyone...

Lifeline Bookfair: The always popular book fair runs Friday to Sunday at EPIC, with a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and more. Details here.

Kite Fest: A sky full of kites, expert demonstrations, delicious food stalls, face painting, live music and hands-on kite-making workshops at the National Arboretum. Details here.

Kids Day Out at Lanyon: Celebrate spring this Saturday at Lanyon Homestead. A day packed with fun art, craft and science activities along with market stalls and entertainment. Details here.

Portrait Gallery Spring Family Day: Celebrate the unveiling of the new portrait of environmental educator and TV host Costa Georgiadis. Activities include a plant swap, story time and talks with Costa, badge-making, gallery tours, live music and food stalls. Details here.

Seniors and Better Ageing Expo: There will be over 100 exhibitors at the Old Bus Depot and Fitters Workshop in Kingston for one big day of information, entertainment and connection. Details here.

Playwell Brick Market: A LEGO market with new, rare and retired sets, plus bricks sold by weight and a huge selection of minifigures. Entry by gold coin. Details here.

Floriade: The spring flower festival continues this week with a packed program of live entertainment, workshops and events. The full program is available on the website. Details here.

Bone Appétit Paws Party: Treat your pup to the ultimate foodie day out in Haig Park (humans invited too). There’ll be a foodie scavenger hunt, a nutritionist Q&A, and the Canine Emporium will be bringing the dog food. Details here.

Canberra Circus Festival: More than a dozen circus shows and events under the big top at Chifley Oval. It’s not just for kids, there are shows especially for teens and adults too. Details here.

Spring Sustainability Market: Sustainability will be on show at the Haig Park Village Markets this Sunday. Meet native reptiles with Canberra Snake Rescue, propagate seeds with Canberra City Farm, create an endangered species mask with the ACT Region Conservation Council and more. Details here.

German Auto Day: A celebration of German automotive excellence held in the Questacon Car Park featuring displays of German vehicles—from vintage to modern—food and coffee vendors and stalls offering automotive accessories, merchandise and more. Details here.

Brumbies v NSW Waratahs: Park footy returns as the Brumbies host the Waratahs at Viking Park. Preview the 2026 line-up and catch the next generation with U16 and U19 fixtures. Details here.

Slam Pro Wrestling: A high-energy showcase of athleticism and entertainment as Slam Pro Wrestling returns to the UC Refectory this Saturday. Details here.

Something to do: ⛲️ Open Gardens Canberra

Open Gardens Canberra is celebrating its 10th anniversary!
Each spring and autumn, the not-for-profit community association opens a diverse range of beautiful and interesting gardens across the Canberra region. This spring, they’ve put together a stunning line-up, ranging from formal gardens to sprawling rural farm properties, productive kitchen gardens to native water-wise landscapes. Come and be inspired by just what’s possible in Canberra’s climate.

The first Open Garden of Spring 2025 is this weekend: The Burrow in Latham. Entry is $10 and free for members. Details here.

This Weekend: Tuggeranong Arts Centre Grand Day Out

This Saturday, Tuggeranong Arts Centre will be buzzing with free activities for grandparents, mums, dads, kids and teens. Book in for a class or workshop, or just drop by to enjoy live entertainment and art-making. Details here.

Coming Up: 🏑 Canberra Chill

See Australia and the world’s best hockey players in action as part of the National Hockey One League. The Canberra Chill’s season kicks off on 11 October at the National Hockey Centre in Lyneham. It’s a short season in Canberra with just three home games, but each game day features both the Women’s and Men’s teams, making it great value. Memberships are now on sale. Details here.

📰 Tidbits

Will Virtual Fencing Work in Canberra? A petition with over 1,300 signatures is calling for a virtual fencing trial on Erindale Drive to cut wildlife collisions. The roadside devices flash and emit sound when cars approach, deterring kangaroos and other animals. Trials in NSW and Victoria have cut roadkill by up to 90%. Details here.

BSides: If you’re wondering what all the lanyard-wearing folk are doing in the city this week, it’s for the BSides Conference, Australia’s largest hacker conference, kicking off this Thursday. Around 3,500 security professionals, researchers, students and enthusiasts will be in town for the event.

Classifieds

Hungerford Hill Estate Wine Dinner: Join us for a special Wine Dinner with Hungerford Hill Estate on Thursday, 30 October 2025, at 6:30 pm. Enjoy five standout wines paired with an authentic Shanghainese menu at Natural Nine inside Casino Canberra. Limited tickets available, so book now.

Women Writers’ Workshop, Unleash Your Voice: 1 October, 9am-1pm, Pearce Community Centre. Ever feel too embarrassed to share your writing? Your words matter. Join us in a space where your story is safe to bloom. Gain clarity and confidence to write and sell with integrity. Connect with others reclaiming their voice. Led by local accredited Writer’s Mindset Coach, Helen McCandless. Details here.

🎻 Mozart’s Requiem LIVE in Canberra: 24/25 September, 7:30pm, Llewellyn Hall. From The Godfather to X-Men to The Crown, Mozart’s Requiem has featured in some of pop culture’s most epic and unforgettable moments. His final masterpiece is dramatic and anguished, yet full of hope — experience it LIVE at Llewellyn Hall with full orchestra and choir this September. Details here.

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