September 23

Hello Canberra,

📆 Today: It’s Tuesday, 23 September.

⛅️ Weather: 17° and partly cloudy.

Something to do: 🐸 FrogWatching

Every year ACT and Region FrogWatch, a program run by Ginninderra Catchment Group, conducts the FrogCensus where hundreds of volunteers visit our wetlands under the cloak of darkness to survey local frog populations—a key indicator of a wetland’s health.

If you’re interested in taking part in FrogCensus and becoming a citizen scientist, there are fun and informative training sessions coming up—you don’t need any experience—where you’ll learn everything you need to know about FrogWatching. Expect a mix of engaging theory, fun frog facts, and hands-on frog ID practice during a guided walk to a nearby habitat. Details here.

🎨 Arts Around Canberra

This week’s arts wrap:

Songs of Open Country: Canberra Choral Society presents a beautifully evocative concert celebrating the wonders of nature and connections with human experience. The program features traditional Icelandic and Appalachian songs alongside a rich variety of contemporary works. Details here.

Ride the Cyclone: Youth Cabaret is a local community group for young people aged 13–25 who enjoy creating performance art. They’ll be performing Ride the Cyclone—a story of life, death and what might come next. It follows six teen choir members who, after being tragically killed in a freak rollercoaster accident, engage in a singing battle for their lives. With a cast of six lovable choir kids, an ominous fortune-telling machine and a bass-playing rat, this show is a ride you don’t want to miss! Details here.

Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin: A one-man physical comedy about the life story of one of the greatest physical comedians of all time, Charlie Chaplin. Written and performed by LIST Edinburgh Festival Award winner Marcel Cole. Details here.

Fred Smith & A Few Good Spooky Men: Festival favourite Fred Smith teams up with the Spooky Men’s Chorale for Urban Sea Shanties—a powerful, funny and beautifully silly performance. Expect “thinking men’s drinking songs”: moments of delicacy, bursts of buffoonery, and a rollicking musical voyage that spans Birmingham bars, New Orleans streets, Karachi mosques and even the Dapto Dog Track. Details here.

Packed Lunch: Artist Adina West combines multiple mediums in Packed Lunch—a playful yet probing look at how cars, homes and other suburban “luxuries” shape identity. The works question how material possessions define self-concept and status, while also pointing to the isolation of suburban life. Details here.

Cash: A Journey Through The American Recordings: Brooding baritone Henry Wagons leans into the deep mythology and sound of the American Recordings albums. Featuring favourites such as Solitary Man (Neil Diamond), Hung My Head(Sting), The Mercy Seat (Nick Cave), Hurt (Nine Inch Nails), One (U2) and more. Details here.

Anthony Marwood & James Crabb: Accordion virtuoso James Crabb and British violinist Anthony Marwood bring a distinctive and engaging musical experience to the Snow Concert Hall this Thursday evening. Details here.

Student Photography Exhibition: Come and admire the prize-winners of this year’s school photographic competition at the Botanic Gardens. All the photos were taken within the gardens. Details here.

From Argentina with Love: Andrew Blanch is one of Australia’s top guitarists, famously trained in Canberra. On this occasion, Andrew returns to Canberra after successfully touring through the Americas with the Argentinian singer Maria Eugenia Nieva. This unique selection of songs bridges Argentina’s folkloristic roots and the many vocal genres based on dance rhythms: tonada, zamba, cueca and naturally tango. Details here.

This Week: Seniors Expo

The ACT Seniors and Better Ageing Expo—Canberra’s largest dedicated event for older Canberrans—is happening this Wednesday in Kingston. The Expo is a one-stop opportunity for older Canberrans, their families and carers to access information on healthy ageing, care at home, community services, lifestyle, travel, technology, volunteering, arts, fitness, financial advice and much more. There’s also live entertainment, demonstrations and food options available on site. Details here.

Attendees can take advantage of free public transport to the event, and a temporary bus stop will be set up directly outside the Old Bus Depot Markets to improve accessibility. Details here.

Around Canberra: Openings

Sprouts Corner: A new indoor play space has opened in Kambah. Sprouts Corner, decked out in trendy green and other neutral colours, features climbing equipment, “imaginative play” zones—a supermarket, firetruck and more—plus a giant slide and ball pit. Details here.

Ruckus HQ: Also opening on Jenke Circuit in Kambah is Ruckus HQ, a kids' plaster painting studio. Pick your favourite plaster piece, grab some paint and bring your masterpiece to life. There’s no entry fee; you only pay for the pieces you paint. The grand opening is this Saturday. Details here.

Canberra Littlest Gallery is Back: After a big break, Canberra’s smallest gallery, the Gallery of Small Things in Watson, has reopened its doors. GOST showcases work from emerging to established artists and makers. There’s always something interesting to see. Details here.

🪩 Nightlife:

Gimme Gimme Gimme: Cube nightclub is hosting a Mamma Mia party on Friday night with all the best ABBA songs and other music from musicals. Details here.

Beyond 30: Daytime clubbing is coming to Fun Time Pony—Beyond 30 is your chance to relive the magic of your clubbing days without sacrificing your beauty sleep. Details here.

Essence 2: Essence is Canberra's premier transgressive music event. The second edition of the weekend festival follows the successful 2024 debut, which saw 24 bands perform. Acts run the gamut of metal, experimental, improvised, dungeon synth, industrial, goth and more. Details here.

Classifieds

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.

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Tidbits

More Light Rail Homes: Community consultation has opened on a plan to rezone key sites along Northbourne Avenue and the Federal Highway to support more medium-density housing. It’s expected to enable up to 1,000 additional homes near existing light rail stops at Swinden Street and Phillip Avenue. More.