20ten Festivals

1. ADELAIDE FRINGE
Australia’s largest arts event, in fact the second biggest arts event in the world, the Adelaide Fringe is thriving in its annual format. Approximately half of the program is made up of comedians with the remainder of the program a mix of music, dance, exhibition and performance. With such variety there is sure to be something for everyone’s taste and many things that are not. There will also be something for every budget.

Be sure to head down to the Garden of Unearthly Delights (Rymill Park) before or after the shows. The heartbeat of the Fringe, The Garden is very bohemian; food, drink, side shows, street performers and carni folk and a few theatre venues thrown in for good measure.

Web
www.adelaidefringe.com.au
Dates
19 Feb – 14 March
Location
Adelaide, South Australia, most venues are in and around the East End
Tickets
Fringe guide and tickets available from 9 January
Gift vouchers available now
Free up to how much you are prepared to pay

2. MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL
The third biggest comedy festival in the world with over 300 different comedy shows. The program will boast some of the biggest names in international and Australian comedians but with so many acts there will be plenty of unknown artists strutting their stuff too. For every big name you see, get along to an unknown too. You never know, you might be seeing the next radio and television star before they become famous.

There will be a great mix of comedic styles on show; stand up, music, musicals, sketch, prop and the indescribable. This again gives the punters a lot of choice, if you do not like a particular style of comedy then don’t punish yourself the rest of the audience or the performers. Go to something else.

Web
www.comedyfestival.com.au
Dates
24 March – 18 April
Location
Melbourne Victoria, Festival Hub Melbourne Town Hall
Tickets
Program and all tickets on sale 18 February
Some shows on sale now
Prices vary

3. FOOD AND WINE FESTIVALS
Every capital city has a food and wine festival, as does the main grape growing regions around the country. Each festival will try to convince its tickets holders that their state’s wine is the best in the country and the largely local and therefore parochial crowd will readily agree. The international awards and recognition would suggest the Barossa Valley SA is a wine taster’s nose ahead.

For every festival there will be winery tours, overpriced food and bands of all persuasions, with an emphasis on jazz. After all despite the drunken behaviour, vomiting and sunburn the organisers still want to create the illusion of class and sophistication. Despite the main purpose of these events being to sell copious amounts of alcohol all advertisers will also righteously advocate for the responsible serving and consumption of alcohol. These events are sure to pay for the police Christmas parties for each state with the surge of DUI infringements. I have listed only one food and wine festival per state. Many states have many wine related festivals throughout the year

Adelaide
www.tasting-australia.com.au
29 April – 6 May
Brisbane
www.winefestival.com.au
25-27 June (TBC)
Canberra
www.canberrawines.com.au
6 – 7 November (TBC)
Darwin
www.darwin-australia.com/darwin-wine-and-food-festivals
4 September (TBC)
Hobart
www.tastefestival.com.au
28 December – 3 January
Melbourne
www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
12 -23 March
Perth
www.wineandfood.com.au
30 July – 1 August (TBC)
Sydney
www.jazzandshiraz.com.au
29 – 30 May

4. COOLUM KITE FESTIVAL
A great way to spend a lazy weekend at the beach watching the aerial display of kites of all shapes and sizes and designs being flown by everyone from rank amateurs to international professionals. There are kite making and other crafts for the whole family.

The program includes trick flying, team kites, kite surfing and single line kites as well as non kite activities such as sand sculptures, fashion parades, live music and what Australian festival would be complete without fireworks.
Web
www.coolumkitefestival.com
Dates
25 – 26 September
Location
Coolum, Sunshine Coast Queensland
Registration
$10
Tickets
Free

5. DARWIN SEAFOOD FESTIVAL
The program includes a full day of stalls and cooking demonstrations. What could be more pleasant than an afternoon/evening in the tropics eating some of the worlds finest and freshest seafood product. My parents will tell you that eating freshly caught barramundi on the beaches of Darwin is one of their all time favourite holiday memories.

Like every festival there will also be activities and bands, this festival runs from 10am -10pm.
Web
www.touristtopend.com.au
Dates
12 June (TBC)
Location
Fisherman’s Wharf, Darwin Northern Territory

6. TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
The one time of the year that country music is cool. Get your moleskins, boots and Akubras out of the back of the closest and dust of the belt buckles the who’s who of country music are taking over the town. There is music (obviously), parties, buskers and all the events you would expect a festival of this sort to contain. There is something for all of the family.

Much fun is to be had just wandering the streets of Tamworth, though don’t do it too early in the morning as everyone will still be recovering from the night before. The whole town gets in the spirit and you never know who might just be busting out a quick 15minutes on a veranda of a house or corner store. The final night of the festival will see the 38th Country Music Awards of Australia be presented, with winners receiving the much coveted Golden Guitars.

Web
www.tcmf.com.au
Dates
15 – 24 January
Location
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tickets
From $5.00
On sale now


7. FOTOFREO FESTIVAL
This biennial festival, with over 100 exhibiting photographic artists, is quickly earning a strong reputation within the international photographic community. In addition to the core program of exhibitions there is also the Incite program which gives photographers an opportunity to talk with some of the best in the business about photographic technique and technical advances.

FotoFreo Inc also manages the FotoFreo Fringe Festival that runs concurrently with the festival. Confused? Don’t be it just means more photographic displays and exhibitions for the viewing public, some of which are curated by the artist themselves

Web
www.fotofreo.com
Dates
20 March – 18 April
Location
Fremantle, Western Australia
Tickets
Available soon
Photo Safari tickets available now from $1,920.00
Visit the website for more ticketing information


8. CHOCOLATE WINTERFEST
The perfect way to warm your insides. This festival offers numerous opportunities to taste some of the best chocolate available in Australia and observe some of the best chocolatiers ply their craft. There is also a number of ways the general public can participate in this festival with a diverse range of competitions; writing poetry, designing chocolate inspired fashion, cooking and cake decorating, treasure hunts, art exhibition, talent quest and scrap-booking.

It seems only appropriate that the chocolate festival mentioned in this 20ten list occurs in Tasmania, the home state of Cadbury’s first international factory. Cadbury-Fry and Pascall opened its factory in Claremont Tasmania in 1922.
Web
www.chocolatewinterfest.com.au
Date
11 July
Location
Latrobe, Tasmania
Tickets
No information currently available

9. MOOMBA FESTIVAL
Celebrating its 55th birthday in 2010 this festival is home of the Birdman Rally – an event where mature adults dress in party-hire costumes and jump from a pontoon into the Yarra River. They of course are in a “flying machine” that having been made in the backyard shed out of recycled cardboard and scraps of wood from last year’s failed DYI project was never going to actually fly.

Fly/belly flop no one cares. The whole festival is fun for everyone. Billed as a water festival and, along with the Birdman Rally, includes a lot of water skiing demonstrations. After that it gets a bit confusing with rides and sideshows, endless fried food, bands and more fireworks it does appear to be a rehearsal for the Melbourne Royal Show.

Web
http://thatsmelbourne.com.au/Whatson/moomba/Pages/Moomba.aspx
Dates
5 – 8 March
Location
Melbourne, Victoria
Tickets
Free

10. SUMMERNATS CAR FESTIVAL
This is a rev-heads paradise; horsepower, ridiculously oversized sound systems and cars. Did I say cars? I meant street machines, hotrods, sports cars and muscle cars. It is not possible to hold a festival without bands and this festival is no exception with The Screaming Jets and the Choir Boys taking to the stage.

Doing nothing to quash the reputation of being an alcohol fuel sex crazed crowd this program also includes exotic dance competitions and its sponsors include Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. This festival allows the world to see the biggest and most expensive mid-life-crises in the country.
Web
www.summernats.com.au
Dates
7 – 10 January
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Tickets
www.ticketek.com.au
From $28 for day passes
On sale now

A Melbourne Quickie

With interstate friends visiting Melbourne for the weekend I had an opportunity to play tourist for a few days, and rediscovered the fun of this city I now call home. 

Festivals

South Australia is known as the Festival State, and don’t get me wrong they can do a festival like no other, but if you want to see one then you better be there in March or you will miss out. Melbourne is awash with festivals year round. On Saturday night we went to the Awards party for the 2009 Melbourne Fringe signalling the end of another stellar season. Monday night we are off to the family friendly Transe Express which forms the opening of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. 

Throughout the year I have also taken visitors to other shows and events as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival. There have also been festivals celebrating fashion, horses, chocolate, multicultural communities and the gay and lesbian community. Next year artistic directors have found a gap in the calendar and will be adding a cabaret festival. 

What ever takes your fancy, Melbourne will celebrate it. To be honest it an excuse to frock up for a launch or an awards night down a few glasses of bubbly supplied by corporate sponsors. IF South Australia is the Festival State then Victoria is the Party State. 

Markets

Arguably the most famous of Melbourne’s markets, the Queen Victoria Markets are fuelled with bargains, knock offs, performers and good food. Whether there for weekly fresh produce, clothes, live poultry or gifts and souvenirs a visitor (and locals for that matter) can easily spend a day soaking up the atmosphere. Hungry then find a café and choose your favourites off the menu. Or create your own gourmet platter from the produce on sale in the market itself. This experience is also available at many suburban markets across metropolitan Melbourne. 

Is there anything better than a plate of fresh dips, cheeses, spiced sausages and a loaf of crusty bread on a sunny spring day as you do a bit of people watching?

Laneways

Don’t be put off by the recovering drunks left over from the opening night of the next big festival, cowering behind miniskip bins, they are the only thing that actually show were a great venue might be lurking. Sydney venues will fill their windows with neon light, flashing arrows audaciously directing you to the doorway in which stands a man calling out to you inviting you in. Melbourne venues are more discreet, no lights, no arrows, no men spruiking their wares. 

At first glance you might not even notice the door itself. But if you do actually lean on the brick that is in fact the hidden door release you may just find yourself in one of the most upmarket rooms in the city; night clubs, cocktail lounges, galleries, theatres and cafes. The furniture may not match, the lighting might be as subtle as the entrance, and the atmosphere slightly bohemian, but you can all but guarantee a memorable experience.

 

If you do not manage to find one of the elusive doorways then enjoy the artwork that dons the walls of the laneways themselves. Some people will describe it as graffiti, and yes there are the occasional tagging, offensive or political slogan however the term “graffiti” does not do justice to the skill and creativity of the artists. 

Sightseeing

Melbourne has done an excellent job of maintaining its historic buildings. Dotted in amongst the glass and cement that is modern architecture are numerous buildings displaying the beauty or hand crafted building techniques. Sure some of them might now house a legal brothel or be the hideaway for a gang leader, so take care when framing your shot when photographing the fine masonry, tableaux or mosaics. These are not people that demonstrate an enjoyment in being tagged on Facebook. You will take your life into your own hands if you attempt to poke them.

Docklands, great waterfront eateries, drinking holes, street entertainment and walkways. Stroll along the docks until you find your self watching the third biggest but shortest operating observation wheel being dismantled.

Eureka Skydeck, prides itself on being the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere with the world’s first edge experience. The experience will cost you. But it is worth it. During the day enjoy the sprawling views you can almost see to Geelong that despite their protests of denial is now an outer suburb of Melbourne. At night enjoy the lights where the whole city looks like a scene from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

Cafes

Jeff Green said “Cafes, what have you got one per person now” and he may be right. The upside of this phenomenon is that there is something to suit every taste, budget and size of appetite. Remember the lane ways some of the best will be hidden.

Gaylords, a great Indian restaurant which hides itself deep in the heart of China Town. There are great café strips too Degraves Lane, Hardware Lane, Lonsdale St, Little Bourke St just to name a few. Or only a short walk out of the CBD there is Lygon St, Carlton or Smith St, Fitzroy

Just like jewellery and clothing there is no reason to pay full price with nearly every eatery having nightly specials, parma night, half price curry lunches or pay the time. If you enjoy travelling and would love to visit the United States of America but just can’t afford it then walk though the city and visit a MacDonald’s, Starbucks, 7-Eleven or donut store.

Melbourne has it all.