The 7 Best Things To Do In Adelaide This October
October is unpredictable. Like a cat weaving figure-8s around your ankles, you’re never quite sure if it’s fixing to purr, play or pounce. Spates of springtime sun are interrupted by the occasional wet and windy day. Afternoon drinks turn into all-nighters and entire weekends are lost to meditative meandering. It’s the perfect month for finding some you time, and indulging in experiences to revive the mind and reinvigorate the spirit. Here are a few to pencil into your October calendar.
#1 Catch a movie at the Adelaide Film Festival
We’re so glad the Adelaide Film Festival is almost here! This year’s program screens everything from 90s Australian shock-fiction to an autobiography told through the medium of shoes, promising to make us laugh, think, squirm and revel in a cornucopia of cinematic experience. It’s hip to be square-eyed. #festivalstateofmind
Here are our top picks from among the flicks:
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
The gloriously sullen and oddly comic film – think Lars von Trier meets Wes Anderson.
Sam Klemke’s freewheeling look at time, memory, mortality and the human condition. This fascinatingly and peculiar doco charts the parallel histories of the Golden Record (launched into outer-space onboard the Voyager spacecraft) and oddball Denver filmmaker Sam Klemke.
The AFF’s annual shorts program focusing on young, local filmmakers – short and sweet.
Adelaide Film Festival Ultimate Quiz Night
A film freak’s fantasy! Hosted by the irrepressible Margaret Pomeranz and the irreverent David Stratton, Ultimate Quiz Night returns on Friday October 23. Buffs and boffins, this is your time to shine.
#2 Watch the Classic Adelaide Rally fly by
Smell the burning vintage rubber as hundreds of classic automobiles carve a path through the scenic Adelaide Hills, City and Fleurieu regions. The granddaddy of all grand prix, this spectacular race culminates in a jaw-dropping car show and street party on Friday October 18. For prime viewing locations, head to the Classic Adelaide page. #vintagevroom
#3 Utilise the city’s unrivalled parklands
At the risk of sounding like your mother, “put down the phone/remote/controller and go play outside!”. Blow the dust off your picnic set, pump-up the Sherrin and step out your pitch. Adelaide’s iconic layout means we are blessed with an abundance of lush grassland just waiting to be exploited. #theshaggygreen
Get off the leash at the Tampawardli dog park in the city’s West End. Should you be unlucky enough not to have a dog of your own, we suggest you beg, borrow or steal (ok, probably not that last one) a playful pooch and get your “fetch!” on in this safely enclosed area. For further, non-canine-orientated ballgames, hit up the public tennis, netball and basketball courts located nearby.
Take a stroll on nature’s treadmill as you stretch and flex your way between Victoria Park’s fitness stations. Exercising outdoors is great for the body, the mind and the tan – so take your gym regime to the park and utilise the city’s free workout zone.
Or, for some peace and introspection, enjoy a Zen moment in the Himeji Garden. This beautiful Japanese garden is quiet, tranquil and a world away from the bustling city. Located near where Hutt Street meets South Terrace.
#4 Browse Renew Adelaide’s revival of Regent Arcade
The Renew Adelaide program has proved ridiculously successful since it’s inception in 2010. Through connecting emerging entrepreneurs and experimental initiatives with property owners, the program is steadily revitalising a number of urban areas, both socially and economically. The Regent Arcade project is one of the group’s most successful undertakings, with a host of fresh pop-up enterprises transforming the architecturally beautiful – yet often overlooked – address into a dynamic creative precinct. Spend an hour exploring between Rundle Mall and Grenfell Street, and savour a moment’s refuge from the hectic mall crowds…
Stop in, trip out and turn on to retro atelier Closet Mod, where talented couturier Jordan Bishop hand-stitches stunning sixties and seventies-inspired fashion. She’ll even whip you up a bespoke faux-vintage frock, fit for any occasion. #faroutfashion
For guys there’s men’s fashion concept store Average Cat and streetwear boutique Created Range, stocking independent brands with a focus on Adelaide-based designers and artists. #locallads
Masculine grooming outlet Tether trades in beard balms, moustache combs and all manner of hipster must-haves – and then there’s Oh Deer Sugar; a “non-edible vegan bakery”. You’ll have to stop by to figure that one out. #goodgrooming #nonedibleveganbakery
And for the home, be sure to check out the gorgeous terrariums, quirky floral arrangements (is that a tiny pineapple…?), handmade candles and curious gifts available from Boo & Who. Also in the giftware game is Have You Met Charlie, dealers of creative knickknackery by Australian artists. #renewyourthinking
#5 Chill with the Ross McHenry Trio at The Jade Monkey
Bandleader with The Shaolin Afronauts (who recently played a little outdoor gig someplace called Glastonbury) and solo musician/producer/jazz savant/all-round talented guy Ross McHenry will be joined onstage at the Jade Monkey by Myele Manzanza and Brenton Foster.
Soulful, occasionally avant-garde and dripping with cool, the trio present an amalgam of afrobeat, hip-hop and electronic music, as they tour their latest record. October 30 from 2:30pm, grab tickets here. #whatscoolerthanbeingcool
#6 Explore 60,000 years of culture with Tarnanthi
A showcase for the extraordinary, the significant and the unique, this exciting new festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art launches on October 8… and we cannot wait! A challenge to existing preconceptions of indigenous art, the event will unveil significant new work from more than 300 artists, across 22 venues. Never before in it’s 134-year history has the Art Gallery of South Australia embarked upon such an ambitious exhibition in celebration of indigenous art.
One of the most exciting elements in this incredible festival will be the Art Fair on October 9. Hosted by Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, the fair is a rare opportunity for the gen-pop to purchase original artworks directly from creators – with prices starting from around $50.
Tarnanthi is a Kaurna word meaning to come forth or appear – like the first moments of a sunrise. For many cultures, first light signifies new beginnings. #weheartart
#7 Go zine hunting at Adelaide Mini Comic Convention
The state’s brightest emerging comic writers, illustrators, creators, toy makers – and more –are invading the Big Blue Shed on Flinders Street over the Halloween weekend (Oct 31 – Nov 1) for Adelaide’s Mini Comic Convention. Thumb through zany zines and curious comics with an opportunity to meet the authors and artists. Hosted by the Flinders Street Market, all are encouraged to embrace the timely theme, with prizes offered for best-dressed stallholder and best-dressed guest. #hellohalloween #cellingout
(Lead Image: Adelaide Film Festival/Facebook)
