Seven things to do around Canberra this weekend (27–29 September)

It’s a big weekend for Canberra footy this weekend with the Canberra Raiders playing the Rabbitohs in the NRL Preliminary Final on Friday night at GIO Stadium (it’s sold out) and the almost-Canberra GWS Giants playing Richmond in the AFL Grand Final on Saturday.

If footy isn’t your thing, Saturday afternoon could be a good time to visit Floriade or check out the new exhibition, Game Masters, at the National Film Sound Archive which features over 80 playable arcade games.

Or you could head to Stromlo Forest Park for the Hills and Hops Spring Festival featuring food, craft beer, good coffee and plenty of bike riding.

On Sunday the Old Bus Depot Markets is celebrating its 25th anniversary. These markets started as the idea of two Canberra women and have grown into a Canberra icon.

All weekend

Floriade
Where: Commonwealth Park
When: 9:30 am–5:30 pm

Floriade continues this weekend with its theme World in Bloom. The festival features over 1000 flowers, music, cultural performances, food and wine, horticultural workshops, markets, rides and other activities. Highlights this weekend include:

• a visit from Shrek and Po from Kung Fu Panda straight from the National Museum’s DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition
• free workshops about how to create a Bee-Friendly Backyard (11:00 am Saturday at the Parlour), and Permaculture (2:00 pm Saturday at the Terrace)
• gnome painting
• Hindi Bilingual Storytime (11:00 am Saturday at the Main Vista Village Stage)
• a yoga class (9:45 am Sunday at the Tipi)
• make a Story Stone (10:30 am Sunday at the Parlour).

Check out the full program here.

Game Masters
Where: National Film and Sound Archive
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am–4:00 pm

The National Film and Sound Archive is opening a new exhibition this weekend, Game Masters, which will run until March next year. Created and curated by Melbourne’s Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), the exhibition will turn the NFSA into Australia’s biggest video game arcade with 80 playable games. Game Masters is an interactive journey through five decades of video game history, offering both a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the world’s most popular characters and franchises and the chance to play them. The exhibition features interviews, concept artwork, vintage consoles and collectable items, including the spectacular multiplayer dance stage for Dance Central 3 (2012), hands-on experiential music booths and a selection of original classic arcade machines from the 1970s and ’80s, all playable in their original form. Tickets to the exhibition are $19 + bf for adults, $15 +bf for concession, $12 +bF for kids aged 5–17 and they are free for kids under 5. Read RiotACT’s preview.

Book here.

Mobile Studio: Dressed to Impress
Where: National Gallery of Australia
When: Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am–4:30 pm
Drop into the National Gallery over the weekend and create something inspired by the Pop and Op art display in the International Art galleries on Level 2. No bookings required, all materials provided and a great activity to do with the kids.

Saturday

Pots to Plots—Curtin Garden Markets
Where: Curtin Shops
When: From 10:00 am

The Curtin Residents Associations is hosting a garden market this Saturday. Spend the morning at the Curtin Shops chatting to expert gardeners and perusing stalls selling gardening books, cacti and other gardening goods. There will also be kids activities, music and square dancing.

Hills and Hops Spring Festival
Where: Stromlo Forest Park
When: 10:00 am–9:00 pm
The Handlebar cafe and bar in the Stromlo Forest Park is hosting its first Hills and Hops Spring Festival this Saturday. There will be street food, craft beer and great coffee. The Gecko Gang will be there to entertain the kids with free face painting, jumping castles and an inflatable slide.

There will also be a kids bike track and the Rocky Trail Kids MTB Fair from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

For the adults, there will be a Pumptrack Challenge, free bike hire including a free shuttle bus to the top of the mountain and roller racing – the bike race where you travel nowhere! The qualifying rounds of the Pumptrack Challenge will be between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, The finals, featuring the top 16 riders, will start at 6:00 pm.

The roller racing will be between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. There will also be live music featuring Molly Philpot, Ned Philpot, Jack Biilman and DJ Skully. Check out the schedule here. And, so you don’t miss out on the AFL Grand Final, there will be two screens showing the game. Bring a picnic blanket and make a day of it.

Sunday

Old Bus Depot Markets 25th Anniversary
Where: Old Bus Depot, Kingston
When: 10:00 am–4:00 pm

The Old Bus Depot Markets is celebrating its 25th anniversary this Sunday. The markets were originally the brainchild of two Canberra women –Diane Hinds and Morna Whiting. In 1992, Morna wondered whether Canberra would embrace a high-quality weekly market. She co-opted Diane to help her and together the pair found the perfect setting – a large industrial space in an old bus depot on Wentwork Avenue. They succeeded in getting government support for their idea. In September 1994 they opened their first market and a Canberra icon was born.

Diane and Morna sold the markets to its new owner, Anthony Niravong, in 2016. Sunday will be a day will be full of surprises and will highlight the best the Markets have to offer. There will be colour, flavour and music all set in the Market’s fabulous setting.

Floriade in the Suburbs & Molonglo Valley Markets
Where: Stromlo Cottage, Noffs Cres, Coombs
When: 10:00 am–2:00 pm

Floriade is travelling to Coombs this Saturday to be part of the Molonglo Valley Markets. These markets are organised by two passionate local residents – Kiran and Bec – and feature the wares of local producers. This Sunday’s market is the first one for 2019 and will include stalls by local producers Sam Nerrie Photography, Charli & Molly Canine Couture, Little Luxton coffee, BeJewelled BeDazzled, Aarunya Vacations, Lucian Candles, Shirl’s Cards & Things, Eat Cookies, Mad Passion Skincare and Butterfly Wicks. There will also be face painting, kids activities, plenty of food and drink and live entertainment provided by Dom Lavers, Quake Bellydance, Jye Hopkins, Hit ‘n’ Miss African Drumming and Max O’Sullivan.

Original Article published by Zoe Pleasants on The RiotACT.