10 of the best festivals and events in Australia in October
Get your diary out – there’s an action packed calendar of festivals and events on around the country in October.
1. Floriade, Canberra, September 17 – October 16
The country’s most famous flower show still has a couple of weeks to go, so get yourself to Canberra post haste. It’s the largest floral festival in the southern hemisphere with more than a million blooms on show on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Animal lovers can even bring their pups to the park for Dog’s Day Out on October 15.
2. Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month, October 1-31
Sydney’s most delicious month kicks off on October 1. For 30 days you can indulge with fun foodie events across the city, from the famous Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park to exclusive long lunches hosted by celebrity chefs and everything in between. The whole city is in celebration mode and you can sample a tasty new treat every day of the month.
3. Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations, October 1-31
Grab a glass – the Coonawarra wine region in South Australia has expanded its annual festival from a weekend to a whole month. There are winery tours, tastings of rare vintages, masterclasses, workshops, dinners, high teas, chocolate and cheese pairings, live music and much more.
4. Melbourne Festival, October 6-23
Let’s get cultural with an incredible two weeks of theatre, dance, music, circus, visual arts and cultural collisions. It's a centerpiece of Melbourne’s cultural identity and the whole city comes alive with a huge schedule of free, interactive events for all ages. The festival partners with the city’s best restaurants to keep you well fed with an exceptional menu of #festivalfeasts.
5. The Unconformity, Queenstown, October 14-16
This one of a kind biennial arts festival in Tasmania aims to create artistic and heritage experiences that have a strong sense of place. It sounds serious but there’s also a focus on activities that are bold, fresh, surprising and fun. Expect outdoor art installations, theatre, dance, music, film, photography and, of course, plenty of top quality Tassie food and wine.
6. Orange Wine Festival, October 14-30
Head to the Central West of New South Wales to discover one of the country’s unsung wine heroes. The program is packed with events that make the most of the region’s unique cool climate wines, including wine tasting, masterclasses, night markets and ‘meet the maker’ afternoons. 2016 is set to be a huge year as Orange celebrates its 20th anniversary of being recognised as an official wine region.
7. Supercars Castrol Gold Coast 600, October 21-23
Get your motor running as some of the world’s best drivers take to the street circuit around Surfers Paradise. As well as the main attraction – heart racing supercar events – there’s also monster trucks, live music and three days of general partying.
8. Radical Reels, Darwin, October 26
An offshoot of the Banff Mountain Festival, Radical Reels brings nine of the most extreme, adrenaline pumping short films from the festival down under. October is Darwin’s time to shine as it hosts the show at the outdoor Deckchair Cinema. Your heart will be in your mouth as you watch the world’s craziest adventurers climb sheer rock faces, throw themselves off mountains or paraglide across the Rocky Mountains.
9. Good Food and Wine Show, Brisbane, October 28-30
Hundreds of local and international exhibitors will fill the Brisbane Convention Centre for three days of gluttony. As well as browsing (and sampling) the stalls, you can sign up for a masterclass with a celebrity chef, go wine tasting in the Riedel Drinks Lab or meet friends for a drink in the Grazing Garden.
10. Fremantle Festival, October 28 – November 7
This boutique arts festival in the southern Perth suburb of Fremantle is drawing some huge names in 2016, with Waleed Aly, Bernard Fanning of Powderfinger, musician Dan Sultan, and journalists Stan Grant and Clementine Ford already signed on. It’s an inspirational celebration of culture, ideas and creativity – plus plenty of fun.
Whoa, that schedule is jam-packed! Have you been to any of the events mentioned above? Or are there any other October events you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.
Related links:
10 botanic gardens you must visit this spring
10 things to do in Australia during spring
Giant dahlia sculptures steal show at the world’s largest flower parade