How To Keep Busy In Brissy: October 2016 Edition
So now we find ourselves in October, which speeds around at an ungodly pace each year. Only a number of weeks lie between now and Christmas (yay) and the best way to arrive at the holiday season of merriment we all deserve is to pass the time in between with some jolly activities. So I have curated a list of student friendly weekend and free time fillers to seek out in Brisbane over the next month. In advance: ‘You’re welcome!’
1: OKTOBERFEST!
Nothing feels more at home in your hand than a stein of liquid gold, right? Grab tix to celebrate at the Brisbane Showgrounds over two weekends: 7th-9th and 14th-16th. This will technically fill your monthly “culture” quota, so get donning that milkmaid getup or the overalls of a hillside yodeller, and soak up the music, beer, parades, and carnival rides. (Did I mention there’s beer?) Check out details here: https://oktoberfestbrisbane.com.au/
2: OPENAIR CINEMAS
For the South Brisbane dwellers among you, bookend a day with a summery screening of new release movies and select classics under the sunset or stars at Ben & Jerry’s Sundae Sessions Openair Cinema. Set up in the South Bank parklands, their Time Travel Tuesday revives many favourites like Titanic, Moulin Rouge, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Labyrinth and all three Bridget Jones’ instalments just to pick a few. Your ticket on a Sunday also gets you some live tunes and a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s famous goodness.
Get tickets here: openaircinemas.com.au/brisbane
3: VALLEY FIESTA
One of Brisbane’s yearly highlights will emerge this month once again: Valley Fiesta. With a pretty impressive line-up for guaranteed grooves, this shindig, advertised as more than a street party, takes place between the 28th-30th. Brisbane’s best food trucks will flock, local talent will bubble to the surface and our city will flood with art, embracing its fun quirky and creative side. What more could you want?
Have a look here, and get your boogie on: valleyfiesta.com
4: QLD CON EVENTS
How about staying a little closer to home to satisfy your musical desires? Yes, the calendar at the Queensland Conservatorium is heating up, at this time of year.
- How about coming along to one of the Free Student Band nights brought to you by the delicious jazz department? It’s so good, you really don’t have any excuse. Find it in the Qld Con foyer from 7.30pm on October 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.
- The Conservatorium Gala (28 October) fuses students classical instrument studies, vocal performance and opera, composition, jazz, new music, popular music, musical theatre and multimedia in a climactic highlight of a year’s work.
- Or you could head along to “Our Turn” the third-year singing concert for the musical theatre department, with the promise of showstoppers sung by some dazzling voices from 18th -22nd.
Digging deeper, many departments are performing an end of year finale, so check out the events website and fill in your whole diary: http://conevents.com.au/
5: FEEL GOOD SOUTH BANK
To balance out the perhaps unwarranted guilt you might encounter after all those hearty meals out, beer tastings and ice cream, take advantage of South Bank’s FREE Feel Good Program. Running from now until December, have a go at yoga, Pilates, Zumba or even aqua aerobics. Don’t wait until retirement to tick such a frolicsome activity off your bucket list. Revive and take care of your body, and you may find that you actually enjoy it.
Check out the timetable and locations here: visitbrisbane.com.au/feelgood
So have fun out there!
Take the study break you deserve and leave the library/lab/lecture/practice room alone just for a little bit – nobody likes a hermit.
Bridget O’Brien