The Weekender: July 20 – 22
WITH high flying skateboarders, a projection art festival and a winter forest themed pop up bar, there’s plenty to see and do in Melbourne this weekend. Luke Henriques-Gomes has more.
Photo: The Melburnian via Flickr
Collingwood vs Hawthorn
July 21 – Melbourne Cricket Ground
If you haven’t been to an AFL game before, this is the weekend to go. On Saturday, the league’s premiership favourites will go head to head on the hallowed turf of the MCG. Collingwood and Hawthorn are two of Melbourne’s oldest, proudest and most successful football clubs. If you want to experience Australian culture, you can’t go past a day at the footy. Even if you don’t understand the game yet, with the stadium jam-packed full of fans, the atmosphere alone is awe-inspiring. If you plan on getting to the game, brush up on the rules with our own beginner’s guide to footy and secure your seat with Ticketmaster.
Photo: Skateboarding Australia
Shocklands Street Skateboarding Contest
July 21 – Docklands
If you’re into extreme sports, Docklands is the place to be this Saturday. The Shocklands Street Skateboarding Contest will feature many of Australia’s best skateboarders vying for a $10,000 cash prize. With the stakes so high, you’re bound to see some incredibly daring tricks and a few grazed knees as well. It all kicks off at 11.30am, with the finals getting underway around 3pm. Best of all, it’s free. For more information, visit the Skateboarding Australia website.
Photo: Gertrude Association
Gertrude Street Projection Festival
Until July 29 – Gertrude St, Fitzroy
The Gertrude Street Projection Festival is a community event that brings Fitzroy artists, businesses and residents together to light up their neighbourhood. The artists will use coloured light to project their work onto houses and shops along the street. It runs until July 29 which means you have plenty of time to see what it’s all about. And of course, it’s free. The festival program and map are available from the Gertrude Association.
Photo: Belgian Beer Cafe
Rekorderlig Winter Forest Pop-up Bar
July 19 to 22 – Belgian Beer Cafe, Melbourne
If there’s one thing Melburnians like more than drinking, it’s being a little bit pretentious. That may well explain the concept behind this Swedish themed Winter Forest pop-up bar. There you’ll be able to try Rekorderlig’s new concoction, “Winter Cider, alongside Swedish food, with mock Northern Lights and pine trees providing the decor. And in case you weren’t aware that Sweden is a pretty cold place, there’ll be fog machines too. Entry is free, but the cider (and food) is not.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxZiae16Ry8[/youtube]
The Bedroom Philosopher
July 22 – The Empress Hotel, Fitzroy
The Bedroom Philosopher’s razor sharp observations of 20-something culture in Melbourne are both amusing and true. On Sunday night, the art-folk humourist (he tells jokes with a guitar) will be backed by his band, the Awkwardstra, meaning the show will be as musical as it is hilarious. And if you make it along to the The Empress, you may well see a few of the hipster-like characters he mocks in ‘Northcote (So Hungover)’. You can snap up tickets from Moshtix.