The Weekender: June 5 – 7
THE Queen’s Birthday long weekend is upon us! Enjoy the long weekend by indulging in some good food & wine, shopping till you drop, immersing yourself in another culture or putting together some handicrafts. It’s just the thing to help you switch off and take time out this weekend. Natalie Ng has you covered weekend.
DFO Ultimate Weekend Sale
Saturday, June 6 – Monday, June 8; Various locations
Image: Kani IK via Flickr
International students are always living on a budget, so sales are always something to look out for. Take advantage of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend by heading over to any one of the Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) across Melbourne.
The DFOs are located at Moorabbin Airport, Essendon Airport, Spencer Street above Southern Cross Station and South Wharf just down past Crown Casino and the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Find bargains for brands like Adidas, Fossil, Mimco, Country Road, Cotton On, Esprit, Industrie, Mossimo and Nike all under one roof!
All the stores will be having major sales with up to 70% off across the days. Details of special offers will be released on the DFO website on Friday, June 5!
For more details about DFO’s Ultimate Weekend Sale, head on over to their website.
Good Food and Wine Show
Friday, June 5 -Monday, June 8; Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf)
Image: Jeremy Keith via Flickr
Melbourne has always been known for its food culture and where better to celebrate that than at the annual Good Food and Wine Show! The event is back to showcase what Australia and the rest of the world has to offer in food and wine with its hundreds of local and international exhibitions.
At the Good Food Theatre, iconic chefs and restaurateurs show you how to add some restaurant quality flair to your home cooking. Some of the international chefs and local food icons gracing the festival include British television star Ainsley Harriott, Spanish chef Miguel Maestre and Australian television chef Alastair McLeod.
If you love wine or hope to learn more about it, head over to the Cellar Door where you can participate in a wine appreciation workshop and sample the range of wines at the show.
And if you just want to relax and enjoy good food, stop by the Grazing Garden where you can hang out with friends and choose from the array of local food trucks to indulge in.
To book tickets to the Good Food and Wine Show, you can do so at the event’s official website.
International Festival of Language and Culture
Sunday, June 7 (7.00pm – 10.00pm); Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf)
Image: IFLC’s official website
Most international students are effectively bilingual and sometimes even more! The International Festival of Language and Culture celebrates that diversity of language and culture from all around the world and gathers people from different corners of the world in the melting pot that is Melbourne.
This event is particularly great for international students as it gives them the opportunity to showcase their language and culture with other students from around the globe and to the local Melbourne audience who wish to learn more about the people they come across in their everyday lives.
The aim of the festival is to promote inclusion amongst diverse cultures through social, cultural and educational activities.
This all goes down at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Wharf. Best of all, tickets are free, but it is advisable you book your tickets in advance!
For more information about the International Festival of Language and Culture, visit the official website where you can book tickets in advance.
Etsy Craft Party
Saturday, June 6 (11.00am – 3.00pm); Various locations
Image: Jen Collins via Flickr
The Etsy Craft Party, organised by online kitsch marketplace Etsy, is back for its 6th year in its annual celebration of gathering people from all over the world to turn paper and craftwork into beautiful works of art. This year’s exciting theme is “Kaleidoscope: Paper Taking Shape“.
Melbournians can join in the Craft Party fun all around Melbourne in locations such as Fitzroy’s Work-Shop Melbourne and in Thornbury hosted by Wild About Melbourne. This is something that people of all ages and backgrounds can appreciate where they can learn to pick up some new handicraft skills.
Take a day off and spend your day exploring your handicraft skills by joining in the Craft Party!
Find where the nearest Etsy Craft Party is to you over at the event’s official website.