The Weekender: October 17 – 19
CELEBRATE the arrival of the Spring season, get your geek on at Armageddon Expo, take part in the Melbourne Festival or learn a little more about Victoria as part of History week. Anthea Batsakis gives you the scoop on what’s on this weekend!
Spring Fling Street Festival
Sunday, October 19 (11.00am – 6.00pm); North Melbourne
Photo: Spring Fling Festival’s official Facebook page.
Fling yourself into Spring Fling Festival – a vibrant festival that celebrates the connectedness between the north and west communities of Victoria. The festival has been held annually for 36 years, making it an iconic part of Melbourne’s festival culture.
Running from 11.00am until 6.00pm, the Spring Fling Festival is a day of music, street food, fashion and interactive activities.
In celebration of our multicultural communities, performances from a variety of different and exciting cultures will be held on stage. A handmade artists’ market and vintage stalls will accompany the renowned Spring Fling Dog Show. Traders of Melbourne’s North and West communities will be showcasing their businesses through café street stalls and food trucks. Imagine savouring street food while listening to live music and watching dogs adorably performing – don’t miss this unique experience!
With last year’s event hosting 16,000 people and 120 stalls, it is no surprise that for the first time in Spring Fling history, the festival will extend beyond Errol Street to Victoria Street.
More information on the Spring Fling Festival can be found at their official website.
Armageddon Expo
Saturday, October 18 – Sunday, October 19 (9.00am – 6.00pm); Melbourne Showgrounds (276 – 318 Epsom Road, Flemington)
An Optimus Prime cosplayer poses outside of the exhibit halls at last year’s Armageddon Expo. Photo: Tania Candido
Back for another year of pop culture craziness is the Armageddon Expo, a two-day convention for the geek in everyone.
If you’re into video games, comic books, anime and sci-fi television, Armageddon offers an outlet for you to be able to enjoy your hobbies and perhaps even meet some of your favourite stars.
Special guests at this year’s Armageddon Expo include Doctor Who‘s latest sidekick Jenna-Louise Coleman, Breaking Bad‘s resident crime lord Giancarlo Esposito and the voice of Dragon Ball Z‘s Goku, Sean Schemmel!
Cosplay contests, movie screenings, gaming tournaments, live professional wrestling are just some of things people can see and participate in as part of the weekend-long festivities. And of course, what’s a convention without a variety of exhibitors opening their markets and stalls up!
More information on this year’s Armageddon Expo can be found at the expo’s official website.
Hipbone Sticking Out
Friday, October 17 – Tuesday, October 21 (Various times); Arts Centre Melbourne (100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne)
As a part of the Melbourne Festival, theatre directorScott Rankin brings this mesmerising on-stage performance that tells the story of a 16-year old Yindjibarndi boy who died in prison in 1983.
Sweeping through time against a backdrop of surreal animation and an underscore of six-part harmonies, this performance explores ideas from the beginnings of civilisation – from Greco/Roman gods, to the exploration of the Indian Ocean, slavery, and the mining boom presently affecting Australians, among a few more important periods.
With 17 performers spanning three generations and five indigenous language groups, Hip Bone Sticking Out has been three years in the making. Its poignancy and haunting relevance juxtaposes with dark humour – it seems wise to expect a whirlwind of emotion from the talented performers and breathless effects.
For more information on the show, visit Hipbone Sticking Out’s event page on the official website for Melbourne Festival.
History Week 2014
Sunday, October 19 – Sunday, October 26 (Various times); Various locations
Photo: Royal Historical Society of Victoria’s official Facebook page.
Spanning across seven days, keen historians or those wishing to learn more about the state they’re living in will be able to take part in numerous events held in celebration of Victoria’s short but dense history. These events take place across the state, with many of them available for free to the public! Melbourne’s events include:
Treasures of Docklands (Free): Avid antique collector, Lester DeVere, will discuss his experience from over 30 years in the business and evaluate items brought in from the audience. A little like Antiques Roadshow in Melbourne.
The Changing Face of Victoria (Free): The State Library of Victoria will exhibit historical artefacts, photographs, drawings, maps, letters, and diaries as a way to convey Melbourne’s past on a more personal level.
The Melbourne Story (Museum Entry Fee): This exhibition about Melbourne’s history is the most object-rich one that has ever taken place. With more than 1,200 collection objects featured, visitors can discover icons that have shaped Melbourne, or even ride in a restored Big Dipper carriage from Luna Park.
More information on History Week 2014 can be found at the event’s official website.