The Weekender: May 6 – 8
INDULGE in an abundance of chocolate, celebrate Free Comic Book Day, taste your way around Indonesia or head down to Markit and admire its unique items on offer. Natalie Ng has your plan for the weekend.
Wicked Chocolate Festival
Saturday, May 7 (10.30am – 5.00pm) | Prahran Market (Commercial Rd, Prahran)
Photo: Prahran Market Facebook page
Lover of all things chocolate? Then don’t miss the Wicked Chocolate Festival held at Prahran Market on Saturday, May 7! It will be a day of indulgence and chocolate decadence as the entire Prahran Market will be transformed into every chocolate lover’s heaven.
You can expect free cooking with chocolate demonstrations, free exhibitions on the history of chocolate, free tastings and heaps of stalls selling the most delicious chocolate treats from A25’s Nutella pizzas to Chapel Street Cellars Bar’s chocolate cocktails.
Entry to the chocolate festival is free, although there are also several ticketed events like the Taste the Chocolate Trail, the Essential Ingredient’s chocolate cake making masterclass, and a guided Chocolate Tour. You can purchase your tickets to the ticketed events from the provided links, which will also give you more information on what to expect from each of these events.
More information regarding the festival is available via Prahran Market’s official website
Free Comic Book Day at Minotaur Entertainment
Saturday, May 7 (9.00am – 6.00pm) | 121 Elizabeth St, Melbourne
Photo: via Minotaur Entertainment’s Facebook page
Free Comic Book Day is back at Minotaur Entertainment! Located just a stone’s throw from Flinders Street Station on Elizabeth St, Minotaur Entertainment is a basement cavern and undoubtedly one of the largest retailers of comic books, collectibles and pop culture memorabilia in Melbourne.
Doors open at 9.00am and the first 30 people in line will receive a free goodie bag with one of every free comic. After the first 30 goodie bags are handed out, everyone is limited to five free comics. The first 150 people will also be getting swag bags with posters, temporary tattoos and other trinkets.
In addition to the free comics, there will be spot prizes throughout the day where 50 lucky people will have comic bags containing gift vouchers of varying value that can be used in store or online. There will also be a Lucky Dip Box where there is a chance to win a first issue of an older series such as Black Widow or The Flash, as well as a raffle draw with five prize packs containing comics and graphic novels worth up to $250 up for grabs.
If single issue comics are not your thing, there will also be a 20 per cent discount off the stickered price on all trade paperback and hardcover collections, graphic novels, manga, How to Draw Comics art books, fantasy art books and more. This sale starts on May 7, but if you can’t make it down, it will carry on until May 13.
More information regarding Free Comic Book Day can be found via Minotaur Entertainment’s Facebook event page
The Indonesian Satay Festival
Sunday, May 8 (11.00am – 5.00pm) | Box Hill Town Hall
Photo: via The Indonesian Satay Festival’s Facebook event page
Organized by Perwira, The Indonesian Society of Victoria, this event will be held at Box Hill Town Hall and aims to help bring together the Indonesian community living in Victoria as well as give non-Indonesians a (literal) taste of Indonesia.
If your mother is in town, this would certainly be a fun and tasty alternative to treat her to and another way to celebrate Mother’s Day.
As you can probably imagine, the festival will be packed full of food stalls selling the best of Indonesian street food. Vendors include Sateplus Indonesian Street Food, Simply Soy and Bakul Barokah Indonesian food.
Traditional Indonesian clothing and handicrafts will also be sale. There will also be live traditional music, Balinese dancers, flower displays, martial arts displays, fashion parades and an Angklung workshop.
An opportunity to win a free trip to Bali, sponsored by Extra Travel, is also on the agenda.
Entry is free and more information about the event can be found on The Indonesian Satay Festival’s Facebook event page.
Markit
May 8 (10.00am to 5.00pm)| Federation Square (Corner Swanston and Flinders St, Melbourne)
Photo: via Markit’s Facebook page
Markit is back! The biannual event is held at Federation Square and brings together designers, creatives and makers.
There will be a wide and diverse range of homewares, ceramics, jewelry, clothing, stationery, artwork, prints and novelty items that are all hand made using locally sourced materials and made through ethical and sustainable production methods.
Many of the items on sale are limited edition, unique and handmade and won’t be found on any other high street; they’re often only available online. This is a chance for Victorians, or anyone interested, to find and pick up these items in person and also an excellent opportunity to pick up a one of a kind item for mum for Mother’s Day.
For some, this will also be an opportunity to meet and interact with their favorite Melbourne based designers, artists and illustrators.
More information and the full list of participating stallholders and designers can be found via Markit’s official website