Summer is finally here (hopefully it’s here to stay!) and it’s time to enjoy films outside in the fresh air, under the stars.

Click on the links below to check out the programs for each of these venues, some have new releases, some the more arty films and some old classics, or a mixture of all. Some also have special events, combining music and films and food.

Lotterywest Festival Films – Joondalup Pines Picture Garden and Somerville Auditorium at UWA – 1 December to 19 April 2009

Moonlight Cinema – King’s Park – 9 December to 15 March 2009

Camelot Outdoor Cinema (Luna) – Mosman park – 11 December to 18 February 2009

Luna Outdoor Cinema – Leederville – 12 December to 11 March 2009

Movies By Burswood – Burswood Parklands – until 4 April 2009

Fremantle Outdoor Film Festival – Bohemia Outdoor Cinema – Princess May Park – 30 January to 28 February 2009

The annual King’s Park Festival has started, and will be running until 29 September 2008.

Together with a spectacular display of Western Australian wildflowers in Kings Park and Botanic Garden, there will be a variety of festive days, exciting exhibits, diverse workshops, stimulating guided walks and plenty of live entertainment throughout September.

Some of the highlights this year:

Father’s Day Festival – Sunday 7 September – 10am-3pm

Stay on Your Feet Week Opening Event – 14 September – 7am-4pm

Wild Fairyland Festival – Sunday 21 September- 10am-3pm (and Great Pram Stroll from 10 to 10.30)

Wildflower Market Place – 26 to 29 September – 10am-5pm

Experience Aussie Culture – Sunday 28 September – 10am-3pm

Everlasting Jazz Picnic – Monday 29 September (public holiday) – 10am – 5pm

See the King’s Park website for more info and ALL the events, there’s so many!

THE 2009 FESTIVAL IS ON 7 and 8 MARCH!

The annual Perth Chilli Festival at Araluen Botanic Park in the hills at Roleystone will be held coming weekend, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 March, from 10am – 5pm on both days.

A celebration of everything chilli from fresh foods, pickles, chutneys, olives, cheese, chocolate, wine, beers and many more. Enjoy live entertainment, demonstrations and free tastings.

There is Improved parking access this year, and Perth based Chilli website chillifreak.com says Saturday would be a good day to go with easier parking and entertainment.

Entry fees: Adults $12.00 Children $6.00 Family $30.00 (2 adults and up to 6 children).

Araluen is a beautiful park to visit at any time, but this is a great extra reason to go!

Araluen Botanic Park website

Summer is here again and it’s time to enjoy films in the park, under the stars.

Check out the program for each of these, some have new releases, some the more arty films and some old classics, or a mixture of all.

Lotterywest Festival Films – Joondalup Pines Picture Garden and Somerville Auditorium at UWA – 3 December to 13 April 2008

Camelot Outdoor Cinema (Luna) – Mosman park – 6 December to 14 February 2008

Moonlight Cinema – King’s Park – 11 December to 9 March 2008

Luna Outdoor Cinema – Leederville – 13 December to 13 February 2008

Movies By Burswood – Burswood Parklands – December to April 2008

Fremantle Outdoor Film Festival – Bohemia Outdoor Cinema – Princess May Park – 1 February to 1 March 2008

The annual Kings Park Wildflower Festival has turned into the month long Kings Park Festival!!

There will be many free family events, floral displays of wildflowers, Japanese cultural events and many interactive demonstrations, workshops and talks. Check out the Kings Park Festival website for all the details.
Some of the highlights:

Sunday 2 September – 10am to 3pm – Synergy Father’s Day

There are 50 things to do and see at the Synergy Parkland to celebrate Father’s Day this September. Dads will discover a new world in the “Mens Shed” or can chose to go rock climbing or go on a guided walk. If this is too active, simply enjoy a pancake brunch, followed by a lesson in African drumming, then kick back and tuck into the best of the west bbq picnic lunch.

Sunday 9 September – 10am to 3pm – Great Granny and Gramps Gumboot Gardening Day

Paint your thumbs green at The Great Granny and Gramps Gumboot Gardening Day, with a flower garden art workshop or have a go at decorating gumboots and scarecrows. The day will encourage grandparents and their grand kids to get their hands dirty and pot their own seedlings. There will also be a fun children’s theatre show, promoting how to conserve and care for the environment. You can also keep on your toes with the bush band and square dancing.

Sunday 9 September 11.30 am – 2.30 pm Ohanami Picnic (Flower Viewing Picnic)

As soon as the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, people gather their friends and families together under the trees for picnics, singing, and relaxation.

Sunday 16 September – 10am to 3pm – Djilba Bush Life

Connect with the spirit of the land through at the Djilba Bush Life event. This day celebrates our Australian culture and heritage including Indigenous performers and film festival, Dreamtime storytelling, bush tucker food, sheep shearing, whip cracking, children’s painting, plus camel rides to cap it all off!

Sunday September 23 – 10am to 3pm – Wild Fairyland Festival (and Great Pram Stroll)

A day not to be missed is the Wild Fairyland Festival held at Ivey Watson playground. Dust off your wings and charge your wands, the magic has arrived. Wizards, Queen Fairies, cuddly animals, circus acrobats and ballet dancers are expected to magically appear on the day to delight and entertain. Help Great Gompho Wizardwort discover the mystery of the disappearing bush treasures and you may even see a dragon!

Queens Birthday Long Weekend

Friday 28 September to Monday 1 October 10 am – 4 pm – Wildflower Market Place

If wildflowers are your thing, then don’t miss the mass display of flowers that will greet visitors at the world’s largest inner city park this September. On this weekend is the Wildflower Market Place which will be jam packed program of talks, walks and stalls that will inspire and captivate visitors, green thumb or not.

Sunday 30 September – 10am to 4pm – Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival)

A culmination to a month-long series of Japanese-focused events complementing the Japanese Display Garden. Throughout the day there will be free demonstrations of calligraphy, traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, kite flying, Ikebana, origami and many other cultural traditions.

Monday 1 October – 10am to 4pm – Everlasting Jazz Picnic

Bring the family for a wander though the wildflowers, do a spot of shopping at the Wildflower Market Place and then enjoy the great sounds of classic Jazz tunes on the beautiful lawns of the Botanic Garden. Pack your own picnic and bring a chair or rug and relax. This is the last weekend of the Kings Park Festival and what better way to spend the long weekend than with great music, in great surrounds, in the height of glorious Spring!

Saturday 6 October – 5 pm – Purple Twilight Walk

The Purple Twilight Walk is a fun way for individuals and families to help raise awareness of breast cancer in the community. The four kilometre walk takes participants through on a picturesque walk through King’s Park. The walk is a fantastic opportunity to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, while taking in views of one of Perth’s most breathtaking sights.

Check out the Kings Park Festival website for much more info!

Aussies 2007, the Australian Surf Life Saving Championshops are about to begin! It’s all happening from Tuesday 20 to Sunday 25 March at Scarborough Beach!

With more than 6,000 athletes, from more than 200 clubs around Australia, competing in 290 events, it’s the largest sporting event of its type in the world and is uniquely Australian. Events include surf races, surf ski paddling, board paddling, beach events including sprints, and the world famous surf boat races.

The newly built 5000-seat amphitheatre will provide the perfect setting to watch the action along the shore and in the pristine waters of the Indian Ocean

See the Aussies 2007 website for all the details!

There’s a webcam looking over Scarborough Beach (North), but I don’t know if you’ll be able to see anything on it.

The South Perth Fiesta is held from Saturday 17 March to 1 April 2007.

It begins this weekend with a free opening concert on Saturday, from 5pm, and will feature Wendy Matthews, Blue Celts and the Wesley College Jazz Orchestra. It finishes around 9pm with fireworks, and is held at Sir James Mitchell Park on the South Perth foreshore.

Bring a picnic (there is also food available) and keep an eye out for the Aquasapiens…

YACJAM, a free youth event, is held on Sunday 18 March from 3 to 7pm, also at Sir James Mitchell Park and will feauture many activities including adventurous activities (on land and water) and a ‘Battle of the Bands’. There is also an Urban Art competition.

Kiddy Kapers is happening on Sunday 25 March, a free family event held from 10am to 1pm at Neil McDougall Park. See Inspector Pickles, Old MacDonald’s petting zoo, have your face painted, or enjoy other entertainment and activities.

Mends Street Carnival is held on Sunday 1 April in South Perth from 2pm to 7pm. There wil be music, children’s entertainment, fashion, food and markets.

Among the other many things organised for the South Perth Fiesta include a Shaun Tan exhibition and a free family fun ‘n’ fitness day.

For all the other events and more info see the South Perth website and download the pdf (pdf, aprox 3MB) with the whole program.

The Coogee Beach Festival is the last of the City of Cockburn’s Summer of Fun events, held on Sunday 18 March 2007 (though summer doesn’t seem to have ended yet, and the fun certainly hasn’t!).

There’ll be lots of free rides, activities and roving entertainment. Schools compete in the Coogee Beach Challenge. And you can enter the Sandcastle Competition.

It’s held at Coogee Beach Reserve on Powell Rd from 9am to 2pm

See the City of Cockburn website for more details!

WA Harmony Week is held from Thursday 15 to Wednesday 21 March 2007.

It is celebrated to embrace and celebrate the cultural diversity of WA, and there are many free family friendly events. 21 March is the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

One of the main events is CONNECT @ Hyde Park (Highgate) from 11am to 6pm on Sunday 18 March 2007. Dance, sing, taste and talk at this FREE, all ages, outdoor event combining the talents of more than 30 cultures in one global celebration!

Also on Sunday the 18th, the Harmony International Folk Fest at Burswood Theatre from 5 to 9pm. A FREE cultural festival featuring over 350 local and international performers. Hear the beats and feel the pulse from exotic locations.

The City of Melville and Murdoch Uni International Film Festival is held from 20 to 24 March at Nexus Theatre at Murdoch University.

Some of the other events:

Wednesday 14 March 2007:
WA Multicultural Community Service Awards at the Perth Concert Hall

Thursday 15 March 2007:
Harmony Day at Fremantle Village Art Markets in Kings Square – 10am to 5.30pm
Multicultural playgroup fun day at Tomato Lake in Kewdale from 10am

Saturday 17 March 2007
City of Joondalup Harmony week celebrations at the libraries
Harmony Week Multicultural Food Festival 2007 and fireworks at Jubilee Reserve in Eden Hill (Town of Bassendean) from 5pm
Somali Community Association celebrations at Penensula Cultural Centre in Maylands from 6pm

Sunday 18 March 2007
As above: CONNECT@Hyde Park and Harmony International Folk Fest

Wednesday 21 March 2007
We are One – celebrations in Redcliffe Park from 10.30am

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

And more:
City of Wanneroo events
City of Cockburn has events relating to the Iranian New Year, Nowruz.

See all the metropolitan events here at the website of the Office of Multicultural Interests of WA.

2006 info!

Free Carols by Candlelight, Carols by Torch-light and other Christmas concerts in Perth, December 2006. I know I’m still missing quite a few….

East Perth – Victoria Gardens – Thursday 7 December (Twilight Christmas Picnic in the Park)

Iluka – Sir James McCusker Park Amphitheatre – Thursday 7 December (Community Carols by Torch-light)

Perth City Christmas Concert – Forrest Place – Friday 8 December

Perth City Christmas Pageant – CBD – Saturday 9 December

Sunday 10 December 2006:

Booragoon – Len Shearer Reserve – Sunday 10 December (Carols in the Park)

Armadale – Minnawarra Park – Sunday 10 December (Carols in Minnawarra)

North Fremantle – Community Hall – Sunday 10 December (Christmas Concert and Carol-sing)

Kalamunda – Stirk Park – Sunday 10 December (Carols By Candlelight)

Mandurah Community Christmas Pageant and Foreshore Party – Foreshore – Tuesday 12 December (including fireworks)

Bayswater – Halliday Park – Friday 15 December (Carols by Candlelight)

Highgate – Hyde Park – Friday 15 December (Carols by Candlelight, from 6.30pm with children’s activities)
Perth City Christmas Concert – Forrest Place – Friday 15 December

Ballajura – Kingfisher Oval – Saturday 16 December (Carols in the Park, from 6pm)

Duncraig – Percy Doyle Reserve – Saturday 16 December (Carols by Candelight)

Maylands – Christmas Carols at Tranby House – Saturday 16 December $5 adults, $2 school children, from 5.30pm.

Sunday 17 December 2006:

Perth – IGA Carols by Candlelight – Supreme Court Gardens – Sunday 17 December

Burswood – Burswood Park Foreshore – Sunday 17 December (Carols in the Park)

Sandalford Winery – Carols in the Valley – Sunday 17 December

Fremantle Arts Centre – Sunday 17 December (Candlelight Carols)

Scarborough Beach – Sunday 17 December (Carols by Candlelight / Official Opening of Amphitheatre)

Subiaco – Theatre Gardens, Subiaco Arts Centre – Sunday 17 December (Carols at Sunset)

High Wycombe – Maide Vale Baptist Church – Sunday 17 December (Carols on the Green)

Roleystone – Araluen Botanic Park – Sunday 17 December (Carols by Torch-light, might cost the normal entry fee…)

Heathridge Park – Sunday 17 December (Christmas Carols Skyshow)

Bassendean – Succes Hill Reserve – Sunday 17 December (Carols by Candlelight)

Wanneroo – Jacaranda Amphitheatre – Sunday 17 December (Carols by Candlelight)

Perth City – Christmas Nativity – Forrest Place – Wednesday 20, Thursday 21 & Friday 22 December