It was the first time I attended this festival and it was kinda cool! I must admit it was the…read moreprospect of Japanese street food that drew me in the first place. Held at the primary school it was organised and set up by so many volunteers who have done a good job. Once inside there were stalls selling Japanese origami goods, plush toys, books, manga, anime culture collectibles, Japanese arts and craft and displays. There were three areas which had music and Japanese martial arts demonstration running throughout the day. Rather interesting. In terms of food, we indulged in some very delicious and popular Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakitori chicken skewers and Tteokbokki (Korean). Special Japanese buns were also on offer along with sushi, onigiri, sweets, Japanese curry and bento sets. Something for everyone. There were kimonos to hire and classes for kids and adults alike too.

The Port Festival runs every two years and the whole of Port Adelaide comes alive with…read moreperformances, exhibitions, artist market and free entrance to all museums in the surrounding areas. A perfect festival for family and anyone young and old. It's a brilliant initiative by the City of Port Adelaide Enfield in discovering the charm and beauty of this historic port. I took my kids here last year and it was a full day affair of free balloons, dancing to open air bands, indulging in Australian made ice cream and seafood galore, perusing the creative products by various artisans and taking full advantage of the free entrance to the SA Maritme Museum, National Railway Museum and the Aviation Museum. Expect lots of fun, giggles and huge smiles from all family members! Check out their website for the next Festival in 2013.

The best thing about living in Adelaide is embracing the multitude of cultural events throughout…read morethe year. With a rich and diversified community here, you don't need to leave the city to partake in the international flavour. Dozynki festival is a celebration of harvest amongst the Polish community in Adelaide. The national costumes is colourful and absolutely pretty. When the festival kicks off, a huge wreath filled with wheat and rye and decorated with flowers, ribbons, hazelnuts and the fruit of the mountain ash tree makes its way through a procession. Later cultural performances, songs and dancers liven up the Festival whilst the crowd enjoy Polish food and Polish beer and vodka. I love sampling international cuisine and if you're like me, you'll dig in the cabbage rolls, Zurek (sour soup), goulash and more! It is truly a colourful event and exudes the charm and beauty of the Polish community.

Celebrate the multicultural Malaysia in Malaysia Fest or popularly known as MFest…read more Held at Victoria Square, the festival brings together the beautiful culture, cuisine and arts and crafts of everything Malaysia. With cultural performances representing the various states across Malaysia, be in awe as you witness performances from the Dayak, Iban, Indian and Chinese community. There is also the silat performance, which is Malaysia's traditional martial arts which interest many. I haven't met anyone in Adelaide who doesn't enjoy a good plate of Malaysian food. Come here hungry and feed your gastronomical senses as you dig into the nasi lemak, murtabak, popiah, ayam goreng (fried chicken) and more delightful bites. Very much a family friendly festival for all to partake.

It is great to see a design market that brings a range of Australian designers into the Adelaide…read moremarket. These markets are held bi-annually and bring together a range of high quality stationary, clothing, jewellery and some small homewares items. There is also always a lovely selection of organic and fair trade food, coffee and drinks - normally including Let Them Eat and Red Door Bakery. My biggest challenge is that I would have to mortgage my house to be able to afford any of the items at this market. I can tell the quality of everything on offer is incredibly high end and that screen printing leggings or making jewellery takes time, but I guess I am more an online Etsy or op-shop girl where I know that my budget can afford a purchase. This year the range was good but not as broad as I remember from the previous year as I did get a bit of jewellery fatigue after about the 15th stall. It would be also good to see a better range of both middle and high end priced items. Overall I look forward to seeing this market continue to grow and flourish as it is continually getting more and more popular each time they run!

Bowerbird Bazaar. Where have you been all my life. Or, pardon me, I should truly say -- where have…read moreI been... Waiting outside for my friend to arrive did not prepare me for the awesomeness that awaited inside. Mummies and babies strolled past with bags and eatables, hip couples in beanies and mocassins stole my street cred, and trendy older ladies appeared to be seriously focussed on getting in to where the action was. And then it happened. The moment I walked in, I felt UNDER dressed - or could that be dressed in the dark dressed. Not at all one to shy away from a splash of wildness, I was wearing cool high-top shoes and sneaking a splash of fluro yellow under my khaki jacket. By the by - totes not saying that you needed to be having a wild outfit to walk in there, but --- there was a lot of cool dressed ladies, cool haired grannies, cool bearded blokes. I had to shove my hands in my pockets just to prevent myself from the want to un-creepily stroke a pleasant face-warmer* - or hundred. It was bearded man heaven, with a sneaky short-back-and sides gelled crop to boot. Moving right along the tripled isled cosy room, and beyond my initial shock of my personal presentation, was that comforting feeling that you are amongst a bunch of cool folks. Many of the wares and skills on display I had the pleasure of knowing from Instastalking fabulous artists -- like Gretel Girl -- and seeing her gorgeous creations in the uber fabulous and my favourite cafe E for Ethels (Melbourne Street). Getting to tell these creative folks "Hey, I know your stuff, I've seen it ...a) b) c)" hopefully was as much of an encouragement as their faces looked like that would be to hear. Whoever says that Melbourne is the hip and cool capital of the known Australian land needs to take off their shoes and eat their own socks. No offence if anyone does think that - because Melbourne is truly a cool place - but Adelaide is bringing its quirky charm to the surface and we are exhibiting greater quirky cool cafes and more awesomener cool artists and creators. So - if you are pondering the possibility of storming the Bazaar tomorrow, DO IT. You will regret it if you don't and you want to. You wont get to have a change of mind until the next one in November, so I suggest getting in tomorrow. Last day Sunday, if I had a free day schedule - I, too, would be back. *pleasant face-warmer = beard.

Hosted by the Australian Indonesian Association of SA, the Indofest is one of my favourite Asian…read morefestival as I get to savour all the delicious Asian food. As all cultural festivals, the Indofest aims to promote dance, culture, music, arts and craft and food of Indonesia to the South Australian community. If you are familiar with batik, you will find some lovely batik fabrics, shirts and tops for sale here. For a nonprofit organisation, the Festival organisers work hard in bringing in famous band and singers from Indonesia much to the delight of the Indonesian community. All in all, it's a fun and family friendly festival for all to enjoy. Note: Free entrance.

The fact that I had thrown off my shoes and was walking barefoot and fancy free within 5 minutes of…read morearriving at this outdoor music venue is a good sign. This little sanctuary of calm in Dunstone Grove transports you to another world - feeling a bit like a hootenanny of straw hats and banjo players at one point and then a magical world of fairy lights, live music and rolling around on the grass as the sun sets over the garden. What made this place so appealing was the "ease" of everything on the night. Pay for tickets at the door, walk a few metres to the bar, walk another few metres to dinner and roll around on pre-laid out rugs and old vintage sofas throughout the garden. Bistro Dom and Devour Dessert caters for the event with a southern style menu of Fried Green Tomato Sliders, Charred Black Bell Peppers, Pork Belly Buns and Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwiches. Don't miss out on the sauce bar where you can pick from mild to smokin' hot chilli sauce to add to your dishes either! Highlight of the evening was grabbing a LOBO cider, a spicy fried green tomato slider which kicked like a mule with its spice and size and finishing off the night laying on a rug digesting my dinner while sweet live music melodies washed over me and the other 100 or so people there. Fingers crossed this venue remains after Adelaide Fringe or returns again for a second year of knee slappin, toe tappin, fried green tomato fun!

Great spot for a summer evening. Chilled setting with smokin' food. Fried green tomato sliders,…read moreblackened red bell peppers, beef brisket sandwich with satan sauce, pickled pigs' feet from Bistro Dom. For dessert from Devour there is a peanut butter ice cream sandwich, a bucket of donuts, or macarons. Yummmm! Relaxing music ( Baker Suite is French bistro accordion mixed with a bit of blues or acoustic rock guitar and bass - what's not to love?)

Held once a year last Sunday in November…read more The Semaphore Street Fair has successfully been running for the past few years but its future is in doubt and may or may not be around next year according to the Semaphore Road Traders Association, due to the local Council pulling the plug on funding. Considering it draws 15,000 to 20,000 people from all over Adelaide to the yearly event, it's a big decision. Without going into the politics and for those of you interested readers wishing to delve deeper, go to their website www.semaphoresa.com.au for full information. Purely as an independent visiting the most recent Fair held on Sunday November 27th 2011, every person and their dog was there on the glorious spring day that it was. Spanning from The Esplanade and 'sort of' spreading all the way down to Military Road, canopies flanked either side of the grassy median strip. A good variety of stall holders displaying their wares for sale, some quality handmade goods and quite a few non handmade as you get at every market, their products being browsed, stroked, admired and sometimes purchased. The atmosphere was buzzing as the day progressed and got hotter with more and more people arriving creating a river of bodies walking up and down the avenue of stalls. Spoiler AIert! I must point out at this stage the centre of the market spread simply disappeared, rather than having a continuous wall to wall of market stalls up and down Semaphore Road, there was a break separating the market atmosphere into two sections! A peculiar marketing decision with the massive gap in the middle of Semaphore Road compared to previous years and it gave an appearance of less stall holders. To get from one section of the market to the other was a disheartening walk to what seemed like a mirage in the distance on a hot day. Shop owners were having a field day especially food vendors and cafes as customers spilled out from their premises and after speaking with some stall holders not everyone was receiving market share. There was a handful of incidental stall placements in awkward spots receiving only a trickle of walking traffic come past their sites, compared to the hoards of passersby down the two main strips. On the day it appeared to be a success but market organisers need to ensure a fair and equitable event for all participants.

What is it about the Royal Adelaide Show? When it is announced I feel like I am 10 years old again…read more For sure it has changed dramatically since I was a child, but there is still a sense of excitement in it. I can see that kids are still as excited about it as what I was when I was younger. I remember planning months ahead of my Royal Show visit. Getting the paper and highlighting animal shows and all show bags I wanted. Well, I may not be that organised anymore, but I still plan out what attractions to see. They are right when they say, "there is so much to see and do at the Royal Adelaide Show". In fact, there is a lot you can do for free. It is not all about showbags, candy and rides. Those things are nice, but it is also important to celebrate and learn about Horticulture and Agriculture as well. This is something that I enjoy seeing at the show. In particular, I enjoy seeing all the lovely animals and speaking to their owners. Learn about what breeds are good for agriculturally. It is fascinating. I also love seeing all the large award winning vegetables and plant displays. I think to get the most out of The Show, you need to look past the markets and showbags. Go speak to the farmers and see the entertainment set up. Check out the pig races, see the wood chopping. Enjoy the talents of individuals. Then you will remember what it is all about. But, the little dare devil in me is also attracted to the rides. I don't really buy showbags anymore. I go on rides. I am a thrill seeker. The biggest and scariest rides are the ones I go for. If I a scream laughing and leave the ride dizzy and bewildered, well I am one happy girl! My partner and I love this, it gets us in hysterics. I admire all the hard work and effort of each exhibitor and contribution to the Adelaide Royal Show. Everyone involved works extremely hard. Thank you for each year that you make South Aussies very happy!

After a 10 year hiatus, I returned to the Royal Show to relive the childhood memories. Although not…read morequite as big and bustling as I remembered it through the eyes of a child, lots of fun was had! This was my first time attending as an adult and there's actually a lot of great things aimed at adults to see and do. The food options seem to have improved a lot since I was last there and there's a gourmet selection outside the IGA pavilion. I tried a chicken pad Thai at a place called SpanThai which was a reasonable serving for $13 but a little mediocre in flavour. I also ended up going to a woodfire Bbq stall specialising in barbecued meats. I shared a crispy pork hock with bbq sauce. At $25 this was pretty good value as it was gigantic even for sharing between 2, and included chips and a drink. However, a little impossible to eat with plastic cutlery so prepare to get messy. The IGA pavilion had so much on offer to sample I could have spent the whole day in there! Amongst the delicious things I tried were Moo yogurts, Pangkarra legume snacks, Barossa fine foods meats and an extensive array of different condiments stalls. You probably don't even need lunch with all the samples. Bush Tucker Icecream is definitely worth a visit for unique bush flavours such as wattleseed, lilly pilly, quandong and strawberry gum. The guy at the stall was happy to let us try them all. Check out the photos to see descriptions of all the flavours. I can recommend the wattleseed (which is reminiscent of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut) and the Illawarra plum, although it's tough choosing as they were all very enticing. There were plenty of alcoholic beverages on offer as well. I was lucky enough to get a spot in one of the structured wine tastings as well as the cider tasting session. You get a selection of 4 or 5 to try and an expert will talk you through them. When I was a kid I remember I would get so excited combing through the showbag guide and make short lists of the showbags I might get. This year I only let myself get one and I couldn't go past a Bertie beetle bag! It was always a staple in my selection growing up so I got one for old times sake. Sadly I ran out of time to do lots of other things but I can recommend seeing the different dog breeds if you're a dog lover, so many adorable dogs to pat The cake competition and bonsais were also worth checking out. I wasn't expecting to enjoy the show this year as much as my childhood visits. It was a different experience but definitely as enjoyable!

What more could you ask for than wine-ding down on a Sunday afternoon on the streets of Adelaide…read morewith 20 wine producers showcasing "their best" from around SA? #EastEndWineDown gathers 400 people into a laneway of Adelaide for $30 each, gives them a glass and says "go for your life" (but of course drink responsibly) over 5 hours in the sun. You won't have slim-pickings to find a squashed grape or two that takes your fancy amongst the line up of producers. And your munchies will strategically be cured by food trucks like Little Big Cheese Co, La Cantina and TacoCat who were there this year. Quaff a few wines, buy a bottle of your favourite that you have tried that day from East End Cellars in the same laneway and sprawl out on Splash Adelaide deck chairs, fake lawn, crates and tables in the shade for the rest of the afternoon. This quirky event brings out such a diverse blend of young and old from Adelaide to appreciate our local talent and produce. It has smacks of great organising with an undertone of good behaviour for most of the day and a lingering flavour at the back of your mouth that makes you want this event to run more than once a year!

This was the first event I've ever attended as part of the Adelaide Food and Wine Festival and I…read morehave to say I was impressed. Hundreds of wine enthusiasts got together in a back laneway of the city along with lots of wine producers from all around Australia, and we sampled, sat and sipped to our heart's content. There was a great set up of deck chairs, stools and milk crates and plenty of areas to sit and relax in. It wasn't hard to find a seat (apart from the first few people I asked that were saving every seat near them!). The food selection was good and there were a few different types of food available. Special mention goes to the free fairy floss!! I think it would be great to have some kind of food included - maybe a voucher or something with your ticket that gives you some olives and bread or something like that. For the ticket price it seems like that would be doable and also promotes responsible drinking. It was very helpful to have a list of all the wineries represented so you could mark off as you tasted. The specials offered on the day were also extended to the end of the month with a order form included in the brochure. Why not 5 stars? A bit picky but I was a bit disappointed that they felt they couldn't trust me with a glass made of glass. Since it was an inclusion of the ticket price i was expecting something more 'collectable.' Overall a great event and I plan to attend if it's on again next year!