Not sure where we went was it. Multiple safety mechanisms, dangerous roads nearby, and it's in an…read moreapartment complex.

I recently exhibited at Aspire Gallery and couldn't be happier. The gallery owners are amazingly…read morehelpful with all aspects of exhibiting, they are truly beautiful! Knowledgeable about art, exhibiting, trends, what to focus on and a huge array of contacts, I highly recommend you to have your own exhibition there, or just pop in and visit the gallery and shop. There is so much to see! Thank you Aspire Gallery!!

One of many art galleries located in Fortitude Valley, Artisan is always one of the most…read moreinteresting. Made up of a couple of small exhibition spaces (Gallery Artisan and Crucible) and a boutique shop, there's something for everyone. A couple of my favourite recent exhibitions have been photographs from music photographer Tony Mott and a series of ceramic sculptures by Chinese artist Dai Li. Exhibitions are generally on display for one to two months. The shop contains lots of beautiful clothes, jewellery, collectables, and pieces of furniture, and I enjoy a regular browse.

artisan is a gallery space for everyone. I say that because where some galleries leave you feeling…read morelike you shouldn't dare walk in unless you're prepared to fess up to owning a Black AMEX, artisan is a gallery that, much like its Fortitude Valley location, offers up an eclectic mix of locally produced goods in its gift store and via it's exhibition program and welcomes all with open arms. I'm confident you'll never walk in feeling like you need membership to an exclusive club to enter. Most recently I visited the space for their Marketplace exhibition which showcased a range of local artisan producers from bakers, chocolate makers, miso, rooftop beehives and handmade wall planters. The concept was to show the connection we must have to where our food comes from and like many of this galleries exhibits, it actively encouraged visitors to interact with the exhibit. You were encouraged to taste the products from the makers, purchase and ask questions of them. But if a solo walk through an art gallery is not your style, there's also a well curated gift store at the front that stocks local producers works. Pro Tip: Always make a point to check out their window displays. Especially the one facing Ivory Street. There's always a new up & coming designer front and centre, like the current, Nooko & Co pieces. It'll make you reconsider an entire month's budget!

Ekka is like a massive more awesome version of a state fair. The food expo building had lots of…read morefree samples. We ate so much for free! We did end up buying some goodies to take home too. They have a petting zoo area, rides, junk food vendors, multiple stages with live music, & booze for sale! Then they have Ekka nights at the main arena it starts off with a great fireworks show & follows with various entertainment. We had lots of fun. It cost $25US per person to get in.

The Ekka is Brisbane's annual agricultural show, formally known as the Royal Queensland Show. In…read morereality it's the biggest carnival in Queensland, lasting for ten days and giving us a public holiday on the seventh day, aka People's Day. And aka Plague Day. It's a tradition and widely-held belief in Brisbane that when one goes to the Ekka, one catches the 'flu. This is allegedly highly true of People's Day, traditionally the Ekka's busiest day as parents are dragged to the event by excited kiddies. It's always held in August and it seems like the rain waits all year for the Ekka to come around and dumps it all on you in one go. As much of the Ekka is outdoors (most people come for the carnival rides) you're probably going to get rained on, unless you want to trudge around in an umbrella or wear a raincoat (I love how the latter are now being called "emergency ponchos" in supermarkets). Though it's not all about the agricultural show as it was in the good old days, there is still a substantial portion devoted to such activities - dog shows, brightly coloured baby chicks and a room where you can roam freely amongst farm animals are memorable events. Unfortunately animals mean dirt ground and rain means mud. Don't wear your favourite sneakers here. The major indoors section includes the Ekka fashion show and the showbag pavilion. Even as an adult - recognizing what a rip-off these things are - I love getting a few showbags. Carrying home bags filled with treats just doesn't feel like a bad thing. There's also more "adult" stuff at the back, such as a lot of cleaning goods stands and demonstrations (yawn), a discount book store (not bad) and posters of obscure stuff you like, such as Doctor Who (awesome). I've thrown up at the Ekka from a violent ride (the Zipper - not ON the ride, fortunately, but this ride's cages have seen some serious stomach acid carnage in their time), I've been rained on, but I've never caught the infamous bug that is supposed to go around during Ekka time. In spite of knowing how overpriced the whole event is (entry is somewhere over $20 for an adult, and then you pay for each ride you go on*) I still like the Ekka. It's not only associated with happy childhood memories, I still enjoy it. Two years ago I spent a night on the dodgems, picking teen boys in showdowns. I was unstoppable. The guys didn't even charge me in the end, they just let me keep going as everyone else lined up. Best Ekka ever. Oh, and there's bars and pubs there for fathers who've had enough of walking around to look at everything. *Some rides are as cheap as $5 but they're usually more around the $10 mark. The bungee bullet ride is around $40, with ride prices generally increasing marginally each year.

Jugglers Art Space is an excellent art exhibition space located in the Valley. It has a very young…read moreand fresh vibe with its grungy looking interior and street art decorations. Although it is predominantly an exhibition space, I have seen it used for smalls gigs and even markets. The type of art exhibitions held is often modern art that has a youthful feel to it. I believe none of the work presented here are made by well known artists, it seems Jugglers prefer to showcase work from local artists or students. I find this really nice to see as it give the place a very homely non-obnoxious vibe. The exhibition space is not very large but enough to accommodate a couple hundred people on their opening nights. There is also a large backyard area which is where I have seen bands and markets being held. I have also seen bands play inside one of the exhibtion rooms. If you want to check out some art created by local talent, I would suggest checking out one of the exhibitions at Jugglers Art Space.