Month: June 2016

European Night Market

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If you’ve ever travelled through Europe in winter, there’s no doubt that you’ll always tell your friends back home about the outdoor winter markets that they do so well! This year, you can save yourself the cost of the plane ticket as Madame Brussels Lane turns into an European Night Market for four Friday nights starting on July 18. Inspired by the markets in Germany and Switzerland, the European Night Market will be filled with  rich European spiced aromas of mulled wine, German sausages, freshly baked pretzels and live music. Treat yourself to delicious Polish dumplings, French crepes, scumptious Flammkuchen, melting fondue cheese plus so much more. There’ll also be a German Beer Garden with ales, Italian aperitivos and mulled wine to get you into the winter spirit. When: 5pm-10pm Fridays, July 2 – August 12. Where: Madame Brussels Lane Directions: Madame Brussels Lane is a 10 minute walk from The Swanston Hotel and Mercure Welcome Melbourne. Visit the European Night Market website.  Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing …

School Holiday Fun for the Whole Family

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Winter school holidays are coming up and if you’re looking for ways to keep the little ones entertained, these seven Melbourne activities will keep their boredom at bay. Whether they love learning about animals, watching shows or playing outside, these family-friendly events are the perfect way to spend a winter’s day out and about in Melbourne. Ice Skating at River Rink – Until July 17 Strap your skates on – Melbourne’s only outdoor ice rink is back for another year this winter. With a dramatic backdrop of the city and Yarra river, the River Rink will transform you into a fairyland of light and colour. For the young ones still learning to skate there’ll also assistants in the form of 70cm high penguins and seals which can be rented from the River Rink Box Office to help support them on the ice. Jurassic World Exhibition – Until October 9  Walk amongst the dinosaurs at Melbourne Museum’s Jurassic World Exhibition. Visitors of all ages can now learn all about these incredible prehistoric creatures, so whether you’re a T-rex lover, or more  of a …

Scandinavian Film Festival

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The inaugural Scandinavian Film Festival returns to Melbourne this winter. More than just noir: the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival will see new dramas, documentaries and laughs on the big screens across the Palace Cinemas. This year’s festival will be it’s third and will present some of the most exciting and fresh movies from Sweden,Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Win 1 of 10 double passes  – scroll to the bottom of the post. Some of the highlights we’ve picked out include: WELCOME TO NORWAY Director Rune Denstad Langlo brings some welcome levity to the highly topical subject of Europe’s migration crisis in this acerbic and insightful black comedy that pokes fun at the behaviour of Norwegians when pushed outside their comfort zones. Sharp, witty and unpredictable, this is a film that will put a smile on your face in ways you may not expect. SPARROWS A multi award-winning and sophisticated coming-of-age story about 16-year old Ari who has been living with his mother in Reykjavik. When he is suddenly sent to return to his hometown – a remote village in …

A Breakfast with a Difference – Long St Coffee

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We first discovered Long St Coffee through their Instagram feed, a beautifully curated feed of breakfast dishes mixed with smiley happy faces. Upon clicking on to the website we discovered that the cafe not only dished up delicious food and coffee but also did so to make a difference. “Long St Coffee is a social enterprise that provides 3-month hospitality traineeships to young people seeking asylum and refugees in order to improve their employment prospects.” The cafe first opened over a year ago now and was founded by husband and wife baristas Francois and Jane Marx. Housed in a converted garage space on a quiet residential street, Long Street Coffee is  just a short walk  from the North Richmond Station. The Saturday morning that we were there, we had no problems finding  a seat, but got busier as the morning progressed. The space feels like you have walked into a good friend’s living room  (with a great hip-hop soundtrack) where you are happy to catch up over coffee and breakfast without the need to rush …

Sippin’ on Gin and Juice – Four Pillars

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As a Melbournite you’ll often find yourself in the situation of hosting interstate friends or family and, as you live here, and don’t see this fantastic city through outsiders eyes, putting pressure on yourself, wondering what you could possibly do to keep them entertained.  Problem solved. Just under an hour outside of Melbourne, in the Yarra Valley township of Healesville, you can spend a delicious afternoon (and a small fortune on gin goodness) at Four Pillars Gin Distillery. Not necessarily new to the Yarra Valley scene, Four Pillars popularity has been on the up and up thanks to Melbourne’s love of boutique gin, fun little events like Juniperlooza 2015, Negroni Week and World Gin Day which have helped move gin drinking from its former hipster, bohemian scene to a more of a mainstream appreciation.  The team here live, breathe and love everything about gin. It’s really hard not to get caught up in their excitement and subsequently purchase everything put in front of you. On arrival we 100% recommend paying $10 to enjoy a tasting …

Brew Fest

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Something’s brewing at the Immigration Museum this winter! Discover the role of brewing in cuisine, culture and community; from contemporary craft beers and sake tastings to mulled wine and beer based cocktails at Brew Fest this June 19. To warm you up, there’ll be all your favourite brewed beverages with talks and workshops hosted by Hawkers Brewery, Black Pearl Bar and Melbourne’s own Sake Master Andre Bishop. After class you’ll be able to  relax to the sounds of live bands and grab a bite in the courtyard with your brew of choice. When: June 19, 2016 Where: Immigration Museum Visit the Brew Fest website.   

Melbourne Design Market

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Join 50 designers and thousands of design-lovers at the June Market in 2016. The Melbourne Design Market is the occasion to launch new products, to meet the designers who created these products and to come together in one place buy and sell, share and learn, build relationships and careers, all within an informal, fun, market setting. Taking place in the atmospheric carpark of Melbourne’s Federation Square, the market will be filled with hundreds of great designs from furniture, fashion, jewellery and homewares, together with fine coffee, food, music and a capacity crowd of design devotees. When: 10am – 5pm, Sunday June 19 Where: Federation Square Visit the Melbourne Design Market website. 

Ice Skating at Fed Square

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Get your skates on – Melbourne’s only outdoor ice rink is back for another year this June. Whether you’re young or young at heart the rink is the perfect place to take in the views while skating the ice. With a dramatic backdrop of the city and Yarra river, the River Rink will transform you into a fairyland of light and colour. This year there will also be different themes on select evenings plus live music, as well as food and drinks to give you the energy to whiz around the rink a few extra times. When: Saturday 18 June – Sunday 17 July, 10am – 10pm (45 minute sessions beginning on the hour every hour) Where: River Terrace, Fed Square Visit the website here.

Tromba Tequila Dinner at Red Spice Road

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If your only memory of tequila is slamming it down with salt and lime, this July your thoughts about tequila are set to change. On July 24th, Red Spice Road are teaming up with Tequila Tromba  to bring you a Tequila Tromba Dinner. Sip on a delicious range of Tromba Tequilas cocktails perfectly married to the fresh south-east asian flavours cooked up by Head Chef Dylan McCormack. When: Thursday, July 21. Where: Red Spice Road. Visit the website here.

Melbourne International Jazz Festival

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The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is an annual world-class jazz festival. This year’s festival will feature more than 100 unique jazz performances by local and international artists in concert halls, arts venues and jazz clubs as the city comes alive with the spirit of jazz. It’s diverse program includes modern masters of jazz, late-night art parties, free events and Australian and international acts. So whether you’re a jazz aficionado or a jazz newbie, the program has something for everyone. When: Until June 12 Where: Various venues across Melbourne. Visit the Melbourne International Jazz Festival website.