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Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards are back

Where do you go in Melbourne for the best bar food? Where’s the best new bar? How about the Bar of the Year?

Find out all the city’s hottest watering-holes and most skilled bartenders, as the annual Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards returns once again at the brand new host venue, The Mill House. Now in their fourth year, the Time Out Bar Awards are the only consumer-based bar awards to celebrate the best of Melbourne’s bar scene, with the city’s top venues battling it out for the coveted awards.

When past bar winners include Everleigh, Le Bon Ton, Black Pearl, Bar Americano and Harry & Frankie, you know that they are all over the hottest spots.

In addition to great music, snacks and all the excitement of the awards ceremony, partygoers will be treated to White Rabbit beers, Maker’s Mark bourbon whisky and hangover cures from Hydrodol. The 2016 edition of the Time Out Bar Guide will also be launched at the event.

Early bird tickets are now on sale for Melbourne here and the full list of nominations will be released early November.

When: Monday 7 December 2015

Where: The Mill House, 277-279 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Visit the website: Here

Celebrate Day of the Dead in true Mexican Style

Published by We Know Melbourne

Forget Halloween, Day of the Dead is where the real festivities are at.

This year, Espolòn is taking the opportunity to bring Day of the Dead to life in Melbourne. Celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos, or as it is more well known, Day of the Dead with various Espolòn venues around Melbourne coming alive with DJ’s and live bands setting the soundtracks to the parties, bespoke Espolòn cocktails serving up their offerings on a fresh take on the tequila experience, with a Mexican-inspired menu to match. There’ll be Dia de los Muertos sugar skull face painting, photo booths and live art installations all to bring to bring to life the story of Espolòn and Day of the Dead.style and Celebrate Day of the Dead in true Mexican style with Espolòn TEQUILA.

And in case you haven’t heard of Espolòn TEQUILA before, the tequila at its core, is a powerful tribute to Mexican culture.Crafted with 100% Weber Blue Agave in Los Altos, the Highlands region of Jalisco, the award-winning tequilas are the pride of the San Nicolas Distillery and made in the Mexican tradition with modern techniques. Offering a premium tequila product with the label artwork inspired by Posada, Espolòn TEQUILA is designed to perfectly capture the true spirit of Mexico – the wealth and the poverty, the beauty and the desolation, the celebration and the danger.

Where and When:

Bimbo Deluxe – Fitzroy – Monday 2^nd November

Kodiak Club – Little Blood Tequila Bar – Fitzroy – Saturday 31^st October

The Penny Black – Brunswick – Sunday 1^st November

Touche Hombre – Melbourne CBD – Sunday 1^st November

Big Mouth – St Kilda – Monday 2^nd November

Espolón Tequila Day of the Dead Party held at Mrs Sippy, Double Bay, Sydney, Australia 1st of November 2012.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

What’s On in November

Published by We Know Melbourne

November is a big month in Melbourne. Spring Carnival is in full swing, Good Food Month brings over 200 culinary events to the table and we’re edging just that tiny bit closer to summer.

Here’s our pick of events you can’t miss this month.

Good Food Month, November

A month long celebration of the tastiest and most flavoursome foods from Melbourne’s hottest chefs! From fine-dining, to one-off dinners and hawker night markets, Good Food Month is sure to put a dent in that pre-summer diet!

Melbourne Cup Day, November 3

Celebrate the race that stops a nation, and this year Melbourne even gets a day off to fully enjoy the show! Stop by The Swanston Hotel for their Breakfast and Bubbles, with unlimited sparkling wine for $30 (part proceeds go to Mission Australia).

Melbourne Design Market, November 5

Design lovers, this market is for you! Held in the Federation Square Carpark, and now in it’s 10th year, this has market has set off a flood of design markets around Australia. Start your Christmas shopping early!

Taste of Melbourne, November 12-15

Taste of Melbourne returns to Albert Park for four days of foodie heaven, hosting over 10 of Melbourne’s latest, greatest and hottest restaurants serving up 50 bite sized dishes all in one unique location! Don’t miss out on this giant foodie garden party.

Melbourne Music Week, November 13-20

Get down with some of the best international underground acts and Melbourne’s finest local DJs at the disused Royal Women’s Hopsital. There’ll be free lunchtime gigs, day parties and headliners performing nightly.

The Colour Run, November 22

Get ready to run, walk, dance or skip, The Colour Run. Inspired by the Hindu festival of Holi, the 5km run will see thousands of other Colour Runners covered in coloured powder.

Paris to Provence, November 20-22

Take a trip to the French countryside at Como House’s Paris to Provence. Sample the finest French foods and wine, take part in ballet and art classes and don’t miss the French Bulldog dress up party. You’ll be inspired by the beauty and elegance of the French culture!

Ben & Jerry’s Open Air Cinemas, November 29 – December 20

Capture the spirit of summer at Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinemas in St Kilda. The program is jam-packed full of old classics such as Grease, through to the latest blockbusters (such as Black Mass and The Martian), not to mention the FREE Ben & Jerry’s at the Sundae Sessions. We’re also giving away 5 doubles passes here.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

Colour Run

Published by We Know Melbourne

Grab a white shirt and get ready to Run, walk, dance or skip, The Colour Run. The 5km untimed run gives runners the chance to cross the finish line with coloured powder thrown at you at each kilometer.

And in case you want more, the fun doesn’t stop at the finish line! The Epic Finish Festival will then give Color Runners the chance to burn a few extra calories by showing off their finest dance moves! Think music, dancing and of course, the infamous Color Throws!

When: 2pm, Sunday 22 November 2015

Where: Flemington Racecourse

Visit the website here.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

Melbourne Design Market

Published by We Know Melbourne

Join other art and design lovers at the Melbourne Design Market this November. Profiling over a hundred designers, the market has launched thousands of new products and is the perfect spot to find that unique gift for that friend or family member who has everything.

Returning to the Federation Square carpark, the Melbourne Design Market will give you the chance to meet the designers and get to know the unique craftsmanship behind their wares. The market will be complete with music, food and of course, the very best coffee.

When: Sunday, November 8 12-5pm

Where: Federation Square Carpark

Visit the website here.

Paris to Provence

Published by We Know Melbourne

The annual extravagant Paris to Provence French Festival returns to the Como Historic House this November for it’s sixth year. Immerse yourself in a whimsical French pop-up village for 3 days showcasing the beauty and elegance of the French culture.

Recreating a French marketplace, the Como Historic House will be tranformed into a lively French village filled with stalls of French Chefs, cultural activities, the finest French food and wine, roaming performers, French music, ballet and art classes, and a French Photography contest & exhibition. To top it all off, there will even be a French bulldogs dress-up party. If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting the French countryside (or are longing for a return), the Paris to Provence Festival will inspire you to book that one way ticket.

When: November 20 -22

Where: Como Historic House

Visit the website here.

Win a double pass to Paris to Provence. Visit our Facebook or Instagram for all the details.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

Meet travel writer, Rob Mcfarland

Published by We Know Melbourne

Ever dreamed of being a travel writer but didn’t have the courage to take the steps? Back in 2004, Rob McFarland was an IT consultant, but knew he needed a change. After a career break and a lot of self-help books, he decided he would give travel writing a go. Prior to leaving his IT career behind and making the jump he had never being published before. Today, Rob has gone on to become one of Australia’s leading travel writers and is a regular contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald, Sun-Herald, The Guardian, San Francisco Chronicle, NZ Herald, West Australian, Luxury Travel, Let’s Travel & GQ magazines. Rob has also won six awards including Travel Writer of the Year. We took the opporutnity to have a chat with him to find out a bit more about the travel writing industry and also asked him for some tips for all the budding travel writers out there.

Dividing your time between Sydney, New York and the UK, where do you call home?

That’s a tricky one. Most of my family still live in England, which is where I grew up, so in some ways that will always be home. But I’ve lived in Sydney for 15 years so that also feels like home now. And to be honest if it wasn’t for New York’s brutal winters I think I could live there too so errr…can I have three?

What inspired you to become a travel writer?

I studied Computing & IT at university and then worked as an IT consultant for 10 years before realising it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The problem was I didn’t know what I wanted to do instead. So I took a year off, read a bunch of career self-help books I swore I’d never go near (they were actually very useful) and came to the conclusion that I liked two things: travelling and emailing my friends and family while I was away. So clearly, I should just become a travel writer. I can still remember the look on my parents’ face when I announced after months of self-reflection that it was OK, I’ve figured out what I want to do – I’m going to be a travel writer. I don’t think my Dad has ever fully recovered.

Do you have any tips for someone aspiring to become a travel writer?

Absolutely – come on my course! Seriously, there are lots of tips and tricks it’s taken me 10 years to figure out but the biggest piece of advice I give to people is simply to persevere. I know so many great writers who haven’t been published because they haven’t kept at it and so many editors who’ve told me they eventually published someone because every week they kept popping up in their inbox.

What do you never leave home without?

My iPhone and earplugs. After living on the Heathrow flight path in London for seven years I can’t sleep without them.

What is your favourite thing to do in Melbourne?

Drink! Sydney’s bar scene is getting better but Melbourne is still the benchmark for atmospheric small bars.

Where to after Melbourne?

Brisbane to run another travel writing workshop then Queenstown to run a half-marathon for a story (which is something of a concern given I’ve never run more than 12km before…gulp…)

Are you interested in travel writing? Rob is holding a travel writing workshop next Saturday, 7 November from 10am – 5pm, at The Swanston Hotel.

Visit the website here.

National Geographic Live: Ocean Wild

Published by We Know Melbourne

Dive deep into the world’s oceans with one of National Geographic’s most seasoned explorers. Watch as Brian Skerry’s images illuminate the vast hidden world beneath the waves. Join Brian for an intimate look at dolphins’ intelligence, hang out with the endearing Artic harp seal discover the truth about the global fish crisis and circumnavigate the globe in search of the world’s most endangered whale, the right whale.

When: Thursday, 29 October

Where: Hamer Hall

Visit the website here.

Winner’s Circle’ Spring Racing After Parties at Circa

Published by We Know Melbourne

The Melbourne Cup Carnival is upon us and The Deck at Circa are hosting exclusive ‘Winner’s Circle’ Spring Racing after parties on Derby, Cup and Oaks days to celebrate! Open to VIP guests, race day attendees and the general public, The Deck will be perfect place to continue the daytime festivities well into the night.

Drinks will be flowing courtesy of Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Belvedere,and Aperol; and guests will have unbridled access to the striking ‘Aperol Spritz Bar’, serving up this summer’s must drink beverage, as well as the decadent ‘Moet & Chandon Gold Lounge’.

Well known local DJs including DJ Prequel, Edd Fisher and friends will set the tone for the after parties and tempting post-race food offerings will meet all guests needs to continue their carnival experience.

In addition to the Winner’s Circle’s after parties, The Deck at Circa will play host to MYER’s Official Derby Day after party which will see the likes of MYER brand ambassadors Jennifer Hawkins, Kris Smith & Rachael Finch enjoying this premium events space.

Mix amongst high profile and influential celebrities, key industry identities for is what undeniably the most coveted events of the 2015 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

When: From 5pm on Derby, Cup and Oaks nights

Where: The Deck at Circa, 2 Acland Street, St Kilda

Visit the website here.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing list here to stay in the loop.

Mexican Day of the Dead Workshop

Published by We Know Melbourne

Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is a holiday celebrated on November 1 and in case you didn’t know it’s really a celebration of life. The Mexican holiday celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life.

Want to know more? Learn all about this Mexican holiday at the Immigration Museum’s Mexican Day of the Dead Workshop. The folks from La Tortilleria and Tequila Tromba will be there to set up the scene for a delicious afternoon of cooking demos, talks and complimentary recipes. It’s going to be one giant fiesta of Mexican food, tequila and traditions.

When: Sunday, 2pm 1 November

Where: Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders St

Visit the website here.