Brisbane Tourism News: Christmas Calendar 2011 - Brisbane Tourism Events News

Christmas in The City kicks off with the annual lighting of the tree on Friday 2 December. From 6.45pm King George Square will be transformed into a festive wonderland as Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, Santa and a host of other special guests gather for the much-loved tradition. The square will also play home to the circus-style fiesta Christmas Tights from 19 – 21 December. Live bands, street performers and theatrical acts will entertain passers-by underneath The City’s glowing Christmas Tree.

Throughout December, city goers will be treated to an assortment of merry events. Brightening bustling mornings, the Street Corner Choirs will perform at 8am, 8.30am and 9am every weekday from 2 – 23 December. Surprising and delighting onlookers, the ‘pop-up’ carollers will harmonise at various locations throughout The City. Providing evening entertainment, the Queen Street Mall LED screen will air classic Christmas films from 2 – 24 December, including Elf, Home Alone and The Grinch.

Christmas Music Showcase concerts will spread even more yuletide joy. From 2 – 23 December, city dwellers can enjoy 20 minute performances at the Queen Street Mall Stage. With recitals at various times throughout the day, Christmas Music Showcase will bring cheer to CBD workers and shoppers alike. Acts include Swing Central, the Australian Girls Choir and the always entertaining Andrew Sisters Tribute Band.
Saturday 5 November marks the annual David Jones Christmas Concert. Held at 9am and 11am in King George Square, the concert is one for the whole family to enjoy, with carols, giveaways, Santa and an array of cartoon characters.

The IGA Lord Mayor’s Carols in The City is an event for all ages to enjoy. Held Saturday 10 December at the Riverstage, this year’s line-up includes Marina Prior, Justice Crew, Troy Cassar-Daley and The Idea of North. Gates open at 5pm.

Families will also adore The Myer Christmas Parade and Pantomime and The Myer Brisbane City’s Christmas Windows. The Queen Street Mall will come alive with the colourful window display, which launches 10am on Monday 5 November and continues to Christmas Eve. Adding more magic to the Mall, The Myer Christmas Parade and Pantomime will be held daily at 6pm from 16 – 23 December. Kids can visit Santa and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer inside the Myer department store during store trade hours.

Multiculturalism and merriness combine for Chanukah in The City on Tuesday 20 December and World By Night on Friday 23 December. Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, will bring live music, community stalls, food kiosks and a giant Menorah to Reddacliff Place. Meanwhile, World By Night will showcase music, dance and food from around the globe in King George Square.

Christmas Calendar 2011 - Brisbane Tourism Events News

Brisbane Tourism News: Christmas Calendar 2011 - Christmas in Brisbane

(Brisbane) Christmas in The City kicks off with the annual lighting of the tree on Friday 2 December. From 6.45pm King George Square will be transformed into a festive wonderland as Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, Santa and a host of other special guests gather for the much-loved tradition. The square will also play home to the circus-style fiesta Christmas Tights from 19 – 21 December. Live bands, street performers and theatrical acts will entertain passers-by underneath The City’s glowing Christmas Tree.

Throughout December, city goers will be treated to an assortment of merry events. Brightening bustling mornings, the Street Corner Choirs will perform at 8am, 8.30am and 9am every weekday from 2 – 23 December. Surprising and delighting onlookers, the ‘pop-up’ carollers will harmonise at various locations throughout The City. Providing evening entertainment, the Queen Street Mall LED screen will air classic Christmas films from 2 – 24 December, including Elf, Home Alone and The Grinch.

Christmas Music Showcase concerts will spread even more yuletide joy. From 2 – 23 December, city dwellers can enjoy 20 minute performances at the Queen Street Mall Stage. With recitals at various times throughout the day, Christmas Music Showcase will bring cheer to CBD workers and shoppers alike. Acts include Swing Central, the Australian Girls Choir and the always entertaining Andrew Sisters Tribute Band.
Saturday 5 November marks the annual David Jones Christmas Concert. Held at 9am and 11am in King George Square, the concert is one for the whole family to enjoy, with carols, giveaways, Santa and an array of cartoon characters.

Christmas Calendar 2011 - Christmas in Brisbane

Aspire Hotel Sydney: Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

The first and only Australian stop of Harry Potter™:The Exhibition will open at the Powerhouse Museum on 19 November 2011, offering fans a first-hand look inside the famous wizard’s magical world and the opportunity to experience the amazing craftsmanship that went into creating the iconic props and costumes that have appeared throughout the Harry Potter film series.

Hundreds of authentic film artefacts will be displayed in settings inspired by locations from Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Gryffindor™ common room, Hagrid’s hut, the Great Hall and many more. New original props and costumes from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 1 and the series finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 2, will also be on exhibit.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour: THE NEW PLAYGROUND AT DARLING QUARTER IS NOW OPEN!

Does your local playground have a 21-metre flying fox? How about a water play area with pumps and water buckets? Well you will be glad to know Darling Quarter's new playground is one of Australia's best.

With water games, climbing ropes, swings, slides and flying foxes will keep toddlers and teens entertained for hours, this playground is fun, thrilling and best of all FREE! Only a short stroll form Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour, what better way to enjoy time out with the family.

Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour: THE NEW PLAYGROUND AT DARLING QUARTER IS NOW OPEN!

Stacks of Spring School Holdiday Free Fun

With one week down and one to go, Sydney Olympic Park is the place to find FREE FUN from 3-9 October, when stacks of school holiday activities will continue to roll right up until the night before school bells chime for the start of Term 4.

A range of Kids in the Park spring 2011 group activities and adventure tours will ensure young minds are switched-on and amused EVERY DAY of the school holidays… and in many cases, at little or no charge to mums and dads! For example…

The hunt for the mysterious Olympasaurus will continue at Cathy Freeman Park from 4-7 October, when the FREE Circus Solarus – Dinosaur Dig may even result in the discovery of a new species of dinosaur! Kids will get to sift through the sand for fossil remains and also make some prehistoric craft to take home and present to family and friends.

The Kids in the Park spring 2011 Clue Trail for budding detectives aged 3-12, or the pursuit to Crack the Code for kids aged 7-14 will also get explorative juices flowing for FREE every day. Kids can use the aid of a map or compass to follow the clues and decode the hidden password. And, once the the mystery solved, each child will receive a special spy prize!

With an incredible 430 hectares of parklands and 35 kilometres of cycling tracks to be discovered at Sydney Olympic Park, the FREE Discovery Trails self-guided walking tours and selection of FREE Bike Trails will also unearth lots of fun in the sun for the whole family – and just in-time upcoming October 2011 Festival of Cycling at Sydney Olympic Park.

For more wheely fun FREE family entertainment, The Amazing Chase is sure to please every day from 9.30am-3.30pm. Participants can ride the race individually or as part of a team, with puzzles to be solved at various checkpoints and an online component for riders to record and compare their fastest time against others.

For BMX-riders who want fun in the sun with a monster dose of action, the BMX and Mountain X track on Hill Road at Sydney Olympic Park boasts 250 metres of meandering downhill dirt jumps and wicked turns to-boot. The track is also FREE and open daily from sunsrise to sunset, except on Sydney BMX Club Day when a spectacle of races and rider coaching sessions will take place from 10am-1pm on 9 October, costing between $5-$25 per participant.

For less than $30 per child, kids can learn to roll with skill and ease at Monster Skatepark, where supervised iSkate @ Monster skateboarding and Kick @ Monster scooter classes will operate daily from 3-9 October. Half-day, full-day and six days / five nights residential Holiday Camps @ Monster will be offered during the final week of the holidays too.

Even more rolly family fun can be had on unique Segway rides at Newington Armory, which is a 52 hectare heritage-listed site with buildings dating back to the 1800s and a landscape of undulating hills and rolling grassland. On Sunday 9 October, visitors can tour the Armory on the GOOD-VALUE Heritage Railway Discovery Tour.

Other GOOD-VALUE activities costing less than $20 per person during the final week of the school holidays include Cookies and Craft at Lilies, Splasher’s Waterplayground at the Aquatic Centre, Archery, Golf, classes in Drumz Buzz Music Funology and the Birds Australia Discovery Centre’s Kids Go Birding Tour.

With furthermore FREE activities including AFL Clinics, Floorball, the Brickpit Ring Walk, Operation Art exhibition and more, it is no wonder Kids in the Park makes Sydney Olympic Park the official home of the BIGGEST range of school holiday activities in NSW!

For more information about the program, visit kidsinthepark.com.au, call the Sydney Olympic Park Infoline on 02 9714 7888, check out the NEW Sydney Olympic Park YouTube channel, visit the Sydney Olympic Park page on Facebook or follow @olympicpark_syd on Twitter.

NRL Finals - All about Rugby League Australia: Why Has Sydney Jumped on the Warriors Bandwagon?

The big game might be taking place in Manly's backyard, but Sunday's grand final is shaping up like a home match for the all-conquering Warriors.

Thousands of Kiwis and Pacific Islanders on both sides of the Tasman have snapped up tickets for the NRL showpiece, which was yesterday declared an 82,500 sell-out.

And most Aussie supporters look ready to embrace the underdogs in the same way Aucklanders discovered a sudden affection for the Irish rugby team this month.

NRL Finals - All about Rugby League Australia: Why Has Sydney Jumped on the Warriors Bandwagon?

Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour: Kids Hit Play Dirt for $12m - Darling Harbour Sydney

It’s every kids ultimate delight – a 4000sqm playground costing $12 million in the heart of Sydney.

Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour: Kids Hit Play Dirt for $12m - Darling Harbour Sydney