The 7 Best Things To Do In Perth This October
Spring’s in full swing in Perth and here are the events to prove it. Dance at a mini-festival in a winery, get some vitamin D as you watch outdoor gigs, or cheer on a smoked meat cook-off. Perth locals and visitors alike are spoilt for choice this October.
#1 Pitch a tent for music festival Camp Doogs
You’ve gotta have faith in this tiny boutique festival when buying tickets: they don’t announce the line-up until the actual day it starts. Luckily, Camp Doogs headliners from previous years (Kucka, Pond’s Nick Allbrook, Peter Bibby) inspire confidence. Besides the killer local music lineup, there’ll be art shows, food trucks, and camping in the beautiful south-west, with bus rides down included in the price of admission. But possibly our fave bit is the fact it’s BYO – sayonara overpriced festival beers! It goes down from October 9-11.
RELATED: FESTIVAL BUCKET LIST – CAMP DOOGS
#2 Throw down a rye whiskey at new bar Alabama Song
Pretty much everything small bar alum Clint Nolan touches turns to gold – and new venture Alabama Song is no exception. The bar, named for a song by The Doors, has mounted taxidermy heads, dark leather lounges, bowls of peanuts, and a USA flag mural to transport you to the deep south. Try a drink from their seriously impressive selection of rye whiskies and bourbon, or, if you’re game, the super-potent Alabama Ice Tea. The joint is tucked away in a Northbridge alleyway, right above another of Nolan’s babies – the unabashedly grimy Joe’s Juice Joint, which serves up bowls of Cheezels and is plastered in rock posters. Bar hopping’s never been so easy.
#3 Catch a free outdoor gig at the Fremantle Arts Centre
Heck yes! Sunday Music Sessions at the Fremantle Arts Centre are back, with local and touring musos taking over the lush courtyard for free gigs on Sunday arvos. In October, catch electro-folk singer Joni in the Moon, the country-blues twang of local band Hunting Huxleys, and the epic soul vibes of The Last Fair Deal. Get down early to stake your claim on a patch of grass, and pack a picnic and wine (yep, it’s BYO!) That’s every Sunday sorted then.
#4 Watch a meat cook-off at Beauvine
We’re calling it: Beauvine, a celebration of meat, wine, art and music, is officially the coolest new foodie event in WA. How could it not be when it’s run by the same folks responsible for the unadulterated awesomeness of the Beaufort Street Festival and Fringe World’s Noodle Palace? At this weekend food fest, make your own vino at the Cherubino Blending Laboratory, stock up on new vinyl at a record fair, listen to acoustic music and DJs, and gorge on classic American BBQ from the spit. To appease your competitive streak once the grand final’s over, pick sides in the smoked meats cook-off between fave local restaurants Clarence’s and Old Faithful. It happens from Friday October 23-25.
#5 Pretend you’re out to sea at Rodney’s Bait n Tackle
Perth’s newest neighbourhood bar has an entire boat inside it, but it’s awesome for more than the novelty factor. A laid-back vibe, decent prices, and small but decent selection of craft beer on tap (think Sierra Nevada and local brewers Perth Draught), are all reasons to get down to the quirky Mosman Park bar. Oh, and if you’re sick of overpriced bar food, get excited. Rodney’s menu couldn’t be further from pretentious tapas if it tried, with chips, pies and $2 pizza slices. Just like your primary school canteen! Stay tuned for music events to come.
#6 Hop on a bus to the Swan Valley for Electric Vines
Sunshine, live music, and bucketloads of wine – what’s not to love about Electric Vines? This good-times spring party is always a fun day, with buses heading out to Mandoon Estate, Elmar’s Brewery and Oakover Winery for sun-soaked performances by local DJs and bands, plus a secret headliner from Melbourne promises to deliver some bangers. Though the food menus in previous years could’ve been best described as “drunk eats”, they’ve upped the ante by enlisting a number of cool food trucks. Now you can get fish and okra tacos with BBQ corn from Soul Provider, apple mustard cider and rosemary pulled pork from Lil Tortilla Boi, and an Argentinian mixed-meats plate from El Asador. Yes please! It happens on Saturday October 17.
#7 Catch a gig at an art gallery
The Art Gallery of WA is no one-trick pony, you know. Since 2008, the gallery has staged sporadic gigs at their ARTBAR pop-up, using both the concourse and wetlands amphitheater to showcase awesome acts. And this month, there’s double the fun. First up Guy Pearce takes the stage with new album Broken Bones, along with Darren Middleton from Powderfinger. (Yes, the same Guy Pearce who acted in Neighbours and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Random.) Then, at the end of the month, local indie-pop legends San Cisco play tunes from new album Gracetown, infused with disco, funk and hip-hop goodness. Entry includes free access to the exhibition Treasure Ships: Art in the Age of Spices, a display of art that traces the spice trade from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. You’ll feel oh-so-cultured prancing around the gallery grounds.
(Lead image: Electric Vines)
