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Art And About Final Week

It's your last week to experience Art and About 2011.Art and About concludes on the 23rd of October so if you haven't had a chance to explore the many marvels decorating Sydney's laneways and hidden spaces this year, better strap on your walking shoes/appropriate closed-toe footwear.A part of Art and About this year is PeepShow - an augmented reality game for your iPhone that promises a curated journey into hidden stories and creative projects within Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. Download the FREE PeepShow iPhone app and follow the clues and map hotspots within the app. Along the way you'll discover a little more about inner-Sydney via some serious multimedia bizness.While your at it, Art and About has it's own free app that'll give you a rundown of all the events taking place during the final week of Art and About 2011.Not sure what Augmented Reality is? This is a good primer:xDS
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The Dispensary – A Drambuie Pop-up Bar

The Premise is one shot (pun alert!) to create and run your own bar. Visionaries are encouraged to submit their idea for a temporary bar in a secret location. The public and a panel of judges then vote for their favourite and the winner takes it all.Located in Farm Cove near Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, the winning pitch, The Dispensary, was designed by competition-winners Matilda Swan and Simon Connett. The ‘premise’ of their bar is a trendy, apothecary-inspired setting which complements all too well the folklore of Drambuie as a medicinal elixir. The result is a modern and classic tribute to opulence, set in a prime time location for Sydneysiders. The open white frames around the bar give the sensation of being in a room on the water, open enough to feel the breeze through your hair and the last of the sun’s rays for the day. The view of the Sydney Opera House from that angle is a rare, beautiful and breathtaking treat. There’s a bed lounge for stretching out luxuriously, candles in little white buckets, bell jars hiding plants, traditional glass jars, mortar and pestles, and light bulbs hanging from the retractable roof. The bartenders wear bow ties, crisp white shirts and suspenders and smile amicably as you approach. All the featured drinks are made with the signature Drambuie, a malt whiskey made with honey that goes down smoothly.The winning favourite of the evening is the signature Dispensary drink made with Drambuie, lemongrass and ginger iced tea, a light and refreshing combination. It comes with a candy stripe straw, a tribute to the milk bars of yesteryear. The Ruby Bismuth is another solid cocktail with Drambuie, lemon juice, Grenadine syrup, lash of bitters and lemonade. The result is sweet but still packing a strong punch - it seems like a femininely disguised masculine drink  (The Transvestite, if you will).You can feel that you’re swaying, even if you’ve only had one drink. The fork on our cheese platter dances in the wind as the food comes out in small, yet surprisingly filling portions from La Tana Chef Cristian Di Sandri. Happiness ensues with the mini burger plate featuring wagyu beef and truffle and chicken and turmeric, both options bursting with so much flavour, you’ll wish they weren't 'share plates'.We sail away with smiles, vowing to return the following night and hoping that this space becomes occupied once more after the wonderful Dispensary hangs its lovely hat. The Dispensary, Drambuie's first pop-up bar  off-shore from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, 2 min water taxi from Man O’ War stepsOpen Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays until October 22 2011 only Sheree Josephwww.twitter.com/flyfromadream
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Brancott Estate Rugby Island Pop Up Bar

“If Australia wins this RWC semi-final I will jump in Sydney Harbour - naked.” That’s just one of the many possible ludicrous declarations you could make this weekend while watching the 20-foot big screen at the Brancott Estate Rugby Island Pop-Up Bar on Cockatoo Island. While you watch the games, indulge in in a beverage (when spectating rugby, it’s rude not to), and grab a pizza (mmm…spectator food). Paupers: BYO picnic blankets. Posh totties: you can upgrade to catered 15-seat VIP areas. During half time, divert your eyes from the screen and take in the surrounding starry view of Sydney Harbour. Priceless stuff. (No seriously, entry is free.) On Saturday, Wales play France at 7pm EST. The Wallabies play at 7pm EST Sunday against New Zealand. According to my old man (who has been known to watch two TV screens at once, thus maximising his rugby-watching efficiency) there will be riots in New Zealand if they choke in this weekend. So gear up for a nail-biter – and potentially an icy cold harbour swim! Brancott Estate Rugby Island Pop-Up Bar WHERE Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour (Ferries take 12 minutes from Circular Quay) WHEN Oct 8-23, open from 12.30pm HOW MUCH FREE EntryLeesa Hamiltontwitter.com/LeesaHamilton
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Outpost Festival

Discovering street art is like finding a gold coin on the pavement: joyous to behold but rare in occurrence. So it may bring a delighted smile to your lips to read about an upcoming festival dedicated to street art in its many guises. Your smile might grow wider when you read that it is on Cockatoo Island, and you’ll be looking like a Cheshire cat when your hear it’s also free. Outpost will feature some of the biggest names in spray-can professionals like Roa (Germany, Anthony Lister (USA/Australia), Kid Zoom (USA/Australia) and the Everfresh Collective (Australia) as well as many others. Popping over from next door (New Zealand) is the Oi! You Collection, which includes works by Os Gemeos, Swoon and the notorious street artist Bansky. Not only will there be works by spray but the island’s abandoned factories will be invaded by live art creations, paste-ups, sticker art, sculpture and billboards. To round it out, there are exhibitions and forums so you can better understand the technicolour culture of street art. It’s best to make a day of it - along with the plethora of art there are pop-up bars, DJ’s spinning their shit, artist battles and art-making projects. This is definitely a day for the diary, keep fingers and toes crossed we’ll be graced with the weather this festival deserves. Outpost Where: Cockatoo Island, Sydney HarbourWhen: 4 – 11 NovemberGeorgia Boothgeorgiajbooth@gmail.com
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Griffin Theatre Presents ‘this Year’s Ashes’

Guys, this is a really beautiful piece of theatre. Jane Bodie's new play, 'This Year's Ashes' opened at Griffin Last Night. Directed by Shannon Murphy, staring Belinda Bromillow, Tony Lewellyn- Jones and Nathan Lovejoy. We follow the story of Ellen, a thirty something Sydneysider, living in a world that seems a little too fast and overwhelming for her to handle.* What I love so much about Jane's work is that it's set in Sydney; we become a part of the story, we follow it and relate to it on a completely different level to so many other Australian works. There are some really beautiful, magic moments. What a wonderful way to end this year's season at Griffin. Get yourself to it, I promise you won't regret it! *I'm not giving away any spoilers, you'll have to see it to really understand what I'm getting at.This Year's AshesWhen: 13th October- 19th NovemberWhere: Nimrod St, Potts PointEmily Eskellemilyeskell@gmail.com
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Fabric-a-brac Sydney

This is a flea market for all of those hoarders out there who've been stashing away a box of treasureful fabrics, buttons and anything a little on the crafty side - it's time to have a Spring clean and share the love.Sewers, vintage collectors, costume makers, project hounds and general creative types will be amassing at Studio 203/267-271 Cleveland Street, Redfern (***Changed from Redfern Town Hall***) on Saturday 12th November to buy and sell fabrics and sewing accessories of all sorts. Fabric-a-brac had huge success in New Zealand and Brisbane and so now, finally, it's Sydney's turn!If you'd like to display the hidden gems of your sewing cupboard you can hire a whole table or share with a pal/friendly crafty stranger for the day and the trestles are being booked up so get in quick. There'll also be music, tea, coffee and a whole lot of tasty treats to keep you going as you peruse the aisles of modern and vintage wares.All proceeds will be going towards the Sacred Heart Hospice and fabric donations are being collected for a stall that will be dedicated to raising funds for the hospice on the day. So really, what better way to give back to the community and spend a lovely lazy Saturday than trawling for the perfect bargain.What: Fabric-a-brac SydneyWhen: Saturday 12th NovemberWhere: Studio 203/267-271 Cleveland Street, RedfernHow Much: Free! But to all those wanting a trestle - $30 for the whole thing and $15 to shareLink: http://fabricabracworld.wordpress.com/ or check out their Facebook: http://on.fb.me/oT9JNULiz de Fegely: liz_defegely@hotmail.com
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Night Noodle Markets

As part of the Sydney Crave International Food Festival, one of our favourite events of the year, the Night Noodle Markets, are setting up stalls in Hyde Park from tonight until October 21 (weeknights only).Some of the picks of the noodle party are: Betel leaves from Longraindesserts from Chat ThaiMalaysian street food and roti from MamakShanghai Xiao Long Bao pork soup dumplings Din Thai FungCoopers have set up a sustainable beer garden, strung with tea lights and there is little better than a plate of dumplings and a cold one after work while the sun's still out. Night Noodle MarketsHyde Park5-9pmOct 10-21 week nights only
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Antenna – International Documentary Film Festival

Today is a great day for late night television watchers and Sydney’s cultural credibility in general – it is the launch of Antenna, Sydney’s very first international documentary film festival! Possibly as a backlash against effects-heavy films like Avatar and Inception, the popularity of films that are built on a skeleton of hard facts has exploded in the last ten years. This resurgence has allowed directors to side-step conventions and get a little creative. The films cover a range of pretty obscure and very interesting topics: one of them is an edge-of-your seat thriller about the disposal of nuclear leftovers, another about the fall of the Soviet Union through the eyes of five Russians and one about regretting the move to get binary sex-reassignment from male to female. Other films made on Australian shores include one addressing the fight to resist the development of a mega mall on the foreshore of St Kilda and another about locusts. There are a couple of short films thrown in in case it’s all getting a little too real. The festival runs for four days, opening tonight with the documentary Memoirs of a Plague at Dendy, Opera Quays Cinema. The rest of the films screen at Chauvel cinema, including a free screening of Sans Soleil on Saturday, as a tribute to doco great Chris Marker. If you’ve brushed off this genre in the past as ‘not really my thing,’ be brave and go see one, your inner nerd may be sitting and waiting on the edge of his little seat for this moment. AntennaWHAT: International Documentary Film FestivalWHEN: 5-9th OctoberWHERE: Dendy, Opera Quays for the opening nightother sessions at Chauvel CinemaCOST: $13/$16. Multiple passes availableBUY TICKETS HERE.Georgia Boothgeorgiajbooth@gmail.com
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Pure Pops

Up until recently, I though Frosty Fruits were the shiz. Fruity and refreshing. But you know what? I didn't even know what a good icy pole was. My whole history of icy pole consumption was a farce, You know why? Because along came Pure Pops.Pure Pops is the lickable fantasy of Australian Gourmet Traveller's Assistant Food Editor, Alice Storey, and catering whiz, Georgina Larby, come to life. They've got a retro little ice cream cart, an umbrella, huge smiles and a freezer full of icy treats that will make you forget the Frosty Fruit ever existed. Ain't that the life. The girls are huge fans of Gelato Messina's crazy take on ice cream and "wanted to produce something a little different by putting a new spin on a childhood classic." They're wheeling their cart around the market circuit and the pops are selling as fast as bottled water before a hurricane. Behold their current range of all-natural, hand-crafted flavours for $3.50 a pop:blood orange and Camparicoconut, pineapple and passionfruitbanana caramel (our favourite!)pink grapefruit and elderflowerstrawberry and vanilla yogurt swirlvanilla malt shakeI know. Amazing. They'll even customize a flavour for an event if you ask them nicely. The flavours are fresh and seasonal and as pretty as the Pure Pops girls themselves, and will change as the months go by. Keep a close eye on their facebook, twitter and their blog to find out where they are headed next (this Saturday it's the Bondi farmers market!)Contact Pure Pops at eatpurepops@gmail.comSophie McComaswww.twitter.com/sophmccomas
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Final Week For "10 000 Beers" At Darlinghurst Theatre

Don't miss Lee Lewis' new show on at Darlinghurst before it closes- the run has been cut short! The acting and direction more than make up for the theme. Definitely worth a look.10 000 Beers at Darlinghurst TheatreWhen: Until Sunday 9th October, 8pmWhere: Darlinghurst Theatre, Greenknowe Ave DarlinghurstEmily Eskellemilyeskell@gmail.com
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Griffringe This Sunday!

All emerging and established artists: come gather (and perform) for GRIFFringe this Sunday at Griffin Theatre! At $10 a ticket you have nothing to loose... and everything to gain. The last one I went to was awesome, I couldn't recommend it more. See you there!GRIFFringe at Griffin TheatreWhere: Nimrod St, Griffin Theatre, DarlinghurstWhen: Sunday 9th OctoberEmily Eskellemilyeskell@gmail.com
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Sydney Rides Challenge

Hipsters on fixies are rejoicing and it’s all because of this Sydney Rides Festival shindig. Although, if you’re like me and haven’t owned a bike since the days of play-lunch and Power Rangers, you’re in luck too. Free Try-A-Bike sessions are happening citywide, giving you the chance to test ride a two-wheeler. It’s all part of the Sydney Rides Challenge, which aims to remind people how good cycling is for you - health-wise and and environment-wise. Just rock up to a session, cycle for ten minutes and you (and your colleagues if you can guilt them into tagging along) will go in the draw to win some amazeballs prizes. If you want to feel super-virtuous, log your trips on their website, and it will tell you how many calories you’ve burned and how much CO2 you’ve saved. It’ll be wheely, wheely good. (And better than that pun.) Promise. SYDNEY RIDES FESTIVAL WHEN: Now until Friday 14 OctoberWHERE: Look it up!Leesa Hamiltonleesa.hamilton@gmail.com
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