Your guide to what's going on around the capital this weekend.
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FLORIADE " Now in its 27th year, Canberra's month-long celebration of spring kicks off at 9.30am on Saturday. It showcases 1 million flowers in bloom at Commonwealth Park along with cooking demonstrations, children's activities and more. Admission is free. For a schedule of events and more information, visit floriadeaustralia.com.
SPRING AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE " Parliament House is celebrating the season with a series of weekly events. Every Saturday, from September 13 to October 11, go behind the scenes of the iconic building on a 60-minute guided tour. Tours are also held some weekdays: 9.30am, 11am, 2pm and 3.30pm. Tickets Adult $18/Concession or Child $13/Family $45. Every Sunday from September 14 to October 5, an experienced member of Parliament House's landscape services team will lead tours of the private courtyards and share gardening tips. Tour finishes with tea in the Queen's Terrace Cafe. 10.30am and 1.30pm, running for two hours. Tickets Adults $92/Concession or Child $82. All tickets from canberraticketing.com.au.
8pm " CRITICAL SOUNDS Conceived by D&B visionary Kasra in 2002 in a front room in north London, the Critical Music name has blossomed into one of the most successful independent record labels in Britain today. Grown from a simple idea and driven by a commitment to putting out the best music the scene has to offer, it has become one of the most well-respected electronic dance music labels in the UK. Trinity Bar. Tickets $30+bf from moshtix.com.au. 18+.
From 9am " TULIP FESTIVAL The Tulip Top Gardens spring festival kicks off, with a four-hectare display garden of tulips and other spring flowers. Open seven days a week, 9am-5pm until October 12. Admission Adults $14/Seniors $13/Under 16 free. Old Federal Highway, Sutton. Visit tuliptopgardens.com.au for more.
From 10am " BENEDICT OPEN HOUSE Head along to the inaugural Open Day at Benedict House, with behind the scenes tours of the house and grounds, live music, curated art spaces, drop-in workshops, artist talks and demonstrations. Food available all day from the Refectory Cafe. Events from 10am. In the evening, there will be a gourmet food and wine dinner with a rare solo concert by multi-instrumentalist David O'Neill. Bookings required for dinner and the show. Benedict House, Queanbeyan. For more information and bookings, call (02) 6284 2868 or visit benedicthouse.com.au.
2pm " SPRING TEA Celebrate spring with a special tea in the picturesque garden courtyards of Parliament House. Enjoy a glass of bubbly on arrival, savoury sandwiches, cakes, freshly baked scones, and a selection of tea and coffee. Also on Saturday, October 4. 2pm-4pm. $55 per person plus booking fee from canberraticketing.com.au or call (02) 6275 2700.
2pm and 7.30pm " THE DREAM Bell Shakespeare's production of The Dream will see a reawakened version of the classic A Midsummer Night's Dream. Tickets $48-$79. Showing at Canberra Theatre Centre for the last two sessions today. For tickets and show times, visit canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
3pm " SURF HISTORY The National Portrait Gallery will be screening both episodes of Bombora: The Story of Australian Surfing (2009) about the history and impact of the sport. Admission is free. For more, visit portrait.gov.au.
From 3pm " FIREWORKS FESTIVAL Head out of town for the Gunning Fireworks Festival. Food stalls, children's activities, rides and a monster fireworks display. Gunning Showground. 3pm-9pm. Tickets Adults $10/Children under 14 $4/Family $25. For more information, visit gunningfireworksfestival.com.au.
From 10am " FASHION SATURDAY The spring/summer fashion season kicks off with Fashion Saturday at Westfield Belconnen. Exclusive one-day sales throughout the centre. Events throughout the day include Chandon Sparkling Masterclass, Marcia Hines performing live, fashion parades, beauty workshop and style tours. Registration for some events essential. Visit westfield.com.au/belconnen.
2pm " CULINARY HISTORY Roast echnidna? Kangaroo brains? The English and Australian Cookery Book by Tasmanian Edward Abbott is Australia's oldest cookbook and turns 150 this year. Celebrate with an afternoon of food conversation. Join food historians and writers Barbara Santich, Matthew Evans, Bernard Lloyd and Tony Marshall for a discussion about Australia's culinary heritage. Theatre, National Library of Australia. Tickets $20, bookings essential. Bookings at nla.gov.au/bookings or (02) 6262 1424.
6.30pm " KRISTY COX Kristy Cox is the new voice in Australian bluegrass. Adored for her youthful, energy-infused acoustic country, she has been rewarded with radio success and accolades for her talent. The Abbey, Nicholls. Tickets from $25+bf from theabbey.com.au.
7pm " ANGUS AND JULIA STONE
7.30pm " INPERSON8 An improv performance where eight actors impersonate eight audience members, and then create an unscripted play using the characters. The Street Theatre. Tickets $20-$28 from thestreet.org.au.
8pm " BACH MEETS BREAKDANCE Red Bull Flying Bach fuses the elegant masterpieces of visionary composer Johann Sebastian Bach with the unrestricted and explosive dance style of four-time world champion breakdance crew Flying Steps. Canberra Theatre. Tickets $69-$89.90 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
8pm " CLIENT LIAISON Given their shared appreciation for storytelling and dignified belief in the Australian identity, Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan naturally found themselves writing music together. From the studio to the top end of town, Client Liaison's sound plays out like a long lunch followed by a round of cocktails. Transit Bar. Tickets $12+bf from moshtix.com.au. 18+.
From 9am " HORSE SHOW Spirited: Australia's Horse Story at the National Museum of Australia features 500 historical artefacts that tell the nation's horse story, including icons of Australia's thoroughbred racing history, horse-drawn vehicles and riding equipment, and trophies won by leading equestrians and rodeo stars. Adults $15. Concession $12. Museum Friends $7.50. Under 16 free if accompanied by an adult. For more, visit nma.gov.au.
From 10.30am " BALCONY GARDENING Media personality and passionate foodie Indira Naidoo visits the Inspiration Hub at Floriade for a series of workshops on creating a bountiful garden in a small space. Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm. Free. Visit floriadeaustralia.com.
11am " RESCUE ARK Join The Rescue Ark author Susan Hall and illustrator Naomi Zouwer for an interactive book reading followed by an activity session where children can colour and create their own endangered animal. Suitable for children aged four to eight; must be accompanied by an adult. 11am-12pm. Foyer, National Library of Australian. Free. Bookings at nla.gov.au/bookings or (02) 6262 1424
2pm " HOUSE ON FIRE Local chamber ensemble The Griffyn Ensemble team up with Canberra pop duo The Cashews to tell the story of Clancy the Cockatoo with House On Fire. National Gallery of Australia. 2pm, September 13-14. Tickets from $11.73-$42.35 from griffynensemble.com.
3pm " PERFORMANCE POETRY Head to Monster Kitchen and Bar in NewActon for BloodyLips - an afternoon of poetry, spoken word performance and music. This weekend's Bloody Lips features award-winning American poetry champion Buddy Wakefield, local poet Andrew Galan and Amelia Filmer-Sankey. 3pm-5pm. Free. Up the grand stair at Hotel Hotel, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, NewActon. See newacton.com.au/bloodylips
7.30pm " ROCK MAGIC Queen – It's a Kinda Magic, starring Giles Taylor, is a tribute show to the rock group whose hits included Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions and We Will Rock You. Canberra Theatre. Tickets $79.60/$69.60 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.