Good morning, Inner Westies. We’ve got a bumper edition for you. From Christmas concerts and markets to Goolay-yari Sounds community celebration, there's plenty happening across the Inner West again this weekend.

In today’s Inner West Guide:

Note: Please check to confirm details are accurate with venues, event providers, restaurants and pubs by clicking through to their site. Events are occasionally cancelled at the last minute.

Grab your morning coffee and join us as we explore the Inner West together.

— Jess Thorning

FirePop's journey from a food truck to their Enmore restaurant opening in early 2025 marks a remarkable success story, earning one hat from the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide 2025. Their signature flame-grilled skewers, which first captured the hearts of street food lovers, have now become a culinary sensation in their brick-and-mortar location.

Head to their website to book or check out their socials for inspiration.

🎅 Christmas at Market City
Free Interactive Displays, Free Santa Photos, and Kids' Crafts!
➡ Interactive Christmas Candyland display: 9am-9pm daily to 2 January.
➡ Santa: Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 December, 3pm-7pm
➡ Kids’ Craft Zone: Make a Free Reindeer Bag: Wednesday to Sunday to 25 December. While stocks last.
📍Market City, Haymarket

🤟 Auslan and English Storytime at Glebe Library (ages 3 to 5 years) Join storytime in Auslan and English, presented by the library team and Deaf Connect at Glebe Library. This session is suitable for deaf and hearing children.
📍Glebe Library / Saturday 14 December / Saturday 14 December ♿

📚 Fantasy Worldbuilding Workshop (ages 13 to 18)
Love fantasy stories and tabletop gaming? Join our workshop to bring your imaginative worlds to life through art and storytelling!
📍Leichhardt Library / Saturday 14 December / 1:30pm-3:30pm ♿

📖 Aussie Christmas Storytime @ Burwood Library Head to the library for a special Aussie Christmas Sunday story time. 📍 Burwood Library and Community Hub, 2 Conder Street, Burwood 2134 / Sunday 15 December 2024 / 2pm ♿

🎅 Wreathmaking for kids (8 years +)
Come along with your adult and learn how to make a festive flower Christmas wreath. Fun florist Suz from Bold Botanicals will take you step by step with fresh and dried native flowers. Kids aged 8+ welcome accompanied. Bookings essential
📍Chippendale / Sunday 15 December / 10:30am-12:30pm

🧒 📚️ Korean Multicultural Preschool Storytime
For preschoolers aged 3–5 years and their parents or carers. Helps children to develop language skills and imagination through magical stories, songs and rhymes in Korean |
📍The Learning Space, Rhodes | Monday 16 December / 10:15am-11am

👶 Multicultural playgroup in Vietnamese
The Start Strong IDEA Pathway program supports Vietnamese families by connecting them with early childhood education opportunities and resources.
📍Connect Marrickville SaCC, Marrickville West Public School / Tuesday 17 December / 11am-1pm

🎄 Carols at Halliday Park
Head to Carols at Halliday Park 2024! Hosted by Communities for Communities and sponsored by the City of Canada Bay, enjoy live entertainment, kids' activities, refreshments, and a special visit from Santa Claus!
📍Halliday Park, Five Dock / Wednesday 18 December 2024 / 5pm-9:30pm

🎨 Creative Drop-In Sessions @ Studio Bloop Rozelle
Paint a plaster, make a mask, create a sculpture with air drying slime or make a necklace or bracelet with their awesome bead collection! Suits all ages.
📍Studio Bloop, Rozelle | Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturdays / 10am-3pm

🎅 Darling Harbour Christmas Festival
Free live Christmas concert featuring performances from Samantha Jade, Anthony Callea and The Quokkas to name a few. Plus yummy food, roving performers and Santa will make a special appearance. Check the entertainment line up as it varies each day.
📍Tumbalong Park / Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 December / 5pm to 9pm ♿

🎄 Glebe Christmas Concert
Hosted by The Listies, join The Beanies, Tiptoe Giants, Poppy Galactic & the Beat and Limited Edition to sing and dance in the spirit of Sydney Christmas. Plus a social visit from Santa! Enjoy carols, kids' activities, and food trucks. Support Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation with $5 donation for Santa photos. Bring your picnic blanket and BYO food or buy from one of the many vendors. ♿
📍 Bicentennial Park, Glebe / Saturday / 6pm-8pm

🕯 Carols in the Park @ Burwood Park
Christmas carols, family-friendly entertainment, children’s activities, a visit from Santa and a fireworks display. Plus Christmas markets from midday.
📍 Burwood Park Pavillion | Saturday / 5pm-9pm, Fireworks at 9pm

🎵 Seniors Choirs Concert Daytime choirs from Dulwich Hill and Annandale come together to celebrate by singing songs learned throughout the year, along with a few Christmas favourites. Join them for afternoon tea. ♿
📍Annandale Neighbourhood Centre / Saturday / 1pm-3pm

🎶 Carols on Norton
Sit back with your family and friends as the sun goes down and sing along with the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus, the Candy Cane Kids Choir, the incredible Tinsel Orchestra and more! It's all Free and sponsored by the Inner West Council. Don't forget the picnic basket!
📍Pioneers Memorial Park / Sunday / 7pm-9pm

🎄 Alexandria Christmas Concert Hosted by The Listies, join Sticker Club, Soulfood Chorus, Poppy Galactic & the Beat and Soul Empire. Plus a social visit from Santa! Enjoy carols, kids' activities, and food trucks. Support Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation with $5 donation for Santa photos. Bring your picnic blanket and BYO food or buy from one of the many vendors. ♿
📍Alexandria Park / Sunday / 6pm-8pm

🎸 The Great Christmas Concert @ Ashfield
The Great Town Hall Christmas Concert is preparing to go down in history (once more). Featuring the Hilary Geddes Quartet and BELIEVE, it promises a night of astounding music, snacks and hard-earned-festivities. 📍 Ashfield Civic Centre - Activity Rooms 1 & 2 / Sunday / 6:30pm-10pm

🎼 Polskie Koledy – Polish Christmas Carols
The Polish Club/ Klub Polski Ashfield "Polskie Kolędy" is a free concert held each Sunday during December. The concert will be led by guest singers and musicians from the community, who will sing several traditional Polish Christmas carols inviting the audience to join in.
📍Polish Club, Ashfield / Sunday / 3pm-4pm

🛍️ Metro Markets on Smidmore
Find the perfect Christmas gifts from a curated selection of local crafts and treat yourself to delicious snacks and festive treats.
📍Marrickville Metro / Saturday & Sunday / 10am-4pm

🎄 Erskineville Christmas markets
Christmas markets with a range of local artisan stalls along with skill-sharing workshops, live music, and food. There will be something for everyone.
📍Erskineville Anglican Church car park / Saturday / 10am-4pm

🎪 Cambridge Christmas Markets @ Burwood Park
Visit the renowned Cambridge Markets with a huge selection of market and food stalls to explore. This bustling market is sure to be a hit with locals and visitors alike, providing a perfect setting for festive shopping.
📍Burwood Park / Saturday / 12pm-9pm

🎁 Christmas Makers Market
Visit the Christmas Makers Market for handmade gifts, flowers, and craft stalls, while enjoying live music, food, and drinks at this festive Sunday market. ♿
📍The Athena School / Athena Montessori, Newtown / Sunday / 9am-1pm

🎨  The Collectors Mark Antique & Collectables Fair
One of Australia's largest Antique and Collectables fairs, The Collectors Mark hosts 130+ traders bi-monthly, in an air-conditioned venue. Offering a vast range of items from antiquity to 1980s designer pieces, including antiques, collectables, vintage items, fine china, jewellery, and more. Food and coffee available.
📍 Wentworth Park Greyhounds Function Centre, Glebe / Sunday 15 December / 9am-3pm

👉️ Flour Mill Christmas Market @ Summer Hill
Last market of the year. Delicious baked goods, fresh produce, artisan Christmas gifts and more!
📍 1 Flour Mill Way, Summer Hill / Sunday 15 December / 9am-1pm

🎵 Goolay-yari Sounds
A free, family-friendly celebration of the unique Midjuburi identity in the Inner West as the year comes to a close: local musicians, community spirit and activities that shed light on stories of the River and its sustainability. A lively community celebration featuring diverse local musicians, from folk to jazz to rock, alongside Christmas crafts, puppetry, and food. Join this neighborhood street party to support the Cooks River/Goolay'yari while enjoying music and sunshine. Bring a picnic and blanket!
📍 Marrickville Golf Club / Saturday / 3pm-6pm

🎾 Adaptive Tennis @ Alexandria
City Community Tennis runs an Adaptive Tennis Hub on Saturday mornings for anyone with a disability (Physical, Intellectual, Blind and Vision Impairment, Autism, and Deaf). These two hour sessions include coaching for all levels from Beginners to Elite. They include: games, match play, cardio tennis, strength and conditioning and the chance to meet people and socialise. Book here.
📍Alexandria Park Tennis Courts, Park Road, Alexandria | 10am-12pm ♿

🎁 Furoshiki Gift Wrapping Workshop Looking for ideas for a low waste Christmas, birthday or holiday celebration? Explore the ancient Japanese art of cloth wrapping- furoshiki? Bookings essential. 📍 Inner West Sustainability Hub / Saturday / 2pm-4pm

✨ Darling Harbour Christmas Fireworks If you got to the Darling Harbour Christmas Festival on Saturday, end the night with a bang by heading over to Cockle Bay at 9pm to watch the sky above the harbour light up with spectacular bursts of fireworks. 📍 Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour / Saturday / 9pm-9:15pm

🌞 Summer Club Saturdays @ South Eveleigh: Kick back and enjoy a line up of attractions and family fun that will make you feel like you are on a sunny holiday. There will be face painting, balloon artists, summer merch giveaways, sweet treat pop-up, sponge pool, wave rider, and Sandy Claus Photo Booth & Surf Santa.
📍South Eveleigh | Attraction times vary across the day from 8am-5pm ♿

🛍️ Suitcase Rummage Market
Find pre-loved clothes, records, books and pot plants, as well as hand made creations by local makers and artists.
📍 The Goods Line, Haymarket / Sunday / 11am-4pm

🐕 Adopt a Greyhound at BrewDog South Eveleigh
Let the Greyhounds as Pets expert team match you with the perfect greyhound for your lifestyle and their unique personality!
📍 BrewDog, South Eveleigh / Sunday / 12pm-3pm

🍅 Concord Farmers Market
Held on the first and third Sunday of each month, a local community project run by the Rotary Club of Concord.
📍 Cintra Park Car Park | 8:30am-12:30pm

22 Inner West pubs added to heritage protection list

The Inner West's beloved pub culture has received a significant boost, with heritage protection now extended to 22 additional historic hotels. This new measure safeguards both the distinctive exteriors and vital interior features like traditional bars, adding to the 26 pubs already under heritage protection. The decision helps ensure these cherished community gathering places, which have been at the heart of local life for generations, will continue to serve as neighbourhood landmarks well into the future. View the list of pubs here.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to reply with any feedback.

Reminder: Please check to confirm details are accurate with venues, event providers, restaurants and pubs by clicking through to their site. Events are occasionally cancelled at the last minute and specials can change.

Have a fun weekend!

Jess