Good morning, Inner Westies.

From Leichhardt's Taste the Music festival to a split decision on Callan Park's sporting fields, plus Latin fiestas, a winter solstice on the farm and the school holiday guide…here's your weekend guide.

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

Have a great weekend,
Jess

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.

This freestanding 1888 residence has been reworked from the inside out, with the original Victorian façade restored and the interior taken in a completely different direction. Behind the porch sits open-plan living, a separate formal lounge, four bedrooms and a high-spec kitchen with twin ovens and concealed appliances, finished in marble, stone and oak. The north-facing garden has an entertaining patio, barbecue station and plunge pool, plus a self-contained studio out the back. It's been a while since we featured a proper mullet home, and this one's all business at the front, party at the back.

📍 4 bed / 4 bath
👉 Listed with BresicWhitney

One of Callan Park's all-weather sporting fields has been approved, the other refused. The Balmain Road field starts construction in September 2026, ready for the 2027 winter season. Council says it will boost ground use and cut wet-weather cancellations. The Panel refused the Waterfront Drive field over flooding and pollution concerns. The fields have been long contested, with sporting clubs backing them and others opposing synthetic turf. Council will seek a review, while Balmain MP Kobi Shetty says the decision shows why independent assessment matters.

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Leichhardt's first food and music festival takes over Norton and Marion streets across two days. Friday night kicks off with $7 Aperol spritzes at Aperitivo and Capriccio Osteria, plus mocktails and fresh cannoli at Moretti Ristorante's pop-up bar. There's live jazz at The Royal Hotel, outdoor DJ sets at Crosstalk Records and OTiS Bar, and La Botte D'Oro's nonna making pasta at the door. On Saturday there will be coffee and biscotti at Caffe Bianchi, $10 hot brownies at Lunetta Gelato, and the Australian debut of Broadway musical Tootsie at Teatro. Created by Viva Leichhardt. Free entry.

📆 Fri 19 Jun, 5pm – 10pm / Sat 20 Jun, 11am – 10pm
📍 Norton Street and Marion Street, Leichhardt
👉 Find out more

Everything on for kids these school holidays, in one spot. We add more as venues lock them in.

👉 View the Winter School Holiday Guide

🐠 World Oceans Day at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
Ocean-themed activities, animal encounters and conservation prompts for families.
📆 Fri 19 Jun – Sun 21 Jun / 10am – 5pm
📍 SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour

🎪 Ultimo Community Centre 30th Anniversary Open Day
Community performances, live music, kids science, craft, games, sport try-outs and a BBQ lunch mark 30 years in Ultimo.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 Ultimo Community Centre

💻 Saturday Create 2026 (ages 8–12)
Kids use Makey Makey circuits to create digital music projects.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 2pm – 3:30pm
📍 The Learning Space, Rhodes

🎬 Toy Story 5 Family Fun Day
Family screening of Toy Story 5 with bonus paper headbands for child tickets.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 10am – 12pm
📍 Event Cinemas, Burwood

🎨 Mandala Painting Workshop for Young Adults (ages 12–18)
Young people create mandala dot paintings in a guided library workshop.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 11am – 1pm
📍 Balmain Library

📚 HSC Workshop: English Advanced Module A
HSC English workshop covering textual conversations and essay strategies.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 11am – 12:30pm
📍 Marrickville Library and Pavilion

🎬 Kids Club: The Bad Guys 2
Family movie session with floor seating and an indoor picnic setup.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 2:30pm – 4:30pm
📍 Little BIG House, Summer Hill

💻 3D Print Club (ages 10–15)
Young makers design and print a small 3D project in the library makerspace.
📆 Mon 22 Jun / 4pm – 6pm
📍 Darling Square Library, Haymarket

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Youth Hub (ages 12–24)
Drop-in space for LGBTQIA+ young people with games and activities.
📆 Tue 23 Jun / 3pm – 5:30pm
📍 Concord Community Centre

🌋 After School: Dynamic Earth Show
Live science show exploring volcanoes, earthquakes and tectonic plates.
📆 Wed 24 Jun / 3:45pm – 4:45pm
📍 Haberfield Library

💻 Pico Coding Club
Kids learn text-based coding by creating simple games.
📆 Thu 25 Jun / 4pm – 5pm
📍 Strathfield Council Library & Innovation Hub

🪩 Glow in the Dark Disco Party (ages 2–5)
DJ Super Juan and Kids Fiesta lead a glow party with mini dance classes, balloon games and neon lights.
📆 Sat 27 Jun / 5pm – 5:50pm and 6:30pm – 7:20pm
📍 Tropical Soul Dance Studio, Annandale

Where kids eat free at 35+ Inner West spots, filterable by day and suburb.
Kids Eat Free Guide →

🍷 Good Food & Wine Show
300+ food and drink exhibitors, live cooking demos, chef meet-and-greets, Bakers Alley and hands-on masterclasses.
📆 Fri 19 Jun – Sun 21 Jun / 10am – 5pm
📍 ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour

🚲 Spoken
Cycling festival with bicycle, apparel and component brands, talks and films.
📆 Fri 19 Jun – Sun 21 Jun / Fri 4:30pm – 9:30pm, Sat 10am – 5pm & Sun 10am – 3pm
📍 Carriageworks, Eveleigh

🐉 Dragon Boat Festival
Cultural fair with craft activities, performances and festival food.
📆 Sat 20 Jun – Sun 21 Jun / 10am – 4pm
📍 Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour

🩺 Men's Health Week Hub
Drop-in hub with guest talks and practical healthy ageing advice for men.
📆 Fri 19 Jun / 9am – 1pm
📍 Marrickville Pavilion

🛍️ ReLove Warehouse Sale
Warehouse sale of furniture, homewares and designer pieces supporting crisis accommodation.
📆 Fri 19 Jun / 10am – 5pm
📍 ReLove Warehouse, Alexandria

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month Games Afternoon
Board games, lunch and social connection for LGBTQIA+ community members and allies.
📆 Fri 19 Jun / 12:30pm – 4pm
📍 Newtown Wellness Centre

💬 Community Conversations: Refugee Week Talk
Gul Afroz shares her refugee journey and work with vulnerable communities.
📆 Fri 19 Jun / 1:30pm – 4pm
📍 Five Dock Library

📚 The Rose Read Bookshop Launch Party
Celebrate the new Summer Hill bookshop with drinks, Palestinian nibbles and a quieter early hour before the main launch.
📆 Fri 19 Jun / 4pm quiet hour, 5pm – 8pm launch
📍 The Rose Read Bookshop, Summer Hill

💃 Club De Tango: La Milonga
Argentine tango social with music and dancing.
📆 Fri 19 Jun / 7:30pm – 11:45pm
📍 Glebe Town Hall

🏉 Sydney Uni vs West Harbour
Sydney Uni hosts West Harbour in a weekend rugby fixture.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 8am
📍 Sydney University, Camperdown

🛠️ Fix It, Don’t Ditch It: Furniture Repair Workshop
Practical workshop covering furniture repair techniques for wobbly chairs and chipped tables.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 9am – 12pm
📍 Harry's Shed, Rhodes

📓 Journal Swap | Bertie X Not-So Secret Society
Swap journals, make spreads, and leave with pages filled by new friends.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 Not-So Secret Society HQ, Glebe

🎪 Latinos en Sydney’s Fiesta
A full day of Latin food stalls, live music, dance classes, cultural performances, kids activities and the Latino Cup.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 12pm – 8pm
📍 Sydney Portugal Community Club, Marrickville

🔥 Winter Solstice Festival
Winter festival with live music, food stalls, kids activities and farm tours.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 12pm – 6pm
📍 Pocket City Farms, Camperdown ♿️

🏳️‍🌈 Rainbow Duanwu: Dragon Boat Festival Workshop
Bilingual storytelling and sachet making for Chinese-diaspora LGBTQIA+ communities and allies.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 12:30pm – 3:30pm
📍 Burwood Library and Community Hub

💃 Fiesta De San Juan
Peruvian cultural festival with music, dance, food and family activities.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 1pm – 11:59pm
📍 Leichhardt Town Hall

🏉 Bulldogs vs Sea Eagles
Bulldogs face Manly in Round 16 of the NRL season.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 7:30pm
📍 Accor Stadium, Olympic Park

🚗 It’s Culture: Volume 2
Project Crave brings cars, music, artists, vendors, food and donuts together for a Sunday community meet-up.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 9am – 2pm
📍 Donut Garage, Marrickville

🌱 Winter Greens Plant Giveaway
City of Canada Bay households can collect a free native plant.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 8:30am – 12:30pm
📍 Concord Farmers Markets

🛍️ Flour Mill Markets
A mix of market stalls featuring fresh flowers, produce, baked goods, food, homewares, clothing and it's dog-friendly.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 9am – 1pm
📍 Flour Mill Markets, Summer Hill

📱 Dead Hardware Hangs
Hands-on workshop turning old phones, tablets and laptops into creative material.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 10am – 11:30am
📍 Field Rooms, Waterloo

🍝 Italian Festa at Ashfield Bowlo
Italian food, music and dancing on the green.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 12:30pm
📍 Ashfield Bowling Club

🎨 Indigo Dyeing Workshop: Reclamation of Memory
Artist Gianna Hayes leads a hands-on indigo dyeing workshop exploring textile traditions, cultural memory and ancestral practices.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 1pm – 4pm
📍 Magenta House, Redfern

🏳️‍🌈 Devoted to Disco: Pride Edition
Pride disco party with 70s and 80s classics, drag performances and live singing.
📆 Sun 21 Jun / 5pm – 9pm
📍 Stonewall Hotel, Newtown

🤠 Line Dancing at The Balmain Hotel
Katie D returns to call the floor for a one-night line dancing session with no partner or experience needed.
📆 Fri 26 Jun / 7pm – 9pm
📍 The Balmain Hotel

⛸️ Darling Harbour Ice Rink
Pop-up ice rink with ticketed skating sessions during the winter school holidays.
📆 Fri 27 Jun / 10am – 9pm
📍 Palm Grove Forecourt, Darling Harbour

🎭 24 Hour Live Theatre Marathon
Teatro streams 24 hours of musical theatre, special guests, performances, auctions and prizes for an independent theatre fundraiser.
📆 Sat 27 Jun – Sun 28 Jun / 12pm – 12pm
📍 Teatro at the Italian Forum, Leichhardt

💃 Gente De Malecón SYD – Cuban Jam Session, Dancing & Dominoes
Open Cuban jam session with percussion, dancing and dominoes.
📆 Sun 28 Jun / 11am – 2pm
📍 Centro Cultural Latinoamericano, Marrickville

Balmain Bowling Club ceased trading on Saturday 13 June, with the board citing ongoing financial losses and rising costs despite efforts from staff and volunteers. Founded in 1880, it was the oldest continuously operating bowling club in New South Wales. The notice to members also confirmed the club has Development Application approval from Inner West Council for substantial renovations, which the board says offers a pathway to revitalise the site and secure the long-term future of bowling there.

🍝 Final Dinners at Bar Zini
Bar Zini is running final dinner services each week until Friday 17 July. Wednesdays are $35 pasta and vino, with an à la carte menu on Thursdays and Fridays.
📍 Bar Zini, Pyrmont / Wednesdays to Fridays until 17 July 2026

🍩 Family Meal at Rude Boy Doughnuts
Rude Boy is hosting an eight-seat shared dinner in The Yaad, with a rotating spread of Caribbean-Latin comfort food and something sweet to finish.
📆 Fri 19 Jun and Sat 20 Jun
📍 Rude Boy Doughnuts, Newtown

🍽️ Mama B’s 10 Course Tasting at The Chippo
Mama B’s is hosting its first 10-course vegan tasting at The Chippo, with gluten-free tickets also available.
📍 The Chippo Hotel, Chippendale / Fri 26 June 2026 / 7pm

🍜 Duan Noodle House Grand Opening
Duan Noodle House is opening in Marrickville, with early posts previewing wontons, dim sum, pho and Chinese noodle soups.
📍 Duan Noodle House, Marrickville / Fri 26 June 2026

⚽ Socceroos vs USA at The Vic
The Vic Hotel opens early for the Socceroos match, with $7 schooners, bacon and egg rolls and the game live and loud.
📆 Sat 20 Jun / 4:30am
📍 The Victoria Hotel, Annandale

Inner West Council has voted to rename Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre in honour of the late Professor Richard Scolyer AO. Scolyer, a long-time Inner West local and the 2025 Inner West Citizen of the Year, was recognised for his pioneering melanoma research with Professor Georgina Long and for the courage with which he shared his own cancer treatment. The decision comes as LPAC prepares for its biggest renovation, with the outdoor pools closing from 29 June and remaining closed through 2027.

Strathfield Council has dropped a proposed suburb boundary change that would have seen parts of Homebush and Homebush West south of the railway, including areas around Kessell Avenue, reclassified as Strathfield. The decision follows mixed community feedback, with some residents backing clearer boundaries and others concerned about local identity, extra admin and confusion around familiar landmarks like Homebush Station and Homebush Village.

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Our deadline is the close of business on Wednesday for each Friday edition.