Your guide to the best of the Inner West from 2 to 4 October

Good morning, Inner Westies.

It’s the long weekend, and don’t forget clocks go forward on Sunday when daylight saving starts on Sunday. From the Moon Festival and a three-day transport heritage expo to Oktoberfest, markets, gigs and school holiday activities, there’s plenty happening this long weekend. Plus, we unpack the new Callan Park law and the unusual approval path for McDonald’s on Enmore Road.

Grab your morning coffee and let’s 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 one's the whole building: a Darling Street shop and the apartment above it. Three Birds Renovations did the apartment, and there's character galore. The living room has wainscoting and a fireplace mantel. Glass doors open onto an iron-lace balcony over the street. The kitchen has stone benches and a breakfast nook. The main bedroom has an ensuite, sitting area and rear balcony. The second bedroom's balcony has water glimpses. The apartment comes fully furnished. Downstairs, the florist is a long-term tenant. So close to the Cat & Fiddle that you can almost order a beer from your balcony.

📍 Retail store + 2 bed / 2 bath / 1 car / 109sqm
👉 Listed with The Rubinstein Group

The new Callan Park law passed NSW Parliament mid September. Businesses such as cafés will be able to seek approval to operate in the park, leases of up to 50 years will be possible, and the community trustee board loses its sign-off on the plan of management. The ban on selling the park stays.

👉 Read the full story

McDonald's has started fitting out the former Oporto on Enmore Road, a year after the City of Sydney refused its 24-hour store on King Street. The almost $1.3 million fit-out went through the fast-track complying development pathway, so it was never publicly exhibited. We look at why King Street was different, and what it means for trading hours.

👉 Read the full story

The school holidays are in full swing, so below are our picks for the next week. For the full list of camps, creative workshops, sport, STEM, live shows and free activities, head to our Spring School Holiday Guide. We update it regularly with new activities.

👉 View the Spring School Holiday Guide

OUR PICKS

🏊 Family Splash Day
Free pool entry all day, with an inflatable obstacle course, live music on the pool deck and visits from Terry the Turtle.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 9am – 4pm
📍 Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Marrickville ♿️

🤹 Sydney Fringe Kids
Two weeks of kids’ circus, magic, bubble, balloon and science shows, including The Flying Bubble Show and Trash Test Dummies Circus.
📆 Sat 26 Sep – Sun 11 Oct / Various times
📍 Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park

🏀 Pop-Up Basketball (ages 13–18)
Free hoops, snacks and gear for teens, whether they’ve played before or not; register ahead or just drop in.
📆 Fri 2 Oct / 10am – 2pm
📍 Redfern Park

🛼 School Holidays Open Social Skate Session
All ages welcome, with coaches on hand for beginners and limited skate hire.
📆 Mon 5 Oct / 3:30pm – 5pm
📍 Robyn Webster Sports Centre, Tempe

🎲 Mr Mack’s Chats (ages 3–12)
Free weekday school holiday sessions bring together games, stories, sport, structured activities and outdoor free play.
📆 Weekdays until Fri 9 Oct / From 10am
📍 Federal Park, Annandale

🏏 School Holiday Cricket (ages 5–12)
Instinct Cricket coaches run separate sessions for younger and older kids; bookings essential.
📆 Tue 6 Oct / 9:30am (ages 5–8) & 11am (ages 9–12)
📍 Strathfield Park

🎨 Kids Fun Lab
Free drop-in craft and play for kids aged 2+, plus a free coffee for the first 20 grown-ups.
📆 Tue 6 Oct / 10am – 12pm
📍 Ashfield Mall ♿️

🎮 School Holidays: Esports Extravaganza (ages 12–18)
Teens battle it out on Crash Bandicoot and FIFA 26, plus VR rounds of Beat Saber.
📆 Tue 6 Oct / 11am – 2pm
📍 Marrickville Library and Pavilion ♿️

🌕 Lights Up Kids Fest (ages 5–12)
Three days of performing arts by local artists, built around the world premiere of Mooncake, a new puppetry play that takes two 10-year-old friends from a backyard to the moon to meet figures from Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek and Aboriginal moon stories ($30, family of four $100; Wed 4pm is Auslan-interpreted and relaxed). Plus hands-on workshops from $20, a holiday camp and the first Inner West Talent Quest finals.
📆 Wed 7 – Fri 9 Oct / Mooncake: Wed 1pm & 4pm; Thu 1pm
📍 Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville ♿️

💃 Creative Studio: Blaklist (ages 14–18)
A 100% First Nations-owned agency leads teens through movement, storytelling and performance direction, for $10.
📆 Thu 8 Oct / 10am – 2pm
📍 UTS Building 5 Block A, Haymarket

COMING UP

🎨 Play Together: A Child and Parent Creative Workshop (ages 5–12)
One grown-up and one child make a beautiful mess together with stickers, charms and creative play; $130 per pair.
📆 Fri 9 Oct / 2pm
📍 Made590, Marrickville

💃 Play School Live Concert 2026: Humpty's Big Celebration!
The show turns 60, so Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima, Kiya and Fergus are throwing a party of songs, dancing and magic.
📆 Sat 10 Oct / 10am & 12pm & 2pm
📍 Seymour Centre, Chippendale ♿️

👉 See every school holiday activity in our guide

ALL WEEKEND

🏮 Moon Festival
It’s the final weekend, with lanterns lit each evening, live music on Friday and Saturday, and free family dance workshops with a DJ.
📆 Fri 2 – Sun 4 Oct / Dance workshops Sat & Sun 2:30pm – 4:30pm
📍 Darling Square, Haymarket

💎 Tramsheds Gem & Crystal Expo
A boutique show where you can meet the collectors and makers behind the opal, fossils, crystals and handmade jewellery; adults $10 for all three days, kids free.
📆 Fri 2 Oct, 4pm – 7pm / Sat 3 Oct, 9:30am – 5pm / Sun 4 Oct, 9:30am – 4pm
📍 Harold Park Community Centre, Tramsheds

🚂 Transport Heritage Expo
Steam trains, vintage buses and historic boat rides run all long weekend, plus the Great Train Race; some rides have sold out.
📆 Sat 3 – Mon 5 Oct
📍 Central Station and Darling Harbour

FRIDAY

💃 Latin Nights by the Bay
Opening night of this free Friday series: a salsa and bachata lesson, then live bands, DJs and social dancing.
📆 Fri 2 Oct / 6pm – 10pm
📍 Palm Grove, Darling Harbour

🎨 Friday Quick Nude
Life drawing with a live model and lots of short poses, from one minute to 15, so if a sketch goes wrong another is along shortly; beginner friendly, $29 booked online.
📆 Fri 2 Oct / 7pm – 9pm
📍 Doodler, Marrickville

💃 Club De Tango: La Milonga
Sydney’s original Argentine social dance night, running since 1999: a class for all levels, then golden-age music with a DJ, for $25.
📆 Fri 2 Oct / 7:30pm – 11:45pm
📍 Glebe Town Hall

SATURDAY

🏊 Family Splash Day
Free pool entry all day, with an inflatable obstacle course, live music on the pool deck and visits from Terry the Turtle.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 9am – 4pm
📍 Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Marrickville ♿️

🎨 Saturday Morning Life Drawing
Choose a three-hour single-pose session from 9am for detailed studies ($45), or the standard model session from 10am ($27).
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 9am – 12pm
📍 Peach Black Gallery, Chippendale

🚲 Roaming Foamers
Watch steam locomotive 3801 pass, then take a relaxed 15.5km ride spotting heritage trains, buses and boats.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / Meet 9:45am; roll 10:15am
📍 Camdenville Park, St Peters

📓 Spooky Scrap Sessions
Make a Halloween journal or scrapbook, with materials, a lolly bar and goodie bags included.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 10:30am – 1pm & 1:30pm – 4pm
📍 Made590, Marrickville

🛍️ Sydney EGL Comm Swapmeet
Bring, buy and trade Lolita and other Japanese street fashion, with a Halloween outfit theme; free, registration essential.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 12pm – 1:30pm & 2pm – 3:30pm
📍 The Community Hub, Burwood

👗 The Alternative Clothes Swap
Bring up to 10 clean adult pieces, from Dangerfield to vintage and handmade, and trade them for new finds.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 1pm – 4pm
📍 Gifts of Mercy Emporium, Petersham

🏉 AFLW: GWS Giants v Essendon Bombers
Expect a noughties-themed family day, with a free barbecue, inflatables, giveaways and a post-match signing; kids under 14 free.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 1:05pm
📍 Henson Park, Marrickville ♿️

📓 Jol Temple & David Conley: Ludicrous Legends
The kids’ authors bring more mythological mischief and mayhem to a free family show; RSVP essential.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 2pm – 3pm
📍 Gleebooks, Glebe ♿️

🏳️‍🌈 Queer Friendships Photography Exhibition
Portraits exploring intimacy, care and chosen family, with a community gathering on the night.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / 4pm – 9pm
📍 Yanada Room, Lewisham ♿️

SUNDAY

🛍️ Flour Mill Markets
A mix of market stalls featuring fresh flowers, produce, baked goods, food, homewares, clothing and it's dog-friendly.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 9am – 1pm
📍 Harvest Park and Mungo Scott Plaza, Summer Hill

🚲 Guided Ride: Connecting Waterloo, Green Square and Ashmore
An easy-paced City of Sydney cycle showing the bike routes that link the three neighbourhoods.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 9am – 11am
📍 Cope Street Plaza, Waterloo

🎶 Sunday Sessions featuring Giddy – live music at Dawn Fraser Baths
Council’s free summer series kicks off with an indie-folk singer-songwriter playing poolside, with local acts rotating around its pools until March.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 12pm – 2pm
📍 Dawn Fraser Baths, Balmain ♿️

✒️ Introduction to Brush Calligraphy
A low-pressure afternoon learning basic strokes and how to join letters; no experience needed.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 1pm – 3pm
📍 Talk Shop, Haymarket

🧵 Textile Treasure Trove
A van-load of Cue fabric samples has landed: fill a paper bag for $20, or grab bundles from $1.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 1pm – 4pm
📍 Re Place, Summer Hill

🎶 Our Own Festival
A music, arts, fashion and culture festival returns with Agum among the announced performers.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 1pm – 7pm
📍 Factory Theatre, Marrickville

🏳️‍🌈 Crafty Queers
Bring a project or start one at this free monthly make-and-chat group for queer folk and their peers.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / 2pm – 5pm
📍 Reverse Garbage, Marrickville

🚲 PAM Store × 108WAREHOUSE Slow-Pace Ride
A social 14km spin along the GreenWay and through Rozelle, Pyrmont and Chinatown, finishing in Darlinghurst.
📆 Sun 4 Oct / Meet 5pm; roll 5:30pm
📍 Garners Avenue car park, Marrickville

🧘 Foundations of Meditation: Beginners Course
Eight Sunday-evening classes in breath work, seated practice and techniques from various traditions; $500, students half price.
📆 Sundays 4 Oct – 22 Nov / 6pm – 7:15pm
📍 This is Yoga Studio, Rozelle

COMING UP

🎧 The Coffee Factory × Blend Theory
A Sydney DJ collective spins R&B, hip hop and baile funk at a long-weekend morning party; free, walk-ins only.
📆 Mon 5 Oct / 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 The Grounds Coffee Factory, South Eveleigh

🏞️ Wentworth Park Town Hall
A public meeting, promoted by Balmain MP Kobi Shetty, on what should happen to the site once greyhound racing ends.
📆 Wed 7 Oct / 6pm – 7:30pm
📍 Uniting Harris Community Centre, Ultimo

🎨 GAS SYD Presents the NXT1
From painting and sculpture to digital illustration and upholstery, 30 independent artists respond to ‘Art Moving Forward’.
📆 Thu 8 – Wed 14 Oct / Opening night from 5pm Thu 8 Oct
📍 Studio 551, Newtown

✍️ Shut Up and Write!
No critiques, no sharing, no pressure: just an hour of focused writing alongside other writers.
📆 Thu 8 Oct / 2pm
📍 Little BIG House, Summer Hill

🎸 Battle of the Tech Bands
Staff from Atlassian, Canva, Amazon, V2 AI and Rex Software play for the trophy, with proceeds to Youngcare.
📆 Thu 8 Oct / Doors 6:30pm; 18+
📍 Manning Bar, Camperdown ♿️

✂️ Create.make.connect: Time Capsule Collage Workshop
Local artist Kirsten Castorina helps you piece together a free mixed-media artwork about what’s precious to you, alongside her ‘Yesterday’ exhibition.
📆 Fri 9 Oct / 1pm – 2:30pm
📍 Five Dock Library

🐝 Boomerang Bags Working Bee
Help the volunteer group turn donated fabric into alternatives to plastic at its new home; no sewing experience needed, snacks provided.
📆 Sat 10 Oct / 10am – 2pm
📍 Inner West Sustainability Hub, Summer Hill ♿️

🎶 Marrickville Music Festival
Six stages of free live music, plus roving performers, local food and market stalls, take over the main street and laneways.
📆 Sun 11 Oct / 12pm – 6pm
📍 Marrickville Road ♿️

A community-organised festival will mark Haberfield’s 125th anniversary on Sunday 22 November. The free event will include live music, food, community stalls, family activities, heritage walks and an exhibition.

Find out more

Addison Road Community Organisation will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a free fiesta in Marrickville on Saturday 17 October, from 10.30am to 2pm. The event will include music, food, market stalls and family activities.

Find out more: Inner West Council

Inner West Council is seeking feedback on Our Fairer Future Plan 2, which covers parts of 15 suburbs and proposes changes to where new housing could be delivered. Feedback closes on Wednesday 28 October 2026.

Have your say

Inner West Council has approved a 12-month trial of longer staffed hours at Marrickville Library, including Thursday nights until 10pm. Later weekday and weekend hours are also part of the trial. Council has not yet published a start date.

Find out more

Inner West Council is proposing a 12-month pedestrian-space trial for Carlisle Street, including a partial closure, a two-way cycleway, changed parking and loading arrangements, and more space for outdoor dining. Feedback closes 25 October.

Find out more

Strathfield Council has elected Cr Sandy Reddy as Mayor, with Cr Esther Kim appointed Deputy Mayor at its September Ordinary Council Meeting. Reddy will serve until September 2028, while Kim’s deputy mayoral term runs until September 2027.

Find out more: Strathfield Council

Strathfield Council’s draft Town Centre Master Plan is now on exhibition. It looks at future development, housing growth, public spaces and connections around the town centre. The exhibition runs until 18 December 2026, with submissions accepted until 10 January 2027.

Have your say

Burwood Council is proposing to list 1–50 The Strand, Croydon as a group heritage item, recognising the character of the local shopping strip. Council says the proposal would not change existing planning controls. Feedback closes at 5pm on Wednesday 7 October.

Find out more

🍷 Over the Hill at Nest
Nest and De Beaurepaire Wines present eight courses celebrating produce from the Blue Mountains and Central West, matched with reserve wines.
📆 Fri 2 Oct / 6pm
📍 Nest, Newtown

🎂 Pyrmont Bridge Hotel’s 156th Birthday Bash
Hourly food and drink specials, comedy and live bands across every level, all day.
📆 Sat 3 Oct / From 9am
📍 Pyrmont Bridge Hotel

🍽️ GINI × Colombo Social: Two-Night Takeover
Sri Lanka’s acclaimed live-fire restaurant, a World’s 50 Best Discovery pick, cooks seven courses for $95, with only 120 seats a night.
📆 Sat 3 – Sun 4 Oct / 6pm & 8:30pm
📍 Colombo Social, Enmore

🥩 Steak Frites at Sippenham
A 200g MB3 sirloin with shoestring fries, pink peppercorn sauce, pickled onion and jus is $37, or $49 with paired red.
📆 Every Thu until Dec / Dinner
📍 Sippenham, Sydenham

🥐 Brune Bakery Is Temporarily Closed
The Glebe bakery shut on 27 September for a refit, with a bigger menu and more seating planned, and it may reopen under a new name and new management.

🍻 Inner West Ale Trail Oktoberfest
Four breweries go German for the long weekend. Young Henrys has 10+ German-style beers on tap, an oompah band (Sat 6pm – 9pm) and Hair Cut Roulette for Project Feel Good on Saturday; Hopsters pours Weihenstephan, Schlenkerla and Ayinger, with a bratwurst barbecue Sat & Sun; Kicks has three new German-style lagers, a pretzel-and-pint deal and a Pizzamici pizza special; and Sauce joins in all weekend. Bookings recommended.
📆 Fri 2 – Sun 4 Oct
📍 Young Henrys, Newtown; Hopsters, Enmore; Kicks Brewing and Sauce Brewing Co., Marrickville

🍺 Oktoberfest at Concordia Club
Marrickville’s German club keeps Oktoberfest going every Sunday in October, with German-style food and imported beers including Veltins, König Pils and Erdinger. Lunch is sold out, but dinner places are still available.
📆 Every Sun in Oct / 4:30pm – 8:30pm
📍 Concordia Club, Marrickville

🍸 Young Henrys and Ester Spirits Are on the Move
After almost 15 years on Wilford Street, the brewery is taking over the former Mountain Goat brewpub on King Street, opening in late October, with 155 seats, 12 taps, a 10-hectolitre brewhouse for one-off, staff-led beers and a kitchen run by Plate It Forward, the social enterprise behind Colombo Social and Kyiv Social. Both sites will trade side by side for a while, then the Marrickville distillery takes over the old Wilford Street brewery in Enmore early next year, with more room for production and events; its cellar door stays open until then.

🍷 The Temperance Society Is Looking for a New Owner
After nearly 12 years, the team behind the Summer Hill small bar is ready to hand it on, and expressions of interest are open.

🎼 The Henson Songwriter Night
Put your name on the sign-up sheet and play your own originals at this weekly open night.
📆 Every Thu / 7pm – 9pm
📍 The Henson, Marrickville

HAPPY HOUR HEROES

🍺 Rose of Australia, Erskineville | Monday to Friday | 4pm – 6pm | $7 selected domestic schooners, house wines and house spirits, and $8.50 craft tap beers; members from 3pm - see venue for terms and conditions.

🍻 The Henson, Marrickville | Monday | $20 curry, plus pints for schooner prices - see venue for terms and conditions.

🍸 Sneaky Possum, Chippendale | Monday to Saturday | 4pm – 6pm | Free beer upsize on independent Australian taps, $12 margaritas, $7 house wine and $9 Doom Juice natty wine - see venue for terms and conditions.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

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