Inner West Guide
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Welcome to the first edition of the Inner West Guide

Welcome to the first edition of the Inner West Guide

Your insiders guide to what's happening locally.

Jess Thorning
August 23, 2024

Good morning, Inner West. This is the first edition of the Inner West Guide, bringing you the best of what's happening in our vibrant corner of Sydney. From community events to hidden gems, we'll be sharing stories that celebrate the diverse and dynamic spirit of the Inner West. So, grab your morning coffee and join us as we explore the neighbourhood together.

In today’s Inner West Guide:

Keep Kids Busy List 😃 🙃
What’s Happening This Weekend 🪩 🎶
Gig 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 and specials can change.

Next week we’ll start sharing information on new store openings and local recommendations for cafes and restaurants.

Let's kick things off, shall we?

— Jess Thorning

@Innerwestguide

Early Taste of Spring 👀 😎

📸 @innerwestguide | 📍Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre, Lilyfield

Tag @innerwestguide to get your photos in the Guide!

Keep Kids Busy Guide 🧒 👶

5 things to keep kids 5 and under busy!

📖 Last chance for Book Week Storytime @ St Peters and Stanmore Libraries: Today (Friday 23 August) come dressed up as your favourite book character and join the libraries in reading some of this years’ shortlisted Picture Book of the Year and Book of the Year. Ages 3 to 5. 10:30 AM to 11 AM - St Peters Library and Stanmore Library

🚌 Magic Yellow Bus: The Magic Yellow Bus is a mobile play group for kids aged 0 to 6 years and their families. Check for daily updates as it occasionally has to be cancelled for unforeseen reasons.

Mondays | War Memorial Park, Leichhardt | 9:30 AM to 12 Noon
Tuesdays | McNeilly Park, Marrickville | 9:30 AM to 12 Noon
Wednesday | Petersham Park, Petersham | 9:30 AM to 12 Noon
Thursdays | Enmore Park, Marrickville | 9:30 AM to 12 Noon

🧸 Little Nicholson Street Play Centre @ Balmain East: A play centre that is open every weekday and all day. It’s fenced, with covered areas for wet weather, there are toys, dress-ups and plenty of fun outdoor equipment. Best of all there are toilets, baby change facilities and tea and coffee making facilities. Ages 0 to 5. See info for membership and day pass options. - 13 Union St, Balmain East

🛝 Park Picnic @ Camperdown Park: Take advantage of the warm weather headed our way this weekend and beyond. You’ve got green open space, picnic tables, as well as play equipment, toilets and cafes nearby. Gather on the Green will even lend you a blanket and bring your food over to you in the park. Smooth footpaths for kids who want to have scoot. Street parking available.

🎵 Rhymetime and 📖 Storytime @ your local libraries: City of Sydney and Inner West libraries run a whole stack of weekly sessions.

➡️ Rhymetime/Book Buddies (0 to 2 years)

Monday | ETC Dulwich Hill & Marrickville | 10:30 AM
Tuesday | Balmain, Leichhardt & St Peters/Sydenham | 10:30 AM
Wednesday | Ashfield, Haberfield & Stanmore | 10:30 AM
Thursday | Leichhardt, Balmain & Glebe Library | 10:30 AM
Friday | Ashfield & Balmain | 10:30 AM

➡️ Storytime ( 3 to 5 years)

Monday | Ashfield & Leichhardt | 10:30 AM
Tuesday | ETC Dulwich Hill & Haberfield | 10:30 AM
Wednesday | Balmain & Marrickville | 10:30 AM
Thursday | Glebe Library | 11:30am
Friday | Stanmore & St Peters/Sydenham | 10:30 AM

📆 Coming Up For Older Kids

Plan and book ahead before spots fill up.

🎨 Pop-Art Portraits Gallery Workshop for Budding Artists: Balmain Library, facilitated by Sweets Workshop, is running a workshop for kids aged 8 to 12. Drawing inspiration from Punk, Pop-Art and Picasso, they’ll put some cooler back into old portraits with paint and collage. Reserve your spot here. Wednesday 4 September 2024, 3:45 PM to 4:45 PM — Balmain Town Hall, 370 Darling Street, Balmain.

🎲 Tabletop Games for Youth: Join Leichhardt Library for a tabletop games session. From card games to role playing and strategy, you can even BYO games. Games include Catan, Wyrmspan, Sushi Go, Exploding Kittens, Codenames, Chess and more. Reserve your spot here. Ages 13 to 18. Saturday 31 August 2024, 1:30 AM to 4:30 PM - Leichhardt Library, The Italian Forum 23 Norton St, Leichhardt

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Weekend Preview and Beyond 😎

Friday

🍺 Dark Beer & Fire Nights @ Petersham Bowling Club: Embrace the last of the cold season with a celebration of dark beers, winter cocktails, and cozy ambiance on the last Friday of winter. Complemented with a crackling fire and the kitchen being in full swing. 5 PM - 77 Brighton St, Petersham

🧶 Ashfield Knitters @ Ashfield Library: Get your knit on and BYO knitting to this casual group. Exchange tips and socialise whilst you knit. Runs the second and fourth Friday of each month. 9 AM to 12 PM - Level 3, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield

🎙️ See Rob Carlton in his show ‘Willing Participant‘: In this 1 hour show Rob, a Logie winning actor, tells four true stories from different times in his life. Directed by theatre and comedy legend Darren Gilshenan. 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 August. Get your tickets here. The Terminal at The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville

Saturday

🎶 JNR STAX Record Fair @ Abercrombie Hotel: JNR STAX / Zac Bush has curated a massive lineup of local collectors, DJs and labels to sell and trade their best records. Plus live DJs. 12 PM - Abercrombie Hotel, 100 Broadway, Chippendale

♻️ Re Place Preloved Clothing - all under $20: Visit the Inner West Sustainability Hub to buy high quality reused clothing and divert clothes from landfill. Saturday 24 August. 2 PM to 6 PM - Inner West Sustainability Hub, 7 Prospect Road, Summer Hill

🖼️ Perfect Match Street Art ‘Live Painting @ Leichhardt: Local Sydney artists Muralisto (Zoe and Xander) will be ‘live painting’ a new Perfect Match Street Artwork on the walls of the sports field, in Lambert Park. Running until Friday 30 August 10 AM to 4 PM - Lambert Park, Marion St, Leichhardt.

🎦 Silent Cinema @ South Eveleigh: Enjoy a one-of-a-kind movie experience at the Eveleigh Works. First session, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, is for kids-only (5 to 12 years) and they’ll be playing Missing Link (rated PG). The second session, 8 PM to 10 PM, is a family-friendly film The Sapphires (rated PG). Book ahead — Bay ½ Locomotive St, Eveleigh

🎻 Inner West Chamber Music Festival @ Leichhardt Town Hall: The Metropolitan Orchestra’s Inner West Chamber Music festival is back for its second year at Leichhardt Town Hall. Don't miss this series of four incredible daytime concerts in the beautifully ornate surrounds over one big weekend. Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August 2024. 12 PM and 3:30 PM each day. Free, bookings essential - Corner of Marion and Norton Streets, Leichhardt

Sunday

👣 Footprints Ecofestival 2024 @ Whites Creek Valley Park: Chat with local experts and organisations and see sustainability in action. There will be plenty of hands-on workshops, demos and tours. Check out the full list of activities here. 10 AM to 3 PM - Whites Creek Valley Park, Corner White and Piper St, Annandale

🐶 Pooch Portraits @ South Eveleigh: Bring your dog, grab a schooner and receive a complimentary pooch portrait outside of BrewDog, next to the giant chess board. David Green Cartoonist will be doing digital drawings this Sunday. 11 AM to 2 PM - Locomotive St, Eveleigh

🌸 Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival 2024 @ Auburn Botanic Gardens: Now this one clearly isn’t in the Inner West, however it’s worth a trip out for the last day of the festival. Check out the blooming cherry blossoms, eat at the Japanese Food Village, participate in workshops and celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th Birthday. Tickets sell out fast. Runs until Sunday 25 August 2024 - Corner of Chisholm and Chiswick Roads, Auburn

👉️ Ashfield Community Market: Food, stalls, entertainment, face painting and more. 10 AM to 3 PM - Ashfield Public School, Liverpool Road, Ashfield

🍎 Marrickville Organic Food Market: Do your weekly grocery shopping and pick up some lunch from some of Sydneys best street food vendors. Sundays, 9 AM to 3 PM - 142 Addison Road, Addison Road Centre, Marrickville

🗓️ Plan Ahead

🥳 Sydney Fringe Festival: The largest independent arts festival in NSW is back with over 450 events presented in over 70 venues across Greater Sydney each year. The vanguard of the Sydney Fringe Festival, the Inner West Precinct is the go-to destination for playful and experimental programming, focusing heavily on contemporary social issues. 1 to 30 September 2024. Check out what’s on in the Inner West Precinct.

⚡️ Power Up Festival @ White Bay Power Station: This FREE festival will showcase a line-up of 100+ local artists with live music, performances, local artisans, community stalls and street eats. Friday 20 and Saturday 21 September 10 AM to 9:30 PM, Sunday 22 September 10 AM to 6 PM. See website for full details.

🎞️ Sydney Underground Film Festival @ Denny Newtown: The 18th annual SUFF returns to Dendy bigger and better than ever. The cinema will transform into a vibrant hub for intrepid film buffs with a series of screenings, talks and events celebrating the best of indie cinema. Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 September 2024. Check out the full schedule.

Cheap Eats 🍔

Friday

🍗 Salisbury Hotel Stanmore: $18 Wings & Schooner of Philter or Carlton | Fridays 4 PM to 6 PM — 118 Percival Rd, Stanmore

🍟 Keg and Brew Surry Hills: $16.90 Sirloin& Fries | Fridays | See venue for terms — 26 Foveaux St, Surry Hills

Saturday

🍽️ The Harold: Chef’s 2 for 1 menu and $12.50 Margaritas | Saturdays | 2 for 1 second item must be of equal or lesser value, see venue for terms — 70A Ross Street, Forest Lodge

Sunday

🍜 Spice Alley Chippendale: Every Dish $9 to celebrate Spice Alley’s 9th anniversary | 3 PM to 5 PM each day (everyday until 31 August) | Dine-in only

🧒 The Oxford Hotel Drummoyne: Kids Eat Free | All day Sunday, with a purchase of any main meal | See venue for terms — 195 Victoria Rd, Drummoyne

Happy Hour Heroes 🍻 🍸️

Gig Guide 🎸

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Inner West Council News

Balmain Town Hall and Library Now Open

📖 The IWC celebrated the reopening of the Balmain Town Hall and Library last weekend. Check out upcoming events at the library — Balmain Town Hall, 370 Darling Street, Balmain.

Enmore Road Walk of Fame

⭐️ Council is developing a project to commemorate iconic performances and artists, who have performed at the Enmore Theatre. They're introducing a Walk of Fame to honour the artists and moments that have cemented the Enmore Theatre as a cultural landmark. Nominate who you would like to see on the Enmore Road Walk of Fame here.

Planning for 3 local parks feedback deadline this weekend

Inner West Council are are looking to develop a 10-year Plan of Management for each of the parks listed below. They want to hear your feedback to help inform the plan. Feedback is open until the 25 August 2024. See links below to have your say below.

➡️ Camperdown Memorial Rest Park
➡️ Jarvie Park Marrickville
➡️ Wicks Park Marrickville

City of Sydney Council News

🐶 Find your purr-fect match at CoS' animal shelter: CoS is offering discounted adoption fees on dogs and cats for a limited time (until Saturday 24 August). Lost an abandoned pets found in CoS are looked after in the Sutherland Shire. It’s now at capacity. Check out available pets and how to arrange a meet and greet here.

❌ Petition to say yes to green space and no to greyhound racing at Wentworth Park: CoS is encouraging residents local to Wentworth Park to support a transformation of Wentworth Park by signing the petition, as well as writing to the Minister for Lands and Property and the Minister for Gaming and Racing and asking them for their commitment to remove greyhound racing when the lease expires in 2027.

Thank You!

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