Good morning, Inner Westies. It’s cold out, but your weekend’s heating up. Hop on a vintage bus, sip something warm, catch a gig, and soak up every second of the long weekend.

Find this weekly email useful? Share it with a friend who’d appreciate a shortcut to planning their weekend.

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

🚌 Step Back in Time with Vintage Bus Tours During VIVID ✨ 

Experience Sydney's Vivid Festival from the comfort of vintage double decker buses this weekend. The historic fleet will operate from the 110-year-old Leichhardt Tram Shed, taking passengers on journeys across the Harbour Bridge and through the CBD for unmatched views of the light displays at Circular Quay. Running from sundown to 10pm on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June, the special route includes stops at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Martin Place Station, and QVB, offering opportunities to hop on and off. Vintage buses from Sydney, Hong Kong and London will be in operation. The vintage buses depart from the Sydney Bus Museum in Leichhardt.

📍  Old Leichhardt Tramshed / Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 June 2025 / Sundown – 10pm
👉️ Check out their website for more info.

😭 Last Chance to Visit: Two Iconic Sydney Venues Set to Close 🥹 

Foundry616, a cornerstone of the city’s jazz scene in Ultimo, will shut at the end of June after 11 years of live music. The Bearded Tit, a much-loved haven for queer, POC- and underrepresented communities in Redfern, will close in November as the owner steps away from hospitality. Now’s the time to go and support both venues before they close.

🔧 Tinkering with Tools for Kids: E-waste (ages 8 to 13) 
Children safely deconstruct old devices to explore what's inside, learn about e-waste, and discover how reclaimed materials can be used in art.
📍Reverse Garbage Marrickville / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 10am – 12pm ♿️

🎨 Creative Kids: Collaborative Paint Workshop (ages 9 to 12) 
Work together to create a large, colourful painting for the library exploring the theme "I am here" using paint, sprays and markers. Parents must participate. Bookings essential.
📍Burwood Library / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 1pm – 2:30pm

🧽 Cleaning Product Craft Workshop (ages 3 to 12) 
Kids design and create their own cleaning product animals to take home in this hands-on DIY workshop. Bookings essential.
📍Bunnings Alexandria / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 10:30am – 11:30am

🧁 Kids D.I.Y 
Make and decorate pretend sponge cakes in this creative arts and crafts workshop.
📍Bunnings Rozelle / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 11am – 12pm

🚂 Trackless Train Rides & Ozobot Workshops @ South Eveleigh 
Every Saturday in June, jump aboard the trackless train for a ride around the precinct. Afterwards head into the Locomotive Workshops for Ozobot programming sessions where you can learn to program a mini robot.
📍South Eveleigh / Every Saturday in June / 10am – 1pm

✨ Vivid Kids: Light Walk, Music & Family Fun 
Start your Vivid Sydney adventure with FREE family-friendly shows designed to get little legs moving and imaginations soaring. Special performances each Saturday include kid-friendly music, dance and cultural community performances. Perfect start to your Light Walk adventure.
📍Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour / Saturdays 24 May to 14 June / 5pm – 6pm

🎇 Vivid Kids: Adventure @ Darling Square 
Explore hundreds of dazzling fairy lights and illuminated installations creating a magical night for little ones! Your kids will love the FREE neon face painting and glitter tattoos that glow in the dark, plus enjoy family-friendly live music while you dine. Great for kids of all ages.
📍Darling Square, Haymarket / Saturdays 24 May to 14 June / 6pm – 9pm for face painting and glitter tattoos

📚 HSC Workshop: Studies of Religion
Workshop designed to help students unlock their potential and perform best in assessments and exams.
📍Haberfield Library / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 11am – 2pm ♿️

🎨 Free Messy Minis Play @ Broadway
Mess It Up's sensory-rich Messy Mini classes offer a creative outlet for children while parents relax and connect with other parents. Cost: $3 per child (proceeds donated to Glebe Youth Services). Book ahead.
📍 Broadway Shopping Centre, Glebe / Saturday 7 June 2025 | 10am, 10:30am, 11am & 11:30am

📚 Reading Rocks: Kids Book Club (K-6) 
Discover and discuss new books, build literacy confidence and have fun reading in this fortnightly book club hosted by Santa Sabina College.
📍Burwood Library / Wednesday 11 June 2025 / 3:45pm – 4:45pm

All Weekend

🌟 Vivid Sydney 
Vivid continues with spectacular light installations, free live music and immersive experiences across multiple precincts from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour. Families can enjoy dedicated kids' activities every Saturday at Tumbalong Park at 5pm, along with the expansive Light Walk featuring child-friendly displays and interactive installations.

• Experience Tumbalong Nights - free live music, family fun, and DJ sets at Tumbalong Park—Vivid Sydney’s vibrant hub— from 7:30pm. Plus, special kids' performances on Saturdays from 5pm – 6pm.

• Neon Dreams by Trolley'd, a retro-futuristic roller disco diner, is coming to the Pier St Underpass on Tumbalong Blvd. Running from 6pm – 11pm each night, book your tickets in advance.

Friday

🏓 Pickleball @ Alexandria
Indoor pickleball sessions with all equipment provided and friendly hosts to guide players of all skill levels.
📍Perry Park Recreation Centre, Alexandria / Friday 6 June 2025 / 6pm – 8pm

🧶 Social Knitting @ Balmain Library 
Join a friendly group of social knitters. Everyone is welcome. First and third Friday of the month. Runs during school term. No bookings are required.
📍 Balmain Town Hall / Friday 6 June 2025 / 10am – 12pm

Saturday & Sunday

🚌 Deckers in the Night 
Experience vintage double decker buses and the historic Leichhardt Tram Shed at night, with special routes to view VIVID Festival sights.
📍Leichhardt Tram Shed / Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 June 2025 / Sundown – 10pm

Saturday

🎵 Burwood Art Prize Music: Music as Artmaking 
Experience how technology, art and music work together in this talk and performance by interdisciplinary artist AnSo exploring identity through experimental electronic sound. Free, bookings essential.
📍Burwood Library / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 1pm – 2pm

🧘‍♀️ Simply Meditate Marrickville 
Immerse yourself in guided meditations to reduce stress, enhance mental clarity, and strengthen relationships. Practical tips help you develop focus and deepen your meditation practice.
📍 Marrickville Library & Pavilion / Saturday 7 June 2025 / 9am – 9:30am

Sunday

🎪 Community Fun Day @ Drummoyne
Food trucks, petting zoo, pony rides, amusement rides, live entertainment, community stalls and fireworks display at 5:50pm. No booking required. Hosted by Communities for communities.
📍Drummoyne Oval / Sunday 8 June 2025 / 1pm – 6pm

🇵🇭 Pinay Power - Celebrating Filipina Entrepreneurs
Mini market pop-up featuring cooking demonstrations, storytelling, crochet workshops, traditional Filipino healing, and showcasing Filipina Australian creativity and culture.
📍Harold Park Community Hall Forest Lodge / Sunday 8 June 2025 / 9am – 4pm

🐕 Temptation Alley with Dog Royalty @ South Eveleigh 
Every Sunday in June, join Dog Royalty for an interactive challenge to help pups of all ages build better recall and impulse control. Interactive puppy training with helpful tips and distraction courses.
📍South Eveleigh / Every Sunday in June / 10am – 2pm

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

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

Restaurants & Cafes to Try

🍷 La Botte D’oro Leichhardt | Bottomless Lunch - $79 per person, 3-course meal, 2 hours of flowing Prosecco, Beer or Wine - see venue for terms.

🍝 Bar Freda’s Chippendale | Wednesdays | $30 pasta & wine special - see venue for terms.

🍽️ The Fenwick Balmain East | 50% off Winter Set Menu. Enjoy 3 course menu, plus sides for $59pp | Available dinner Sunday to Friday, & lunch Monday to Friday | See venue for terms and bookings.

Bar Freda’s Chippendale | Daily | 5pm – 7pm | $12 Slushies, $15 Tommys, $7 Select Schooners, 10% off bottled win - see venue for terms.

The Barrel Room by Akasha Leichhardt | Everyday | 4 PM to 6 PM | Schooners for Middy Prices, $12 Barrel-Aged Beers, $10 Wines, $15 Cocktails, $25 Charcuterie Boards, $6 Warm Olives or Mixed Nuts - See venue for details.

Friend in Hand Glebe:

• Monday to Friday | Until 3pm | $6.90 Schooeys - see venue for terms

• Saturday | Available all day | $12 Cocktails - see venue for terms

• Consuelo Cavaniglia: Seeing Through You | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

• Gilli Gurung | Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative Leichhardt

• Instrumental: Collections from Science | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

• John R Walker: Tree Song | Utopia Art Sydney Waterloo

• Kerameikos the Potters' Quarter | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

• Matt Spierings – First Light, Last Light | Tiliqua Tiliqua Enmore

• Magda Myszkowski | Polish Club Ashfield

• Mark Maurangi Carrol – Islands not to scale (ueata) Act I | Nasha Gallery Haymarket

• Micro:Macro – models of insight and inspiration | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

• Mungari: Fishing, Resistance, Return | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

• Student Life: Max Dupain at the University of Sydney | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

• Tell Me a Story | Chrissie Cotter Gallery Camperdown

• The Trace is Not a Presence ... | Chau Chak Wing Museum, Camperdown

• Union Made: Art from the University of Sydney Union | Chau Chak Wing Museum Camperdown

Friday

• Botany View Hotel Newtown | The Essentials | 8pm

• The Bridge Hotel Rozelle | Rose Tattoo | 7:30pm

• Butchers Brew Bar Dulwich Hill | Cuban Social Club | 8pm

• Carriageworks Eveleigh | Ngaiire | 6pm

• Crowbar Leichhardt | The Superjesus + Kathryn Hartnett | 8pm

• Enmore Theatre | Inhaler + Biig Time | 8pm

• Factory Theatre Marrickville | Ocean Sleeper + Point North, Zero 9:36, Heists | 7:30pm

• Golden Barley Hotel Enmore | Restless Leg + Mark Moldre | 8pm

• The Lansdowne Chippendale | Straight Arrows + Body Wire, Cumquartz | 7pm

• The Lansdowne Chippendale | Bronte Alva + Pretty Talks, Boyfriend Material, Busted Lip | 8pm

• Lazy Thinking Dulwich Hill | Good Ramen + L.A.R.M., Meow Meow and the Smackouts | 6pm

• LazyBones Marrickville | The Mitch Anderson Band | 7pm

• The Lord Gladstone Chippendale | Ratchasima + Blokbstr, Mima and the Band | 7pm

• Marrickville Bowling Club | The New Christs + The On-And-Ons | 7:30pm

• The Merton Hotel Rozelle | Guilty 3 | 8pm

• Miss Celie's Ashfield | Blueshound | 7pm

• MoshPit Bar Erskineville | Shark Arm + S.M.D., The Flaps | 7pm

• Petersham Bowlo | Dumbells + Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, Speeding Vehicle | 7pm

• Pyrmont Bridge Hotel | Scott Day (Solo) | 9pm

• Sneaky Possum Chippendale | Me & All My Friends + Jude Pascal, Safford, Memory Motel | 7pm

• Tumbalong Park | Stella Jang + Ivoris | 6:30pm

• UTS Underground Ultimo | Atheist + Vexation, Anoxia | 7pm

• The Vanguard Newtown | Almost Toast + Harry Klein, Godtet, Bindarray | 7pm

• Vic on the Park Marrickville | Letters To Lions + Civic Video | 9pm

• Yulli's Brews Alexandria | Arugula + Monstahouse, Forest Hall | 8pm

Saturday

• Addison Road Community Centre | Hearts For Gaza Fundraiser + Antonio Aguilar, Chloé Charody, Keyna Wilkins, Pavle Cajic, Maissa Alameddine, Chloe Chung, Maxeem Georges, Hala Samak | 3:30pm

• Bald Rock Hotel Rozelle | Dan Mullins | 7:30pm-10:30pm

• Balmain Bowling Club | Code Blue Trio | 5pm-8pm

• The Bridge Hotel Rozelle | Rose Tattoo | 7:30pm

• Butchers Brew Bar Dulwich Hill | Ezra Lee & Henri Herbert | 8pm

• Carriageworks Eveleigh | Skegss + The Buoys, Fool Nelson | 5pm

• Carriageworks Eveleigh | Pure Space + Butter Sessions | 6pm

• Crowbar Leichhardt | Private Function + Smallways, S. Miles, Gutterpig | 8pm

• The Duke of Enmore | Private Wives + Dedpan, C.O.B.B. | 8pm

• Gasoline Pony Marrickville | Hokey Carmichaels + Hawaiian Slant! | 3pm

• Golden Barley Hotel Enmore | Sxy Xms + The Replicants | 8pm

• The Lansdowne Chippendale | Cosmic Psychos + Fangz, The Bush Doofs | 7pm

• Lazy Thinking Dulwich Hill | Hence Confetti + Amammoth, Bad Absalom, Flaming Gypsies | 6pm

• The Merton Hotel Rozelle | Bluesonic | 8pm

• Miss Celie's Ashfield | Ben Daley Trio | 4pm

• Miss Celie's Ashfield | Ben Lerner Trio | 7pm

• MoshPit Bar Erskineville | Moderate Lovers + Grids & Dots, Pressure Point | 1:30pm

• MoshPit Bar Erskineville | Snitch Trial + Citizenfire, Whopping Big Naughty, So I Says To Mabel | 6pm

• Pyrmont Bridge Hotel | Big Mama & The Charm Offensive | 5pm

• Pyrmont Bridge Hotel | Messed Up Souls | 9pm

• Sneaky Possum Chippendale | A Royal Racket + Ego Trip, Ventura, Speed 125, Carmon | 4pm

• The Townie Newtown | Ek & the Ekstraordinaires | 8:30pm

• Trocadero Room Enmore | Ruffage + Sub Bass Snarl, Melt Unit, Jungist, Eli, Vaughan Healey, Victim | 8pm

• Union Hotel Newtown | Bennetts Grove | 8pm

• Vic on the Park Marrickville | Sophisticated Dingo + Pack A Punch | 9pm

• Warren View Hotel Enmore | Akasha | 9pm

Sunday

• Bald Rock Hotel Rozelle | Black Water Irish Band | 3pm-6pm

• Balmain Bowling Club | Shane Flew Trio | 3pm-6pm

• Butchers Brew Bar Dulwich Hill | Ezra Lee & Henri Herbert | 7pm

• Carriageworks Eveleigh | Kamasi Washington + Micah Heathwood | 6pm

• Church St Studios Camperdown | Duo Caivano Sawyer | 5pm

• Crowbar Leichhardt | Graves + Body Prison, Cultists, Iocaste | 7pm

• Enmore Hotel | Gutter Pig | 6pm

• Lazy Thinking Dulwich Hill | The Surf Eaters | 3pm

• Lazy Thinking Dulwich Hill | Czuchwicki + Corrupted Mutex, Cara, Maquina Anonima | 6pm

• The Merton Hotel Rozelle | Miss Julia & the Swinging Sidekicks | 6pm

• Miss Celie's Ashfield | Andrew Dickeson Trio | 4pm

• Miss Celie's Ashfield | Continental Robert's Juke Joint Four | 7pm

• MoshPit Bar Erskineville | CrimesOnArt + Future Flyers, Maxgamble | 4pm

• Palomino Lounge Enmore | Max Marvell | 7:30pm

• Petersham Bowlo | Ramstone + Frankie M Experience, Trainhead | 6pm

• Pyrmont Bridge Hotel | The Tremolomen | 3pm

• Pyrmont Bridge Hotel | Steph Marchant & Friends | 7pm

• Salisbury Hotel | The Plum Boots | 3pm

• The Shop Gallery | Glean: A Pocket Opera + Ellizabeth Jigalin, Toyah Webb, Joseph Lisk, Naomi Johnson, Peter Leung, Stephen Adams, Nikki Heywood, Mitch Riley | 2pm

• Vic on the Park Marrickville | Dz Deathrays + Toy Saints | 6pm

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