Blindfolded oyster-eating, a free Regurgitator gig, a very sexy opera and Frodo the Hobbit – October in SA has all that, plus cheese, cinema, fashion and fast cars.
Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations
1-18 October
October in Coonawarra means three weekends of Cabernet and more than 40 free and ticketed events. Taste 30 Cabernets at Decade[nce], enjoy pizza and live music at Raidis Estate, or solve a Murder in the Vines over dinner. There are also vineyard tours, masterclasses and a family fun day if Cabernet with a side of crime isn’t your preferred pairing.
Semaphore Music Festival
2-5 October
Semaphore’s pubs, clubs and foreshore are handing the long weekend over to live music. Catch Gleny Rae Virus and her Country Ace Soul Band, Laura Hill Band, Sam Brittain & The Stowaways and Jen Lush & The Field, or join a songwriting masterclass with Charles Jenkins. There’s also the free High Tide emerging artists concert by the carousel, a Tom Waits tribute and Monday’s record fair.
The Skilly Valley Way
3 October
Welcome to a wine tour where nobody has to be the designated driver. A ride-all-day bus loops from Clare to seven Skilly Valley stops, including Kilikanoon, Skillogalee, Sawmill Gin and Jeanneret Wines. Hop off for tastings, food trucks and live music, then jump back on when you’re ready for the next cellar door.
Ceduna OysterFest
3-4 October
OysterFest takes its competitions seriously – even when they’re quirky as hell. Enter the Shuck’n’Eat with a mate and one of you will shuck 12 oysters while the other eats them blindfolded, hands behind their back. Prefer to keep your eyes open? There’s also tug-of-war, fish filleting, stein holding for adults and flavoured milk holding for kids, plus a regatta, live music, roaming magic and loads of incredibly fresh oysters.
ADL Fashion Week
7-11 October
ADL Fashion Week has it all this year: five headline runway shows, plus stylish ways to go clubbing, get crafty or catch a film. Fashion x Frequency brings fashion and music together at Jive, while the Creative Circular Fashion Workshop shows you how to turn discarded textiles into one-of-a-kind wearable pieces. There are free displays and styling sessions too, along with a walking tour of Adelaide’s most sustainable fashion destinations.
OzAsia Festival
9 October – 1 November
OzAsia is where a free Regurgitator gig, yōkai monsters and a glowing Rainbow Serpent share a program with the best Asian street food in town. The Lucky Dumpling Market is the place to meet, eat and mingle each night, while AnimeGO! brings cosplay, retro arcade games, karaoke and creatures from Japanese folklore to Adelaide for one unforgettable day. There’s also theatre, movie screenings, the In Other Words literary festival, ceramic-painting workshops and the famous Moon Lanterns along the riverbank.
Adelaide Film Festival
14-25 October
A Kapunda ghost, a shape-shifting fox voiced by Olivia Colman and a foul-mouthed magpie voiced by Sam Neill – SA filmmakers are bringing some wonderfully strange company to this year’s festival. Local world premieres include First Nations-led horror The Debt and supernatural chiller Ruby, Ruby, while Dario Russo’s dark fairytale The Fox joins a 30th-anniversary 4K restoration of Shine. Gemma Chan, Channing Tatum, Rami Malek and Tilda Swinton are also coming to a screen near you as part of the international AFF program.
Shannons Adelaide Rally
16-18 October
You don’t need a race suit – or even a ticket – to get close to the action at this revved-up race. The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest tarmac rally field tackles stages through the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu, with dedicated spectator zones every day. Watch from one of the official viewing spots, catch the cars at the Bridgewater or Strathalbyn lunch stops, enjoy the drinks and DJ at the Saturday night party on King William Road, then head to North Adelaide for the finale.
Carmen
17-24 October
Even if you’ve never been to the opera, you’ll recognise the music of Carmen. The ‘Habanera’ and ‘Toreador Song’ have turned up everywhere from Sesame Street to The Simpsons. Underneath those ultra-catchy tunes is a seriously sexy story of lust, jealousy and obsession, centred on a woman who refuses to be owned. State Opera’s bold new production at Her Majesty’s Theatre lets emerging director Laura Hansford loose on opera’s most famous smuggler, seductress and rule-breaker.
CheeseFest
17-18 October
Nearly 100 producers are taking over Kadlitpina/Rundle Park, with goat’s curd, washed rinds, vine-leaf-wrapped cheeses, burrata and buffalo mozzarella all vying for room on your plate. Meet the makers, taste Long Paddock’s Silver Wattle at different stages of ripening or catch Miguel Maestre on the cooking demo stage. There’s live music and wine too – and enough cheese stalls to keep going until somebody has to roll you home.
Wail at the Gaol
24 October
The old Adelaide Gaol is swapping hard time for fairy-tale time this Halloween. Kids can follow a trail that takes them through the worlds of Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Under the Sea to castles, dragons and the Yellow Brick Road. And yes, they will be collecting treats at every stop. Costumes are encouraged and photo opportunities are everywhere. It’s much more magical than scary – despite the suitably spooky address.
Supanova Comic Con & Gaming
30 October – 1 November
This year’s Supanova brings Frodo and Samwise to Adelaide: Elijah Wood and Sean Astin join fellow Middle-earth names Jed Brophy and Stephen Hunter at the Showground, alongside Highlander star Christopher Lambert, X-Men ’97 voice actor Lenore Zann and a packed weekend of cosplay, comics, gaming and panels. Start working on that costume now.
