Audience: Outdoor

10 Amazeball Events And Makan Places To Jazz Up The First Half Of July [1-15 July]

Hello, July!

There’s no need to mope over the end of the June holidays. This month, there’s still a host of exciting activities and scrummy new eats to dive into!

This month’s line-up includes a trippy circus, an out-of-this-island trip to pulau ubin, interesting art exhibitions, and new food spots to tickle your tastebuds. Whether you’re an adventurer, an art lover, or a die-hard foodie, here are some ways to keep yourself busy for the first half of July!

Here’s a calendar of 10 electrifying events and eats to try out this month!

Play & Discover

1. Singapore International Festival Of Arts

Who says Singapore’s art scene is dead?

The Singapore International Festival of Arts is just one of the many arts events happening this month!

From street performances to public film screenings, to even talks over brunch, everyone’s invited to this celebration of the Arts!

Helming the event are the best of local and international artists.

Maybe you’ll recognize some of the more established names like Robert Wilson, Michael Nyman, London Sinfonietta, and the Berliner Ensemble in the line-up.

This year, there are even some of the newest productions from Korea and the US, such as the award-winning The Chorus, Oedipus, and Robert Move’s Martha.

They’ll be showcasing quality works in theatre, dance, and music you don’t want to miss!

Singapore International Festival Of Arts
Where: Various Locations
When: 28 Jun – 9 Sep
Website

2. Pink Dot

Let your pride shine at the brightest event of the year!

Pink Dot is set to bring together family, friends, and lovers of all kinds at its annual event.

3. Closing of Sungei Road Thieves Market

Sadly, another remnant of Singapore’s past will soon be no more. 

After eight decades of existence, Singapore’s oldest flea market in Sungei Road will be turning its last page.

The open-air market was already reduced by half once, to make way for Jalan Besar MRT station.

This time, all of it will be cleared for residential and commercial developments.

Known as the “Thieves Market”, stolen items were once notoriously sold here.

Popular with tourists, foreign workers, and locals, it offers all sorts of nibs and nubs ranging from household items to jewellery and electronic items!

Come down and have a glimpse of this lesser-known bit of history before it’s gone for good!

Sungei Road Thieves Market
Where: Sungei Road
Last day: 10 July

4. Cirque du Soleil – KOOZA

Get ready for some jaw-dropping action.

Cirque Du Soleil is back in Singapore with KOOZA, its most chilling and thrilling show yet!

KOOZA combines acrobatic performance with the art of clowning, while exploring the themes of fear, identity, and power.

Expect breathtaking acts like Hoops Manipulation, with up to 7 spinning hoops at once, as well as the Double Highwire, where the acts skitter and ride bicycles across wires criss-crossed diagonally at up to 25 feet above the stage.

There’s also the Skeleton Dance, a crazy trip to the dark side, and the Wheel of Death, an enormous spinning contraption that can’t be tamed.

Cirque du Soleil has brought so much wonder and delight to more than 300 cities, and it’s landed on our shores once again.

Don’t hold your breath, this is one circus show you’ll want to catch!

Cirque du Soleil – Kooza
Where: Under The Big Top Tent, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
When: 13 Jul – 20 Aug
Contact no.: 6348 5555
Website

5. Gallery Children’s Biennale

No more dragging your children around to boring art exhibitions.

The National Gallery’s newest and most colourful display will have them clamouring to go again and again.

Themed “Dreams & Stories”, the Children’s Biennale invites not just children, but your inner child, to embark on a creative journey.

Exhibitions are interactive, and truly let you delve right into and explore the world through the eyes of different artists.

The Obliteration Room, for example, lets you stick colourful stickers all over the furniture and walls of a completely white room. Watch as the space magically transforms as more and more colourful spots are added to it!

A series of public programmes, film screenings, special family tours, and artist-led workshops for children are also in the line-up.

Here, there’s something for everyone to discover, whether young or young at heart!  

Gallery Children’s Biennale
Where: National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957
When: 20 May – 8 Oct
Contact no.: 6271 7000
Website

6. Pesta Ubin

We’ve all heard of Pulau Ubin, our most happening offshore island.

This July, the yearly Pesta Ubin celebrates all there is to this little island!

Pesta Ubin is a kampung-style open house, during which people step up to share their special slice of Pulau Ubin with the public.

That means activities are heartfelt, organic, and passionately led by the community.

Expect kampung photo booths, map colouring booths for the kids, and even kayaking with the family.

The event is set to highlight all of Ubin’s unique charms, its culture, kampung life, nature, and wildlife, on both land and sea.

Leave the city attitude behind and get a taste of the kinder, gentler way of life here.

What’s more, most Pesta Ubin activities are free of charge and don’t require registration!

So, simply take a bumboat to Pulau Ubin and join in the fun!

Pesta Ubin
Where: Pulau Ubin
When: 10 May – 16 Jul
Website

7. Imaginarium: To The Ends Of The Earth

How much do you know about the planet we live in?

This nature-focused art exhibition brings you in for a closer look at the environments we reside in.

This is Singapore Art Museum’s seventh edition of the family-focused exhibition.

Young and old explorers alike are invited to see how people, flora, and fauna, adapt to their ever changing surroundings.

The lovely exhibits include a giant lizard’s tail, and a magical floating mountain.

There are even real life plants and mushrooms incorporated into the art pieces.

Walking amongst them will surely bring you closer to appreciating Earth’s many marvels.

With such inspiring and engaging artworks, be prepared to see the world that much differently by the end of it!

Imaginarium: To The Ends Of The Earth
Where: Singapore Art Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555
When: 6 May – 27 Aug
Contact no.: 65899 580
Website

Eat

8. Sama Curry & Café

The mention of curry most often brings to mind a spicy, thick gravy.

Well, Sama Curry & Café throws off all expectations as the first ever Japanese soup curry restaurant in Singapore.

Sama Curry & Café
Where: OUE Downtown 2 Gallery Level 2, 6a Shenton Way Singapore 068809
When: Mon – Sat: 11am – 9pm
Contact no.: 6224 0590
Facebook

9. Gain City Durian Feast

Love it or hate it, durian is here to stay.

Gain City is holding a Gain City Durian Feast for all those who can’t get enough of our national fruit!

Gain City Durian Feast
Where: Gain City Megastore @ Sungei Kadut, 71 Sungei Kadut Drive, Rooftop, Singapore 729577
When: 7 – 9 July
Contact no.: 6333 1212
Website

10. Singapore Food Festival

There’s no question that our Singaporean love for good food runs deep in our blood.

Well, there’s no better time to eat like a local than at the annual Singapore Food Festival!

[caption id="attachment_27799" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image Credit: Here, local culture, proud tradition, and contemporary dining are served up on a platter.

Singapore Food Festival
Address: Various Locations
When: 14 – 30 Jul
This ‘EZ-Link System’ For Beer Lets You Drink To Your Heart’s Content And Pay By The Millilitre

We Tried Glamping For The First Time And It Was As Awesome As It Looks

If you own a Tumblr or a Pinterest account, you’ll probably have seen picture of glamping – large, spacious tents furnished with stylish bedding, cushions, and accessories.

For those of you who are coming across the term ‘glamping’ for the first time, it’s a combination of two words that typically don’t go together: ‘glamourous’ and ‘camping’. Like the term suggests, glamping is camping with a chic twist.

Now, this Instagram-worthy trend is available on our very own Singaporean shores!

With Glamping Society, you won’t have to move a muscle – all the heavy lifting is done for you. Everything is set up nicely for you, so all you have to do is bring your own clothes, toiletries, and entertainment.

Here’s what went down during our 2 day 1 night glamping experience at East Coast Park.

Our 2D1N Experience At East Coast Park

Because a total of 20 of us were glamping, Glamping Society gladly accommodated our request to have 3 tents. While each of the bell tents can accommodate up to 6 people, we felt that the main tent (the most spacious tent) was big enough to fit 2 or 3 more people comfortably – you just need to bring your own extra sleeping bags.

When we saw the tents fully set up, we were impressed by how pretty it was.

The plush cushions, fairy lights, buntings, and overall bohemian look provided the perfect setting for hipster Instagram photos that’ll make your friends green with envy. There was even a big flamingo float in the main tent! While it was pretty random, we have to say it made for some pretty cool photos.

While the two smaller tents didn’t match up to the main tent in terms of decorations, it was still comfy and welcoming with amenities like airbeds, cushions, a fan, a mini bar, and a cute picnic basket.

We were pleasantly surprised by the snacks and chilled drinks provided. Unlike the mini bar of a hotel, you won’t have to pay extra for consuming the goodies they’ve provided. Another treat we didn’t expect was the working fan – a clever touch that ensures it doesn’t get stuffy in the tent!

Thankfully, it wasn’t as hot as we thought it would be. The only thing some of us were really bummed out about was that no towels were provided, so we couldn’t bathe. (Glamping Society has stopped providing towels due to the constant damage.)

In all, we had a lot of fun barbequing, playing card games, and lounging on the airbeds as we stayed up all night talking.

The location of our tents offered pretty views of the sea and this was the beautiful view we woke up to:

Verdict

Taking into consideration factors like comfort, aesthetics, space, amenities, and cleanliness, here’s what we loved, what we didn’t love as much, and a couple of tips for you to keep in mind for your own glamping adventure!

Things We Loved

What we loved most about our experience had to be the pretty decorations. They made for pretty photos and gave the tents a romantic, cosy atmosphere at night – great for heart to heart sessions with friends and even better for cuddling with your partner!

We also loved that the main tent was spacious enough to fit all 20 of us. A refreshing alternative to a hotel staycation, it was definitely a unique experience for all of us. We also liked that snacks were provided – these came in very handy when we were hungry in the middle of the night!

Things We Didn’t Love As Much

While our experience was great for the most part, we wish the two smaller tents were jazzed up a bit more. A flashlight would have been a handy addition to the amenities, especially since it was quite dark out at night. Another issue we had was that the air beds deflated with time, but at least they provided us with air pumps that made it easy to re-inflate them.

Tips To Make The Best Of Your Glamping Experience

1. Check out the map before deciding where to set up camp

We stayed at Area G, which is very far away from the main hub of East Coast Park.

While this might mean peace and quiet away from crowds, you won’t be able to find any food near you. If you pick this location, make sure you bring plenty of snacks and drinks to avoid going hungry or thirsty!

Also, consider where the public toilets are when picking your tent location. You don’t want to have to walk a distance when you need to take a leak in the middle of the night. So, make sure you check out the map before deciding on where to set up camp to ensure you get the most ideal glamping spot!

2. If you intend to have a BBQ, book pits in areas D and G

If you intend to have a BBQ party while glamping, you can request for your tent(s) to be pitched near certain BBQ pits. Just note that the official camping sites are areas D and G, so be sure to book the BBQ pits in those areas.

3. Zip up your tents before settling in for the night

If you’re not a fan of bugs, zip up your tents fully before settling in for the night. You don’t want to have to deal with a cockroach entering the tent at 3am in the morning like we did.

4. Bring your own entertainment

While Glamping Society provides plenty of luxurious amenities, you’re in charge of creating your own fun. Bring card games, portable speakers to blast your favourite songs (Glamping Society also no longer provides speakers due to constant damage), a guitar, and good company for a truly fun time!

In all, we had a blast glamping. The tents were pretty, clean, spacious and sleeping arrangements were comfortable – at least for most of us. A totally unique experience, this is definitely something you should try at least once in your life!

To book a tent for yourself, check out their website here.

Also read Welcome To The Dark Side – These 13 Black Foods Will Surely Soot Your Tastebuds