Melbourne International Arts Festival
Melbourne
9 Oct - 25 Oct, 2008

This internationally acclaimed event provides visitors with a plethora of art and cultural events to choose from. Here you will find many events ranging in cost with some that are free to attend. Enjoy theatre, art, and musical shows from performers from Australia, Europe, and the North America.

Australian Small Winemakers Show
Stanthorpe
18 Oct - 25 Oct, 2008

Small wineries get the opportunity to enter their finest wines at a variety of wine tasting competitions. Many different wines are represented during the event including Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz. Over 500 wines are on display from area wineries who attend this event to further their wine making skills and to promote their product.

Remembrance Day
Canberra
11 Nov 2008

Australia's fallen heroes are remembered on this day for their brave efforts during both World Wars. The Australian War Memorial in Canberra is the site of the main commemorative ceremony although the day is recognized through out Australia.

Jenolan Caves Christmas Festival
Jenolan Caves
Dec 2008

Located close to Sydney, the Jenolan Caves make a great venue for this event. Get into the Christmas spirit with holiday shopping and Christmas tree decorating. Enjoy a dazzling music recital from performers singing your favorite Christmas carols.

Homebake
Sydney
6 Dec 2008

Homebake is headed into its 14th year and is building off of resounding success from past shows. The event started off as a small production now features four stages with over 50 bands. Australian rock band performances are the main event, but here you will also find cinema as well as sporting events.

New Year's Eve Fireworks
Sydney
31 Dec 2008

Sydney puts on a world famous fireworks display annually to ring in the New Year. The pyrotechnics display shoots over Darling Harbour as 1.2 million people watch live and another 600 million viewers watch from their television sets from around the world.

2009 Australian Open
Melbourne
19 Jan - 1 Feb, 2009

Melbourne will again this year play host to the first Grand Slam event on the tennis calendar. The world’s top ranked tennis players will be gathered here to find out who has what it takes to obtain the first step in the ultimate goal, a Grand Slam victory. Australia is known for incredibly hot temperatures, so the organizers have instated an extreme heat policy to protect players from getting heatstroke or worse. Basically, bring your sunscreen, lost of water, and visor for this tournament.

Australia Day
Everywhere, Australia
26 Jan

Australia day is a day of celebration in the country and is observed every year as a public holiday in all states and territories. Similar to the 4th of July in America, Australia Day celebrates the freedoms, diversity, culture and people that make Australia unique. Australia’s larger and capitol cities will be hosting larger celebrations, which include concert performances, fireworks, dances, and much more! January is summer time in Australia, so leave your sweaters at home!

Adelaide Fringe Festival
Adelaide
27 Feb - 22 Mar, 2009

The Adelaide Fringe Festival is an annual arts festival, which takes place for three weeks all over the Australian city of Adelaide. A wide array of events takes place during these three weeks. This festival showcases local artists from Adelaide who use to opportunity to pull out all the stops. As well as performances, galleries and building décor, there are events put on by the festival organizers such as the Opening Night Party and Fringe Family Weekend, which gives the city a carnival atmosphere during the Fringe. Many of these events are free and open to the public, so all the starving artists themselves can attend!

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Melbourne
7 Mar - 23 Mar, 2009

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is held annually, and showcases a large variety of local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes throughout the culinary advanced city. Australia’s best chefs come to Melbourne with intentions of competition and to make sure you don’t leave with an empty stomach. There are over 140 separate events over the ten days, which include time tested crowd favorites such as the wine seminars, cooking instructions, barbecue competitions, and a giant table set up along the Yarra River for the “Worlds Longest Lunch!” No matter what your pallet craves, this festival is sure to please.