With the sun high in the sky, February is the perfect month to head outside and make the most of this bloody brilliant city! It’s filled with some of the most iconic events on the Melbourne calendar like St Kilda Fest and White Night. Also this month we’ve got events for those who enjoy a little tipple and for those who are sticking to their ‘new year, new me’ plan.
Food & Drink
Riesling Riot
Sun Feb 4
Riesling Riot is the spectacular collaborative inception of organisers Frankland Estate, Jim Barry Wines and Pikes Wines: the notorious ‘Riesling Downunder’ team. A curation of unconstrained wine tasting, this festivity of wine, food and storytelling is hosted within the ever-striking Regent Theatre in the Melbourne CBD. Involving the coming together of 70 international Riesling producers, Riesling Riot is deemed the largest collection of Rieslings ever to occur in the entire Sothern Hemisphere. Yum count us in.
Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards 2018
Mon Feb 26
A night of permissive tomfoolery, Time Out’s Bar Awards are an assembly of Melbourne’s best party-makers, celebrating the annual success of their said parties, in the only way they know how: by throwing a party. This is a toast to the tastiest cocktails, whimsical wine selections, best brews and serendipitous spirits; hosted by comedian Matt Okine at The Woolshed on the Docklands Esplanade. Tickets always sell out so snap yours up now and hot tip, take the Tue off work!
Melbourne Laneway High Tea Spectacular
Sat and Sun every day in FEB
Ohh how fancy! This unique high tea experience is an edible manifestation reflective of the uncanny Melbourne CBD architecture, art and grit. An assortment of savoury and sweet, the menu includes treats like slow-cooked pork belly with candied macadamia nuts and red velvet macaroons all served with your choice of sparkling wine. Served in one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways, this is a restaurant experience with the type of twist we love in Melbourne events.
Ronnie Z and the Fabulous Juice
All Feb
We lurve food trucks of kind in Melbourne especially a picturesque 1960’s vintage caravan kitted out with lawn chairs and a picket fence. This carefully curated kitschy scene is the home to a travelling juice bar already proving rather popular with us Melburnians. It’s the perfect destination for any hot summer day and makes sure you keep the ‘new yearm new you’ in check. It’s currently parked on the corners of Elizabeth and Victoria streets in the city.
Festivals
St Kilda Festival
Sat Feb 10 and Sun Feb 11
St Kilda is known for its eccentricities: complex cultures, art, sticky food set beside the salt and sun.This year there are a huge 10 stages plus a multitude of food trucks, workshops, meet and greets, art performance, markets and more. It’s been going since 1980 so these guys know how to put on a brilliant summer event! Whether you’re looking for a day out in the sun dancing with your girlfriends, a chill at one of the local bars (Pontoon is our hot tip this year) or if you want to catch a cool musical act, St Kilda Fest is always a staple on the Melbourne calendar.
White Night
Sat Feb 17 and Sun Feb 18
Gear up for a full 12-hour smorgasbord of the city’s best performance, visual and interactive arts, workshops and comedy – all in the dark! If you haven’t been before, the entire city is transformed into some kind of fantastical playground with every nook and cranny being lit up with incredible lights, designs and projections. The walls of revered architectures are lit in technicolour while stadium sell-out musical acts can be found on train station steps. Prepare to be inspired and overloaded in the most exquisite manner possible in a Melbourne city reimagined.
China Town: Chinese New Year
Sun Feb 18
Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Melbourne’s very own China Town and feel transported to a world far from the Australian city streets you walked in on. With the Dragon’s Awakening Ceremony taking place from 10am – 10pm it promises 12hours of authentic Chinese foods, street performances and firecrackers. It’s the perfectly delicious way to toast to 2018’s Year of the (Earth) Dog.
On The Go
Mornington Peninsular Food and Wine Festival
Sat Feb 24
Set among the agricultural wonderland that is Portsea and overlooking the stunning Port Phillip Bay, this immersive food and wine extravaganza is worth heading On The Go to check out. Renowned chefs cook on-site delicacies from purely local produce, served alongside artisan wines, brews and spirits. Market stalls scatter the grounds, housing take-home samples and produce to purchase and recreate the same magic in your own kitchen. Musical acts entertain as your tastebuds dance in delight, besides the ocean shore.
