What’s On: Gin Festival, street art, market eats and Gunlom falls

We’ve officially reached the time in the Darwin annual calendar when I stop saying, ‘We have such a big weekend’ and just continue with business as usual until the end of the Dry, writes Kate Dinning.

Gunlom is a cascading waterfall located in the Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, Australia. Picture: Matt Cherubino

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND

Friends, I think we’ve officially reached the time in the Darwin annual calendar when I stop saying, ‘We have such a big weekend in store’ and just continue with business as usual until the end of the Dry.

It just makes me so excited every week to share all the sports, festivals, exhibitions, and music happening in and around our city!

And it’s about to get even more colourful, with the Darwin Street Art Festival unfolding across the city for the next three weeks.

Also today, the Top End Gin Festival takes over the Darwin Ski Club, offering an afternoon of tastings, live music and a chance to sample the best botanicals from local and national distilleries.

The Gin Festival will be held at the Ski Club on Saturday.

In the evening, party at the Darwin Railway Club with the return of the Peachy Queer Party from 7pm.

For family-friendly rural vibes, the Freds Pass Rural Show is on from 9am today, and it’s a classic Top End day out.

Then on Sunday, wind down from a big day of events with a visit to Botanicool in Stuart Park to browse racks of recycled fashion and pre-loved hidden gems – smoothie bowl in hand – from 8am.

Then venture just down the road to the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens for their open day, starting at 9am.

There will be talks, market stalls, plant sales and even a sausage sizzle.

SOMEWHERE YOU NEED TO EAT

It’s Saturday morning – have you done the check of the top drawer or the console of the car for market cash yet?

If you can only find a single note or a few coins, I’ve rounded up the most cost-of-living-friendly AND flavoursome eats to try at the Parap Markets.

If you’re looking for something sweet that makes you feel healthy, Blend Bowls does a small-sized smoothie bowl for only $12, or the ginger kick from a regular-sized Mango Delish smoothie from Nkd Fruits hits the spot for less than $10.

Parap Markets have a range of yummy foods to try - for a cheap price. Picture: Kate Dinning

If you’re looking for something savoury, of course you can get some popia – but I would also recommend trying a cup of Cambodian rice balls (definitely get the sauce), a cup of three dim-sim from the roti wrap stall, or satay skewers from Sari Rasa, all for less than $10.

LOCAL’S TIP

It feels like I’ve mentioned swimming and waterfalls enough to almost become the waterfall correspondent – and I am totally okay with it.

Can you believe a good portion of people who live in the Top End have probably never been to Gunlom Falls?

It’s been closed for almost six years, and just this week, we finally got a date for opening. Come next Saturday, May 31, Parks Australia have confirmed that visitors will be able to access the site and the campground from 8am. I’d suggest getting in early, or leaving it a couple of weeks – you don’t want to share that infinity pool with too many people.

It can’t just be me who gets to May and stops opening my weather app?

I often think we check the BOM enough through the Wet to last us a whole year, so as soon as we hit cooler mornings and smoky skies, we just … put it away.

But I’d suggest checking it next week, there’s actually a chance of a shower or two.