This weekend, plan your next holiday with Phil Hoffmann Travel, have a day at the races at the SeaLink Kangaroo Island Racing Carnival, check out the Willunga Chilli Fest, or admire 18th century military quilts at the David Roche Foundation.

Words Charlie Gilchrist

The start of Fringe season

With Fringe starting this week, there will be plenty of options for things to do this weekend. The multiple award-winning circus show Oat Milk & Honey begins on Friday and will run until February 25 at Ukiyo and Gluttony. The circus highlights diverse voices through elite acrobatics and live music to generate community conversation about the raw human experience of anxiety. You can also check out Flamenco-Electro, a show by Sydney-based musician Mike Rizk and a host of local artists that will take place in the Bunker at Fool’s Paradise. However, the much-loved Fringe is not only limited to Adelaide…it runs a full program of events across regional and rural South Australia. From cabaret in Murray Bridge, to comedy in Sevenhill and an art exhibition in Gawler, there are many ways South Australians can participate in and enjoy the Fringe.

A day at the races

Fancy a day at the races? The SeaLink Kangaroo Island Racing Carnival returns for its 141st year after a sell-out event last year. The country-style, two-day horse racing event is held on the third weekend of February each year and is the biggest event to take place on Kangaroo Island, attracting more than 3000 racegoers each year from far and wide. The first race meet was held on Thursday, but there will be another on Saturday at the picturesque Cygnet River Racecourse, situated seven kilometres from the island’s main town Kingscote. Thursday is the more casual race day and a prelude to the main race on Saturday with the Dudley Wines Kangaroo Island Cup up for grabs.

Plan your next adventure

Join Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) and Crystal Cruises on Thursday, February 22 for an exclusive information evening at the Mayfair Hotel, where you can plan your next sea or land holiday. Whether you’re planning a relaxing trip to Bali or a food and culture journey in Italy and France, this evening organised by Phil Hoffmann Travel is guaranteed to give you some hot tips for creating a thrilling travel experience.

Red hot chilli peppers

The Chili Fest Willunga is a weekend celebration of all things chilli. The festival includes market stalls with chilli plants and products, chilli tastings and chilli-related demonstrations. Growers and producers, inspired by their love of chillies, will be selling everything from sauces to jams, pastes, pickles, condiments, oils and more. In the outdoor shaded garden area, enjoy local craft beer, wine sangria and chilli-inspired food, and listen to local live music. This event takes place on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18 at Willunga Recreation Park.

Military memorabilia

The David Roche Foundation’s newest exhibition Fabric of War: The Annette Gero Collection of Quilts from Military Fabrics opened this Thursday and will run until May 18. The exhibition brings the art form of “military intarsia” back to life with examples from the Napoleonic Wars through to the Crimean War and the British colonial wars in India and Southern Africa. Now largely forgotten, “military intarsia” quilting is a craft that was widely practised in British and European militaries of the 18th and 19th centuries, where soldiers repurposed scraps of discarded military and dress uniforms to construct spellbinding textile mosaics with beautiful intricate patterns.