The Royal Adelaide Show returns to Adelaide this weekend with plenty of fun for the whole family, while opera, art and open gardens take over the regions.

Words Elisabeth Marie

It’s showtime

The Royal Adelaide Show returns to the Wayville Showground from September 2 to 10 with a jam-packed schedule for the whole family to enjoy. Peruse the market halls and get competitive with every kind of talent being judged – from cake making and wood chopping to handicrafts and horticulture. Animal lovers will have plenty to see as cats, dogs and rabbits compete in agility and adorableness while farm animals take over the barnyard. South Australian food, wine and produce will be available for sampling, with the iconic dagwood dogs and hot doughnuts for those who cannot resist. Indulge your inner thrill-seeker on the rides, or slow things down with a visit to the Show Museum and explore the lives of our early farmers, gardeners, cooks, creators, animal lovers and winemakers.

Stories of our youth

Naomi Hobson’s photographic series, Adolescent Wonderland, has been touring regional South Australia after its initial creation and showcasing for the Tarnanthi Open Hands exhibition. Naomi says photography needs to push boundaries and that she uses the medium to tell real stories of youth, country and community. “I want people to see who our youth really are: fun, playful, smart, savvy, proud, adventurous and witty,” Naomi says. “Young people are so advanced in using technology – getting crazy adventurous with all the apps and photo settings in their mobile phones – and they love getting their photos taken, but let them show you their story, their way; that’s what Adolescent Wonderland is all about.” Presented in partnership between the Art Gallery of South Australia and Country Arts SA, the final stop on the regional tour for Adolescent Wonderland is Hahndorf Academy, where it will be on display until October 8.

The art of opera

The Grand Ballroom of Chateau Tanunda in the Barossa Valley will play host to an evening of wine, opera and art on Saturday, September 2. Underground Opera Company will take the stage with a series of iconic opera hits while an exhibition with art from Gordon Hanley will be on display courtesy of Morpeth Gallery. Chateau Tanunda will offer the Old Vine Expressions range by the glass to complement a cheese platter to indulge in over the evening.

What a little moonlight can do

Starring Australian actor Zahra Newman (of The Book of Mormon, Wentworth), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill brings American jazz and swing singer Billie Holiday to life in an intimate, cabaret-style play featuring the iconic performer’s greatest hits. “The play is set in 1959 in a bar in Philadelphia and takes place over one night,” Zahra says. “The premise is that this is one of the last performances Billie Holiday gives before her death – it’s almost like a snapshot of her life and gives you some insight into who she was as a person.” State Theatre Company SA, Belvoir St Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company are presenting Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill at Adelaide Festival Centre’s Space Theatre until September 9.

Gorgeous gardens

After a brief winter hiatus, Open Gardens SA returns in September with a bumper calendar of beautiful private gardens open for the public to visit around the state. Stay in the city and see how backyards have transformed into nature oases, or head to the Eyre Peninsula for gardens in Whyalla, Iron Knob and Port Pirie. Spend your spring weekends appreciating the great diversity in South Australia’s most-loved private gardens and maybe pick up a tip or two for your patch.

Power-hungry couple

Purchase your tickets now as the State Opera South Australia, in co-production with West Australian Opera, is presenting Giuseppe Verdi’s adaption of Shakespeare’s classic Macbeth at Her Majesty’s Theatre from September 7 to 16. Director Stuart Maunder says the dark and twisted tale of Macbeth translates spectacularly to the opera stage. “No other composer can match the power, terror and emotional pull of Verdi,” he says. “The vocal power and scale of this epic chorus results in unforgettable, spine-tingling moments. Verdi’s operatic interpretation of the story we all know through this score, is transcendent.” Adelaide-born soprano Kate Ladner will take the stage as the bloodthirsty Lady Macbeth alongside baritone and experienced Verdi performer José Carbó as Macbeth. A State Opera Chorus of 40 will accompany the duo as malevolent witches, displaced refugees and powerful armies to bring the iconic story to life.

Better get active

Sign up for The Better Challenge and run, walk or roll 90 kilometres to help raise funds for The Kids’ Cancer Project to support research into better treatments, care and outcomes for Australian children diagnosed with cancer. About 90 Australian children are diagnosed with cancer each month, so get active solo or in a team and ask family, friends and co-workers to sponsor you to give these children the best chance of recovery.

Books for a cause

Spend the weekend clearing space on your bookshelf to prepare for the Great Book Swap at the State Library of South Australia on Wednesday, September 6. From 10am to 4pm, visitors are invited to browse the library’s book stand and take a book in exchange for a note or gold coin. Funds raised will go towards the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to provide new, culturally relevant books to remote Indigenous communities. Access to books in remote communities is challenging, as there are often no libraries or bookstores. People who can’t attend the event on the day can still participate by donating to the State Library of South Australia’s Great Book Swap webpage.

For more of what’s on around South Australia this month, pick up the September issue of SALIFE, which is on sale Thursday, September 7.