Get out and about this weekend with the Beaumont House open garden, Barossa Arts Festival, dance, a plant sale, charity fundraisers and more.

Words Elisabeth Marie

Botanic bliss in Beaumont

Beaumont House will be opening its garden’s gates to the public on Sunday, April 10 for a glimpse into South Australia’s history. Bask in the heritage-listed Mediterranean garden overflowing with late-summer blooms of white and blue plumbago, purple solanum and pink and white hibiscus as well as salvias, sedums, pelargoniums and roses. The Zonta Club of Adelaide will be offering morning and afternoon teas for guests of the garden, and money raised from the open garden will be donated to the National Trust of SA Garden Restoration Fund.

Make a splash

Dive into the Unley Swimming Centre on April 9 and 10 to raise funds for the MS Mighty Swim. Join a team and compete to swim the most laps within 24 hours to support people living with multiple sclerosis in South Australia and Northern Territory. Food trucks will be on-site with discounts for MS Mighty Swim participants, and Crust Pizza Unley will be donating a variety of pizzas for overnight swimmers. Get your swimmers on and dive into a good cause this April.

Bits and masterpieces

The Barossa Arts Festival will take over the Barossa Valley for the entirety of April with workshops, exhibitions and events. The Makers Market will be showcasing a selection of regional artisan products, while the Battle of the Bands opens the stage to the Barossa’s best up-and-coming musicians. Admire the work of local artists with over 40 exhibitions on show throughout the month, or hone your artistic talent with one of the many workshops teaching everything from watercolours to blacksmithing.

Spot on

Japanese artist, Yayoi Kurasama’s 2017 exhibition, The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens will be shown at the Art Gallery of South Australia from Friday, April 1. Kurasama’s art uses the motifs of dots, eyes, nets and pumpkins to investigate repetition and to create sensory experiences that hint at the infinite. The installation compromises a vibrant, yellow room overrun with black polka dots of various sizes. A dazzling combination of dots, mirrors and pumpkins create an optical illusion of infinite space and colour. The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens is open for viewing from 10am to 5pm daily.

Finding enlightenment

For the first time in three years, Tibetan Lama, His Eminence Dzogchen Rinpoche will be giving a public talk on Saturday, April 9 at the Clear Mind Dzogchen Centre Adelaide. The talk will draw on ancient Dzogchen teachings and provide wisdom to clear uncertainty and tools to manage life’s complexities. Dzogchen Rinpoche will also host the three-day seminar and meditation, Integration: connecting spiritual practice with modern life from April 20 to April 22, in which he will demonstrate the path of integration between worldly and spiritual lives.

Purchase a plant

On Saturday, April 9 head to the Jubilee Pavillion at the Adelaide Showgrounds for the Australian Plants Society’s Autumn Plant Sale. Buy direct from the growers in a market-style set-up and receive general advice, free soil pH testing and plant recommendations at the information desk. The majority of plants on sale are perfectly suited for South Australian conditions, in addition to some rare and unusual plants for enthusiasts.

Get moving

Put your running shoes on and participate in Relay for Life on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 at the SA Athletics Stadium in Mile End. Relay For Life is a fun and moving overnight experience that raises funds for the Cancer Council’s research, prevention, information and support services. The event is a chance to recognise and celebrate local cancer survivors, patients and their carers; to honour and remember loved ones lost to cancer and to raise money to help save more lives.

Deep breaths

Presented by Restless Dance Theatre and directed by Michelle Ryan, Exposed is a new work exploring vulnerability, uncertainty and risk. The performance will take audiences on a journey where the breath is a metaphor for feeling threatened or safe, agitated or calm, and the sonic possibilities of breath are entwined into the mesmerising score. Exposed will show six times from Wednesday, April 6 to Saturday, April 9 at the Space Theatre in the Adelaide Festival Centre.

Listen and learn

The Living Landscapes Writers’ Festival is taking place at the Hart’s Mill Precinct on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 with writers’ talks, live performances and family activities. There will be free talks from acclaimed writers and thinkers such as Baileys Women’s Prize Winner, Hannah Kent and 2020 Dorothy Hewitt Award Winner, Karen Wyld. After the talks, soak up the festival vibes alongside the Port River with refreshments at the Pirate Life Bar before taking on a workshop or masterclass to hone your craft.

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