Surf’s up at Noosa Festival of Surfing
The festival will offer the biggest and best free entertainment program in the 21-year history of the event, with nightly live music, movies, fashion parades, Zumba dancing, trivia giveaways, book launches, wine tastings and fun on the sand every day once the surfing is completed.
The PJ Burns Festival Village has been built along the beach adjacent to the Park Road carpark and right in front of the No.1 contest venue at First Point, and will be open from noon daily.
The adjacent all-weather stage and screen will provide live music from 5.30pm, along with Summer&Salt fashion parades, Zumba fitness parties, surf movies and the day’s highlights from the contest after dark. All entertainment is free and profits from drinks sold go to local charities.
A surf expo will also be part of the week. Surfing in the festival’s 20-plus pro and amateur divisions starts at 7am every day from Sunday, March 11, through to March 17.
Besides surfing, events include stand-up paddle races, dog surf spectacular, celebrity surfing, opening ceremony and paddle out and live music.
For the first time, the event will also feature a canine boardriding exhibition on Sunday, March 11 (See video above).
Info: noosafestivalofsurfing.com
Luck of the Irish
The Irish Festival takes place from March 9 to 17 with festivities ranging from the St Patrick’s Day Parade to a Gaelic sports competition.
The festival kicks off on March 9 with a ball at The Irish Club, on Elizabeth St, from 7pm.
But most of the fun is this weekend with the 23rd annual St Patrick’s Day Parade set to fill city streets from 10.30am Saturday, March 10.
The parade starts from the corner of George and Elizabeth streets and heads through the city. There will be an Irish Fair from 11am-2pm in King George Square with traditional Irish music, activities for children and more.
On Sunday, March 11, you can enjoy a family sports day that includes Gaelic football and hurling, along with Irish dancing and rides from 10.30am at the Queensland Gaelic Football Park, Bowhill Rd, Willawong.
Other events throughout the Irish Festival include:
Monday, March 12: Irish trivia night at various locations across the city.
Tuesday, March 13: Rose of Tralee Fashion Parade, The Irish Club, from 7pm.
Wednesday, March 14: Irish in Queensland: their cultural legacy. A talk about how the Irish have left their mark on Queensland, from 12.30pm at the State Library Queensland Auditorium, 29 Stanley St, South Brisbane.
Thursday, March 15: Brisbane traditional Irish Music concert at the Irish Club, 7.30pm.
Friday, March 16: The 114th Annual St Patrick’s Eve Dinner, The Irish Club.
For more information visit www.brisbaneirishfestival.com.