Fireworks, ice skating and campfires: Sydney’s winter solstice 2021

Winter may be upon us, but there’s plenty going on in Sydney to fill a weekend and keep the kids entertained.

The winter solstice, which marks the day of the year with the least daylight hours, is being celebrated with a series of events throughout Sydney.

In the inner west, Pocket City Farms in Camperdown is holding Farmarama on Saturday June 19. The event will celebrate the solstice, as well as raise funds for the not-for-profit organisation. The urban farm was established on the greens of an old bowling club and is currently celebrating its fifth birthday. The event kicks off at 2pm with a welcome to country and smoking ceremony. There will be market stalls, lawn games like egg and spoon and sack races, and tours of the farm. Plus a sausage sizzle and gardening workshops. A highlight for the kids will be a lantern parade at 5pm and (hopefully) marshmallow toasting on a campfire.

Destination NSW is running the Sydney Solstice festival from June 8 to 20. Local inner west events include a country and western music festival in the Sydney Park amphitheatre on June 12 and 13, featuring the likes of Kasey Chambers and Tex Perkins. Family tickets are available.

But the big ticket items for families in the Sydney Solstice festival line-up are in the CBD – fireworks, light displays and ice skating.

You don’t need to wait for Vivid to see the sails of the Opera House lit up. At sunset during the festival, the sails of the Opera House will come to life with a projection of artworks from six female First Nations artists. Badu Gili: Wonder Women is a collaboration between the Opera House and the Art Gallery of NSW.

An ice skating rink will be set up in Cockle Bay as part of the Darling Harbour Winter Festival. Pop along to give it a go yourself (or the kids!), or watch a skating display. There will also be a 25m ice slide set up in the forecourt of the ICC. Plus live performances, a food market in Tumbalong Park and…fireworks!

The Darling Harbour fireworks haven’t popped or sizzled since the start of the Covid outbreak. They’re returning for the winter festival, with 7.30pm and 9pm displays scheduled for June 10-13 and June 17-19.

And the Australian National Maritime Museum will host Harbour Garden, an inflatable art installation/exhibition inspired by sea creatures.