The Best Long Weekend Family Activities
Long Weekend Family Activities your whole tribe will enjoy
With the long weekend just around the corner, we’ve pulled together a list of (mostly) free and family friendly activities and events for you and tribe to make the most your 3-day holiday. From an indigenous cultural walk and hot air balloons to a 10k wheelchair race and ferries on the harbour, we’ve got your long weekend plans covered.
🌟 Dawn Reflection, Sydney Opera House – Free
Start January 26 with the sun rising over Sydney Cove (or ‘Warrane’, the First Peoples’ name for Sydney Cove) on Gadigal land. Dawn Reflection will see the Sydney Opera House sails lit with an artwork that represents Aboriginal culture and people, coinciding with the raising of the Australian National Flag and the Australian Aboriginal Flag on the Harbour Bridge as a mark of recognition and unity.
This is followed by the WugulOra Morning Ceremony. WugulOra, meaning ‘one mob’, is a moving event at Barangaroo which has cleansed the way for new beginnings and celebrated the Gadigal people of the Eora nation through music, dance, language, storytelling and ceremony.
More info: https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/dawn-reflection
🌟 Yabun Festival, Victoria Park – Free, 10am – 6pm
Now in its 21st year, the Yabun Festival is Australia’s largest one-day celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This year’s theme, “Surviving, Guiding, Thriving,” celebrates the resilience and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
From 10am to 6pm you can expect live performances from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians including the incredible Emily Wurramara, Tasman Keith and Velvet Trip as well as traditional corroboree performances and dance groups such as Jannawi Dance Clan, Mui Mui Bumer Gedlam, Wagana and Brolga Dance Academy. There’ll also be a fun space for kids to learn, play, and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture along market stalls showcasing indigenous craftmanshipand creativity, from locally made clothing, artwork, crafts and food.
Best of all, The Yabun Festival will be offering free entry to all ages to the Victoria Park pool, where attendees can cool off and relax while enjoying the festival.
More info: https://yabun.org.au
🌟 Barangaroo Aboriginal Walking Tour – Ticketed event, 10.30am
Appreciate indigenous culture with a walking tour at one of Sydney’s major harbourside developments – Barangaroo. Barangaroo’s program of Aboriginal Cultural Tours, led by a team of Aboriginal educators, are designed to immerse you in the native history of Warrane (Sydney Harbour), the importance of the land to Australia’s Aboriginal heritage and its significance to the clans of the Eora Nation. And for green enthusiasts and nature lovers, these tours extend throughout the six-hectare headland of Barangaroo Reserve, taking in the 75,000 native Australian trees and shrubs that are a feature of the Reserve. As the only public space in Sydney to boast this quota of native flora, gardening and green enthusiasts – and kids who love getting out in nature – will utterly enjoy this outdoor tour.
More info: https://www.barangaroo.com/whats-on/events/aboriginal-cultural-tours
(Picture James Horan)
🌟 Hot Air Balloons at Parramatta Park – Free
For a family-friendly event slightly beyond the Inner West, head to Parramatta Park – from Thursday 25 January this urban green space will play host to a breathtaking hot air balloon evening spectacular: Balloon Glow. A combination of aerial lighting and hot air balloons will illuminate the night sky over the park at 9pm – all choreographed music. Down below you can keep the family entertained with free live music and roving entertainers – pack a picnic or enjoy the local food trucks and bar. From 6am – 11am on 26 January, the Balloons and Breakfast event will see more hot air balloons over Parramatta Park and skyline along with children’s entertainers, a yummy bbq, live music, face painters and more. You can also expect paid amusement rides, laser tag sessions and free family activities – not to mention 85 hectares of parkland including playgrounds, walking and cycling tracks, historic buildings and gardens.
More info: https://atparramatta.com/australia-day
🌟 Vintage Bus Ride, Sydney Bus Museum – Free Event (donation). From 10.30am
Hop on board a vintage double-decker bus as it takes a non-stop ride across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Starting from Macquarie Street (Circular Quay North) near the Opera House Roundabout, the bus will take a trip across the Harbour Bridge and back again. This unique event showcases beautifully restored buses from different eras, providing a fun experience for kids and kidults alike.
Won’t be able to make it on the double decker bus but keen to visit the museum? The Sydney Bus Museum is based in Leichhardt and open on the first and third Sunday of each month.
More info: https://www.sydneybusmuseum.com/australia-day-2022
🌟 Long Weekend at The Rocks – Free
Sydney’s historic precinct, The Rocks, will come to life over the long weekend with live music, a special Australian Edition themed Rocks Market and Oz Day 10k Wheelchair race kicking off at 9am. If that’s not enough, there are cobblestone streets to explore, quaint cafes, lolly shops, art galleries and more. For the best vantage points of the oz Day 10K Wheelchair race, head to George St and Hickson Road.
The annual GIO Oz Day 10k race at The Rocks is one of the greatest wheelchair road races in the world. See over 30 local and international athletes from Paralympians to juniors battling it out on a super tight and technical course that will push them to their limits! Cheer on the athletes in prime position along George St and Hickson Road.
More info: https://www.therocks.com/whats-on/campaigns/australia-day
🌟 Cool down at a fun swimming spot
Does anything say a long weekend more than a dip in one of our many unique watering holes? Whether it’s a swim at a harbour cove, a splash at an outdoor pool or a whole day spent lazing by a tranquil beach, here’s a list of five unique swimming spots and the best family-friendly beaches where you can enjoy the long weekend with your brood.
🌟 Air Force Roulettes flying display over Sydney Harbour – Free
After a decade long hiatus, the Roulettes – the Royal Australia Air Force’s (RAAF) elite acrobatic display team – are returning to Sydney Harbour for an exhilarating 13-minute aerial display. Expect to see some of the nation’s most skilled pilots showcase daredevil stunts as they push their aircraft to the limits performing loops, rolls and high-G turns – that’s a sharp turn in the air at speed for those not up to date with their aviation lingo!
Prime viewing locations to see the looping, whooping, barrel-rolling display of action from the RAAF’s top guns include Circular Quay, Hicksons Road Reserve, Overseas Passenger Terminal and the Sydney Opera House.
Part of Harbourfest, for more info on long weekend harbour activities click here
🌟 Ferrython Race at Circular Quay – Free
This annual event which has been entertaining crowds for 47 years will be getting a zjoosh up with with a new race route added. This year the ferries will complete two laps from Fort Denison to the finish line beside the Sydney Harbour allowing the iconic Emerald Class vessels to reach speeds unparalleled since the races began in 1977. Expect to see the May Gibbs, Catherine Hamlin, Bungaree and Fred Hollowswith each ferry brightly dressed in honour of their namesake.
To catch the action and support the ferries as they speed by, head to one of the many free vantage points. Best spots include Mary Booth Reserve, Circular Quay, Hickson Road Reserve, Campbells Cove, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney Opera House and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
Part of Harbourfest, for more info on long weekend harbour activities click here.
🌟Australia Day Live Concert at the Sydney Opera House – Free
Brilliant Aussie musicians playing at one of Sydney’s most iconic locations? For free? Count us in. Featuring live musical performance – expect Aussie acts including Casey Donavan, Dami Im and Kate Miller-Heidke – choreographed to a flotilla of yachts, projections on the Sydney Opera House sails, and stunning pyrotechnic displays over Sydney Harbour. The stars will be accompanied by the talented Muggera dancers and backed up by the Aussie Pops Orchestra.
Part of Harbourfest, for more long weekend harbour activities click here
++
How will you be enjoying the long weekend? Leave a comment below and share your fave ways to celebrate the long weekend with your tribe.
About Author
