Ten Reasons to Leave the House this Weekend

Flour Market

Waking up to the smell of something delicious and fresh out of the oven is one of life's greatest little pleasures. Flour Market is the expert at giving Melbournians that fuzzy stomach feeling by curating selections of the finest bakers and pastry-makers for seasonal bake sales early on weekend mornings. Flour Market was born and raised in Melbourne, but now it's Sydney's chance to wake up to the wafts of all of the freshly baked goods lined up under the one convenient roof at Paramount House. Lines have been wrapped around street corners for previous Flour Markets, so if you want to stock up on some of Blackstar's watermelon and strawberry cake or Brewtown Newtown's delectable cronuts, or just have a nibble of Katherine Sabbath's mini cake donuts, you'll have to rise nice and early.

Saturday at Paramount House. More info here.

50/50 Festival

107 Projects is a proud supporter of arts and culture in Sydney, through their multidisciplinary arts space in the heart of Redfern. From July 31, the artist-run initiative will be presenting a fundraiser of the best kind: the 50/50 Festival, which is raising money for a new sound system for performers and the local community to enjoy. The 50/50 title implies just that — 50 percent of profits will go to participating artists, the other 50 percent will contribute to a new sound system. The lineup includes an eclectic mix of Sydney's music outfits, with music styles tending towards the experimental and electronic. Participating collectives include the NOW now, CDR, Tin Shed Spots and Pretty Gritty, who will each curate an evening of sounds.

Saturday and Sunday at 107 Projects, Redfern. More info here.

Mr Kolpert - pantsguys and ATYP Selects

Following their award-winning Punk Rock in 2012 and the sell-out On the Shore of the Wide World earlier this year, comes another pantsguys production that promises to deliver more of the exciting and challenging theatre we've come to expect from one of Sydney's most successful independent theatre companies. This month, they'll be staging the black comedy Mr Kolpert at the Australian Theatre for Young People. Written by German playwright David Gieselmann and directed by James Dalton, Mr Kolpert follows the radically dark turn a dinner party takes when hosts Ralf and Sarah tell their guests they've murdered a colleague, Mr Kolpert, just for kicks.

Saturday and Sunday (until August 16). More info here.

Bar Pho Pop-Up at The Foundry

Masters of Vietnamese cuisine and market regulars Bar Pho are extending the love (in the form of pho) to Surry Hills location The Foundry with a pop-up canteen.

The brainchild of Tina Do, Bar Pho emphasises authentic street-style Vietnamese food with an Australian twist. The canteen is offering authentic Vietnamese dishes, alongside locally crafted beer by the kegful, courtesy of Young Henry's. The menu is varied, including barbecue sesame pork skewers, lemongrass pork chops, Vietnamese omelettes and the dish that started it all — the humble pho. There's also a Vietnamese-inspired cocktail stall, courtesy of Trolley'd.

Saturday and Sunday (until August 29). More info here.

LOST in Space ft. Art vs. Science, Jensen Interceptor + Motorik

If you're a fan of beats in this drop-loving city, you'll probably be across the names Spice, Motorik and LOST. If you're new to the build-ups and breakdowns, these crews are your go-to partymakers, constantly churning out some of Sydney's biggest (and most wonderfully chaotic) shindigs around town — from the well-known Spice Cellar to mystery warehouse spots citywide. This weekend, the three are teaming up for a space odyssey of an interstellar get-together — headlining the event is ARIA award-winners Art vs. Science, with Sydney d-floor favourite Jensen Interceptor in tow. Motorik Vibe Council will front up their particular brand of beat slinging goodness, while Robbie Lowe, Cassette, Bondi House DJs, Wordlife, Sosueme DJs, Pink Lloyd, Sam Fransisco, Simo, Jericho and Obi-Wan-Keithnobi make up one hell of a pounding lineup.

Saturday at a mystery Sydney location. More info here.

The Morrison Oyster Festival 2014

As any Sydney seafood aficionado should know by now, The Morrison has a constant focus on the not-so-humble oyster. But in August, when the month-long Oyster Festival takes over, that focus turns into an overwhelming obsession. One of the major drawcards is 'Oyster Hour'. Between 6pm and 7pm every single day, you'll be able to eat as many oysters as you can handle at just $1 a pop. If you fancy something a little, well, fancier, you can opt for a 'Wine and Oyster Flight' (three wines and three matching oysters) or a 'Champagne + Oysters' indulgence. For those who'd like to sharpen up their shucking skills, there'll be an 'Oyster Masterclass'. Finally, if you reckon you might be Sydney's fastest oyster eater, you ought to book a spot in the 'Oyster Eating Competition'.

Saturday and Sunday (and August-long) at The Morrison, CBD. More info here.

These Final Hours

At last year's Melbourne International Film Festival, Perth-set apocalypse film These Final Hours beat out high-profile competition, including The Turning and Mystery Road, to snag The Age Critics Award for Best Australian Feature. Now, almost 12 months later, the film has finally arrived in theatres. Trust us when we tell you that this movie, blending heart-pounding thrills with character-driven drama, is well worth the wait. In his first feature outing, writer-director Zak Hilditch seems remarkably assured. His native Perth provides a unique and unsettling backdrop for the film, the haunting images of forsaken Australian suburbia striking eerily close to home. Visuals like that contribute to a suffocating sense of bleakness that hangs over the film like a scorching summer heat.

Saturday and Sunday (until August 20) at various cinemas in Sydney. More info and our review here.

John Stezaker: Collages

Forget what your eight-year-old self knows about collages and abandon your trusty Clag glue pot. The newest exhibition at the Anna Schwartz Gallery gives sleek insight into the art form using images from Hollywood's golden era. British artist John Stezaker has been making collages and photomontages for decades but has only very recently turned heads in the art sphere. In some collages, Stezaker creates interesting and often creepy contrasts by cutting and reassembling mid-20th century cinema memorabilia and agency head-shots of unknown actors. In others, the artist cleverly and purposefully places picturesque postcards over the expressions of failed movie stars, to unsettling effect.

Saturday (until September 6) at Anna Schwartz Gallery, Darlington. More info here.

Chippendale Markets

As if to herald Chippendale's resurgence as a gentrified neighbourhood, Kaleidoscope Gallery and Soma Studios have joined forces to create a local curated mini-market in Chippendale every Sunday. The keyword here being curated; you're inside the iconic red doors of the Kaleidoscope Gallery, but this time you can actually touch the displays (except for the food — that would be awkward). Stall offerings range from natural skincare to garden accessories, sustainable fashion, flowers and jewellery. Being in an art gallery and all, you can even pick up some locally created art and watch live music performances.

Sunday at Kaleidoscope Gallery, Chippendale. More info here.

Pizza. All of the Pizza.

Forget cheeseburger stuffed crusts and meal deals with 5 litres of Pepsi Max; visiting a soulless pizza chain in Sydney is a mortal sin. There are so many places that have mastered the art of the fine Italian dish, it's only a question of picking one. Here are our ten favourites that keep us coming back for stretchy Buffalo mozzarella, pillowy bases and perfect toppings.

Saturday and Sunday in our top ten best pizza spots. Check out the whole list and get crusty.