The Ten Best Things to Do for the Ekka Holiday

For some, the Ekka public holiday means braving the crowds at the show. For highschoolers, if often means another tradition: their senior formal. For everyone who’s already been there and done that, the Brightside is putting their spin on the classic coming-of-age celebration by throwing their yearly prom.

Like the finer stuff when it comes to eating and drinking? Keen on multi-course meals with carefully matched food and beverage options? If you said yes to both and you love craft beer, then let Newstead Brewing Co. take you on a journey.

Think all the Ekka fun happens at the RNA Showgrounds? Think again. For one night only, three of Fortitude Valley’s top spots are turning their patch of the Brunswick Street mall into a sideshow of the partying kind.

The Triffid’s crate-digging party for Ekka holiday eve. At Dance to Guitars, you’ll do just that, with the sounds provided by three of Brisbane’s best indie rock DJs. Let Black Amex, El Norto and DJ Fluent JB share their record collections for your partying pleasure.

You have to hand it to the folks at the Elephant; they’re fond of a good block party, and they know how to throw them. And while they’ve only hosted two so far, their Ekka public holiday celebrations have already become highly anticipated thanks to their ample shindig-staging know-how. This year’s party is perfect for generating that ‘I don’t have to work tomorrow’ kind of happy.

Spent too much time watching that animated TV family that’s not The Simpsons? Know too many tidbits about Seth MacFarlane’s hit series? Do you recite Family Guy lines in your sleep? If so, Heya Bar has the moment that you’ve been waiting for — and the way to make your obsession a little more lucrative.

Because every big event needs an alternative, Riverlife has come up with the thing you’re to go to when you’re not going to the Ekka. Their Winterfest is a riverside chillout session at Kangaroo Point, where relaxing in the sun is the main affair.

Sometimes, a mid-week day off needs a little magic. As part of their Cult Japan program — and the Miyazaki retrospective nestled within it — the Gallery of Modern Art is serving up cinema at its most enchanting. Two of the beloved animator’s classics combine for an afternoon filled with witches, cats and a half-human half-fish princess.

When it comes to the Ekka public holiday, those who want their crowded outings with more horses and drinking head to the races. Now, those who want their drinking with less gambling and grass stains also have something to do, thanks to The Flying Cock and The Birdman Cage.

Brisbanites are set free from work to rush to the Royal Queensland Show, fill themselves up with fried and sugary goodness, then brave the rides and gaze at the fireworks. Where else are you going to see a giant pumpkin, pat a pig, eat a strawberry sundae, listen to live music, crash dodgems, throw a ball in a clown’s mouth for a prize and take home all the Bertie Beetles you can eat, after all?