What to do this Easter long weekend
Looking for a place to soak up the sun with family or enable the obligatory chocolate-binge this long weekend? We've got all the details, so you can hop to it!
Easter festivities are taking over Adelaide this weekend with everything from Easter egg hunts to kite festivals happening around town. Whether you’re looking for a hot spot for Easter lunch, activities for the kids or just a place to kick back and enjoy a wine and a choccie treat, read on.
Adelaide International Kite FestivalHeld at Semaphore Beach, this spectacular event promises a sky full of colour and movement. A tradition since 1997, families gather to marvel at kites of all shapes and sizes in a kaleidoscope in the sky. The Adelaide Kite Flyers Association runs the festival in conjunction with K Marie Events. They’ll also have a marketplace full of stallholders and food trucks with plenty of goods to browse and bites from Gang Gang, Staazi & Co. and more. The kites soaring through the sky aren’t the only ones to see either, with maxi-inflatable kites weighing as much as 10kg, standing metres tall and floating around the Semaphore foreshore. Bring your kite and watch it fly!
Where: Semaphore Beach Foreshore, Semaphore, SA 5019 When: Saturday, March 30 – Monday, April, 1 at 10:00 am ’til 5:00 pm Cost: Free entry
Connect with the festival on Facebook.
Mr V Music is one of CityMag‘s favourite places to buy records, and the Easter long weekend means the annual record fair is on. Grab your tote bags and make a mental list of vinyls to search for. For those of you who are record-playerless, there are also CDs, DVDs, books and more up for grabs. This is a great opportunity to grow your collection and familiarise yourself with wares from a long-running staple of Adelaide’s music scene.
Where: St. Bede’s Hall 200 Military Road Semaphore, SA 5019 When: Monday, April 1, 9am ’til 4pm Cost: Free entry
Farmer’s Market Easter FunThe Adelaide Showground Farmer’s Market will be open Easter Sunday, with their annual Easter Egg Hunt from 8:30 am to 11:30 am but be quick – the eggs won’t last long! While the kids are getting competitive over choccies, get your shopping done for a holiday-worthy Sunday meal. They’ll also have face painting and even a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny mid-morning – we heard the bunny just can’t stay away from the farm-fresh carrots.
Where: Adelaide Farmer’s Market Showground When: Sunday, March 31, 8:30 am ’til 12:30 pm Cost: Free entry
Connect with the Farmer’s Market on their website and Facebook.
Easter Sunday @ Whistler WinesWho said only kids can be spoilt on Easter Sunday? Certainly not Whistler Wines. Make a day of it and visit this Barossa spot for their annual event with their local wines and craft beers. This year, be well-fed by Cheesey Street, The Bearded Cook, and a sausage sizzle fundraiser by the Nuri Netball Club. Soak up the atmosphere with live music from Adelaide’s Brad Lee. And yes, there’ll be an Easter egg hunt and plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained.
No need to book. Bring your festive spirit, but no BYO alcohol, food or pets are permitted.
Where: Whistler Wines When: Sunday March 31, 10:30 am ’til 5:00 pm
Hahndorf will play host to Gathered’s Easter-themed design market this long weekend. From Saturday to Monday, celebrate with over 60 local vendors setting up shop. Explore beautiful craftsmanship, creative designs, and dedicated artisans. Whether it’s intricate jewellery or mouthwatering food, there’ll be something for everyone.
When: Saturday, March 30 & Sunday, March 31, 12pm ’til 6pm & Monday, April 1, 10am ’til 4pm Where: 102 Mt Barker Road (Main Street), Hahndorf Cost: $3 entry with part proceeds donated to Love Out Loud.
Connect with the Gathered design market on their website and Instagram.
If your idea of a good time is sweating it out with a view for a good cause, then lace up your sneakers and hop to it. Coastal fun runs are holding a two-day Bunny Run across Easter Sunday and Monday. The event includes options to run 5km, 10km, 15km, 21.1km, and a special 42.2km marathon on Sunday.
Part of the proceeds will be donated to Australian Cancer Research Foundation & Bravehearts. Bookings are essential, with discounts available if you run both days. There will be finisher medals for all participating bunnies that hop across the finish line and coffees poured by Colorado Coffee for a pre and post-run pick-me-up. Register by March 28 to secure your spot.
When: 31 March & 1 April, 7am to 11am Where: Semaphore South, 55 Esplanade, Semaphore SA 5019, Australia, Adelaide, South Australia Cost: $25 –$75
Register for the Easter Coastal Bunny Run and connect with them on Facebook.
Easter Time at Melba’s WoodsideMelba’s Chocolates are big Easter fans, with an itinerary of eggcellent activities to entertain the kids across their Woodside factory and Barossa Valley locations this weekend.
At their Woodside factory, there’s chocolate sculpting on Friday, face painting and balloon twisters all weekend plus food by Maxine’s Baked Potatoes.
At their new Angaston location in the Barrosa, you’ll find face painting, garden games and food by Nugg Lyf.
When: March 29 –April 1, 9am ’til 4:30pm Where: Melba’s Chocolates Adelaide Hills, 22 Henry Street, Woodside, SA 5244 & Melba’s Chocolates Barossa Valley, 29 Valley Road, Angaston, SA 5353 Cost: Free entry
Find out more on their website or connect with them on Facebook.
Adelaide ArcadeNeed a last-minute Easter pressie that’s sure to please? Haigh’s Chocolates and Koko Black have got you. The Arcade is open all weekend for a shopping spree. They’ve also got a Haigh’s Chocolates Easter display in the centre of the arcade, near Gay’s Arcade where you can guess how many eggs are in there to win them all. The closest guess (without going over the number of eggs) will win, with winners contacted via email on Tuesday, 2 April 2024, and an announcement will be made on Adelaide Arcade’s Facebook and Instagram.
When: Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 March 9am ’til 8pm. Friday, March 29 10am ’til 5pm. Saturday March 30, 9am ’til 5pm, Sunday March 31 and Monday April 1, 10am ’til 5pm. Where: Adelaide Arcade, 112/118 Grenfell Street between Grenfell Street &, Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA 5000 Cost: Free entry
Swing by the Colonist on Thursday to kick off your long weekend with live music from local artists from 4pm. Their drink specials include $12 eggspresso martinis and shots out of Easter eggs all weekend. Bookings preferred.
Where: Colonist, 44 The Parade, Norwood, SA, 5067 When: March 26 – April 1, 11:30 am ’til 8:30pm
Book a table through their website or connect with them on Facebook.
Mother VineMother Vine – who CityMag knows best for their negroni we dubbed ‘the clean girl’ – is open to help you start your long weekend. Their summer menu is out now with shared plates and fresh ingredients. They also have a ‘Mother Know’s Best’ Feed Me for $75pp.
When: Thursday, March 28 4pm ’til 12am. Friday March 29 & Saturday March 30, 3pm ’til 12am. Closed Sunday & Monday. Where: 22/26 Vardon Ave, Adelaide SA 5000
Connect with Mother Vine on their website and Instagram.
Waterloo Station is open all weekend with all-day dining, karaoke and kids’ Easter activities on Sunday. For footy fans, they have a siren-to-siren drinks package available with bottomless house wine, selected tap beers and cider and softies for $50pp.
When: March 28 –April 1 Where: Waterloo Station, 138 Waterloo Corner Rd, Paralowie SA 5108
Bookings are required, book through their website or connect with them on Facebook.
East End Cellars CBD & NorwoodCityMag loves people-watching on Vardon Ave while sipping on a cocktail, and East End Cellars is enabling exactly that this weekend. Their executive Chef Josh Lansley is serving up a $75 Feed Me option featuring four courses of signature dishes. At their latest location, East End Cellars Norwood, you can enjoy a new a la carte lunch and dinner menu or a $79 Feed Me option.
When: Thursday, March 28 & Friday March 29, 9am ’til late. Saturday, March 30 – Monday, April 1, 12pm ’til 7pm. Where: East End Cellars, 25 Vardon Ave, Adelaide SA 5000
When: Thursday, March 28 & Sunday, March 31, 11am ’til 10pm. Friday, March 29 & Saturday, March 30 11am ’til 11pm. Closed Monday. Where: East End Cellars, 88 Magill Rd, Norwood SA 5067
Connect with East End Cellars on their website.
Kick off your Easter Sunday with a buffet breakfast overlooking Glenelg Beach. There’s sparkling on arrival for adults and an easter egg hunt for kids from 8:30am in Horizon’s Cocktail Lounge.
Bookings are required, book through their website.
When: March 31, booking times available from 7am ’til 9:30am Where: The Promenade Restaurant, Stamford Grand Adelaide, 2 Jetty Rd, Glenelg SA 5045 Cost: Adults from $49, kids from $9 – $29 based on age.
Plant 3 & 4 BowdenPlant 4 are rolling into the long weekend with live music from 6pm ’til 9pm on Friday night and free gin tastings from Route 9 Distillery. From Saturday to Monday, most eateries and retail stalls will be open with live music each day from 12pm ’til 3pm. Plant 3 will be open at night, with Bowden Brewing, Caro Club and more serving up dishes to keep punters well fed in the arvo.
When: Friday, March 29 8am ’til late. Saturday, March 30 – Monday, April 1, 8am ’til 3pm. Where: 5 Third St, Bowden SA 5008
Connect with Plant 3 and 4 on their website and Instagram.
