Can you believe March is just over a week away? Thankfully, there’s no time to worry about our lives passing us by because there’s just so much good stuff happening in Singapore next month: film festivals, Garden Beats and more festivals galore. Much of the major ones is centered around the Marina Bay hood, so whether you’re into shopping, wellness or chowing down, there are many reasons to head downtown.

Singapore’s hippest shopping fair is back

Running concurrently with Singapore Design Week, the always-anticipated Boutiques is back, with a big Spring/Summer throwdown. There will be over 150 labels, covering womenswear, menswear, homeware and furniture. And we are told that an impressive 80 percent of them have socially responsible production practices. In conjunction with Textile and Fashion Federation (TAFF), the third floor will be devoted to Singaporean and ASEAN-region brands. Highlights include the gorgeous prints and funky pants of Matter, the ethereally futuristic clutches of Bali’s MNO.logie and jewelry by the likes of Carrie K. and Liz B. Boutiques Spring 2017 is taking place at the F1 Pit Building again, on Mar 10 (9am-8pm) and Mar 11 (10am-8pm). More info here.

So is first big marathon of the year

Asia’s largest night run, the OSIM Sundown Marathon, is just over a month away, celebrating its 10th anniversary on Mar 25, with a route that begins at the F1 Pit Building. Don’t let the half and full marathons scare you off. Even if you haven’t been running regularly, you probably can still start training now and be ready for a decent 5K. If you’re already in shape, amp it up for the next four weeks and get ready for a 10K. There’s also a five-day, artsy night festival at the F1 Pit building leading up to the race, with lots of sports vendors, live music, exercise classes and more. Registration closes on Feb 28 and starts at $50 for the 5K fun run.

ArtScience’s VR exhibition is up and running

ArtScience Museum is on a roll, this time with a virtual exhibition, Into the Wild, in collaboration with a couple tech companies. The star of the show is the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, the first smartphone to have Google’s augmented reality platform Tango and whose 3D sensors track motion, sense depth and other good stuff that allow it to figure out where you are in the room, and superimpose directions. Well, in this case, forest environments and creatures into your screen. Here’s how it works: you register, get a smartphone and experience a day as a ranger in Rimbang Baling forest in Indonesia. There are animals to be sighted, trapped critters to be rescued, sapling samples to be collected and even trees to be planted. More info here.

i Light is back with tons of selfie ops and markets

One of our favorite events taking place in the Marina Bay precinct, sustainable light installation fest i Light Marina Bay is back again this March, lighting up the waterfront and our Instagram feeds for the fifth year in a row with massive, dazzling displays by design studios from around the region and the world. And that's not all, the festival is also known for its festival village, market, food options and other fun activities. There's a slight tweak to the program this year: there will be three themed festival hubs at different locations—The Promontory, The Float and the Bayfront event space. Located at The Promontory, The Fantastical World of eco.me organized by The Rice Company Ltd will have activities like a recycling and upcycling marketplace, an urban farming showcase, theater and live music performances and arts and crafts fair. Also, in the other hubs, you can expect to see large inflatable animal structures and find food vendors at Gastrobeats. More info on the festival, and the first-ever festival village here.

And finishing out the month is some jazz

The ever-popular Singapore International Jazz Festival is back for a fourth edition, running Mar 31-Apr 2 at the outdoor event space at Marina Bay Sands. You’ll probably be fighting for tickets to sets by the Grammy Award-winning Corinne Rae Bailey (Friday) and Esperanza Spalding (Saturday). We’ll be clearing our schedules for respected UK DJ and musical curator Gilles Peterson who will be sharing the stage with the Zara McFarlane Band (who did that amazing, jazz version of The Clash’s “Police and Thieves”) on Saturday. For something flamboyant and out-there, check out American electric bassist Nik West’s set (and style!) on Sunday. More info here.