If you thought mid-October was getting slow; well, we did too. But the weekend always promises a ton of events, and this weekend you’ll be spoilt for choice—between early Halloween parties, ongoing film festivals, the last few Oktoberfests of the year, and cult faves like the Actually Affordable Art Market. Go nuts.
 

Friday, Oct 19

DRINK
Returning for its ninth edition, the annual Erdinger Oktoberfest will once again transform Clarke Quay into a little German town filled with a dazzling array of activities. Good food and Bavarian-brewed beer, check. Live traditional and contemporary German music, check. Carnival games followed by boisterous dancing on the tables and in line, double check. Oct 19-20

PARTY
Straight Outta Golden Mile takes over The Projector for a hip hop funk soul boogie afrobeat and drum n' bass night, with MC SWTLKR and the Golden Mile all-stars Ramesh, Ashidiq and Shellsuit on the decks. Oct 19

COMEDY
The Merry Lion’s side-splitting F**k Tinder is back, and we hear they’re short on singles (shocking, TBH). Come by for a cross between speed dating and great live comedy, plus drinks. Oct 19

FOOD/FESTIVAL
Embrace your inner rice queen at Donburi Revolution, Singapore’s inaugural DIY Donburi event. Once you’ve got your obligatory bowl of rice at the door, personalize your dream donburi with toppings from six toppings booths manned by the likes of the Teppei Group and Keisuke. Oct 19-21

FILM/FESTIVAL
Get your fill of thrills, zombies, cannibals and serial killers at Singapore’s first horror film festival, Scream Asia Film Festival, curated by Eric Khoo and featuring 12 top horror flicks from around the globe. Oct 19-28

Make a date with all the film festivals happening till the end of 2018 here.

EXHIBITION
After conservation comes an interrogation of the heritage icons we hold close to our heart. The Substation's next installment in their programme is an interactive, adventure course-type show inspired by the notorious interview process all Singapore Girl wannabes have to go through—where you too can reach for the overhead cabin stars and become a national icon. Through Nov 4

EXHIBITION
New York pop artist The Sucklord rose to fame for his cheeky bootleg toys—unlicensed action figures and toys made subversive and spanning themes of politics, porn and memes. For the first time, he’s holding a solo show in Singapore at Kult Gallery (the genius himself will be present on opening night), so stop by for a hit of sleazy, hilarious art. Through Nov 10

Saturday, Oct 20

Photo credit: Pangdemonium Facebook

THEATER
The tale of Peter Pan gets an 1880s Singapore remix, in Pangdemonium’s adaptation of Peter and the Starcatcher. Come watch the all-star cast bring to life the prequel in song and dance, and decide for yourself if Southeast Asia makes a worthy Neverland. Through Oct 20

FILM
The Singapore Film Society celebrates its 10th anniversary with a premiere screening of local filmmaker Sandi Tan’s award-winning Shirkers, on the rediscovery of her lost feature film, 20 years after her film teacher disappeared with the footage. Read our review here. Oct 20

CONCERT
The age of boy bands may be over, but it won’t stop the legendary ones from the ‘90s to the early noughties from coming back. Next up is British-Norwegian pop group A1, who are reuniting for their 20th anniversary with the full original lineup, including Paul Marazzi who left in 2002. Oct 20

PARTY
Before monsoon season hits, head to rooftop bar 21Moonstone for one last daytime R&B party, featuring DJs RAH and DREM of the Matteblacc collective. The theme is ‘90s dress-up; Halloween costumes as your favorite ‘90s artist encouraged. Oct 20

PARTY
Halloween’s come early at Hopheads. Come in your best Halloween gear for this special Trick or Treat edition, and rock out to head-bangers from the best old-school bands of the 2000s. And contrary to popular belief, Emo is not a costume. Oct 20

HEALTH
After traveling to four different countries in Asia, the ASICS Relay is finally in Singapore for its final stop. To participate, sign up in groups of four for either the 42km or 21km categories in male, female or mixed teams. The relay will take place at Sentosa’s Palawan Green, and the prize is free flights to the 2019 race held overseas; so all the more reason to train up. Oct 20

FILM
The Finnish Film Festival returns to The Projector for a second stellar edition, with a special tribute to Finnish film director Aki Kaurismaki—catch his well-loved absurdist comedy Calamari Union; The Match Factory Girl, a 1990 tale of sweet revenge; or quirky minimalistic comedy Lights in the Dusk. Kaurismaki aside, there’s even a full-length feature of one of the world’s most beloved children’s cartoons: Moomins and the Winter Wonderland. Through Oct 21

MARKET/FESTIVAL
Festival for Good is the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE)’s two-day pop-up market that lets you shop while contributing to a greater good. This market will see various products and services from social enterprises being featured, ranging from fashion to technology. As part of the socially conscious retail experience, have a chat with entrepreneurs to see how they’ve centered their businesses around being socially impactful. Oct 20-21

FESTIVAL
Honestbee has opened a groundbreaking new lifestyle space Habitat, and everyone’s invited to take a look around. At the Festival of Fresh, taste Japanese souffle pancakes, Mediterranean grain bowls and kombucha, or shop fresh seafood at promotion prices like $9.90 for a lobster. Local musicians Joie Tan and Aarika Lee will provide the entertainment. Oct 20-28

FESTIVAL
The Singapore River Festival returns to the quays with the largest outdoor bazaar in Singapore River across Clarke Quay, outdoor circus performances, movie screenings, gameshows, and lots of prime eats. Through Nov 11

EXHIBITION
Powerful ladies step up to the plate in Objectifs’ Women in Photography photo exhibition. This year, in line with prolific collective movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp, the exhibition will throw pertinent issues of politics, sexuality and cultural oppression into the spotlight via poignant visuals from international female photographers. Through Nov 18

Sunday, Oct 21

MARKET
Affordable art: an oxymoron or nah? The Actually Art Affordable Market returns for its second edition at Camp Kilo Charcoal Club. An alternative platform to give some well-deserved exposure to local and regional artists, the paintings and handmade crafts featured are guaranteed to be priced at $300 and below. So whether you’re a budding collector making your first purchase or a connoisseur who knows what he’s looking for, there’s something for everyone. Apart from the collectibles, there will also be hearty roasts and chill tunes to accompany your shopping experience. Oct 21

FOOD
Meat lovers, your time has come. The Carvery's notorious Great Meat Feast is back and it's positively drool-worthy. Unlike last year (where spread included other meats like pork), this year's feast will mainly feature premium beef. Through Oct 21

DRINK
The island’s biggest Oktoberfest event is back, at a fully air-conditioned marquee tent in the open field next to Tan Quee Lan Street. Come for the beer and German nosh, and stay for the raucous authentic Oktoberfest band from Munich.Through Oct 21

Check out all the other Oktoberfest parties and deals for beer and bratwurst here.

DRINK
For the benefit of all sweaty drinkers, Wine Fiesta will be held indoors for the first time ever, at Clifford Pier in Fullerton Bay Hotel. Sample over 250 types of wines from international top wineries; this year, they're arranged from light to medium to full-bodied wines for your easy perusal. Oct 21-22

EXHIBITION
The dreamy pastel-hued shots of our city come to life in an exclusive exhibition by Nguan of his latest photobook, Singapore (2017), as part of the annual Singapore International Photography Festival. Through Oct 28

TOUR
Dust off your scaredy-pants, because the eighth edition of Halloween Horror Nights is here and ready to terrify. Come face to face with Demogorgons, Pontianaks, and other chilling Asian ghosts, as Universal Studios Singapore is once again transformed into the creepiest place in the region. Through Oct 31

EXHIBITION
Peranakan Museum's latest exhibition, Amek Gambar: Peranakans and Photography, delves into the Southeast Asian history of photography through the pictured lives of the Peranakan community in the region. Through Feb 3, 2019

EXHIBITION
From Cold Storage to Tiger Balm, come chart the evolution of print advertising in Singapore from the 1830s to 1960s at Selling Dreams: Early Advertising in Singapore. Aside from just print advertisements, the exhibition at the National Library also includes interactive multimedia stations for you to experience life as a consumer in early Singapore. Through Feb 24, 2019

TOUR
The Singapore Zoo will be transformed into a lush and luminous universe to mark the attraction’s 45th anniversary this year. Experience Rainforest Lumina for yourself, where a whole stretch of tropical rainforest will be lit with multimedia visual effects come nighttime. You can even spend your night there by a campfire, if you so wish. Jul 1 onwards