10 Fun Things to Do in Adelaide This Easter

Mad March is over and the city is taking a breather… But there’s still plenty going on over the April four-day weekend.

A night at the circus

On Thursday evening, Nitro Circus Live will showcase spectacular stunts and daredevil antics, performed by freestyle motocross, BMX and skate athletes at Adelaide Oval. Organisers call it “the biggest action and extreme-sports tour on the planet.” We call it a brilliant way to entertain the kids – even if you have to state the obvious: don’t try this at home.

Get taste testing

A long weekend is the perfect time to explore the city’s coolest new eateries. Try modern Mexican at KUA (27/29 Gilbert Place, Adelaide; 0420 305 679) and polished Spanish at Iberia (279 Rundle Street, Adelaide).

See live footy...

It might be early in the season but every game matters. Cheer on the Adelaide Crows as they tackle the Bombers on Saturday night in Round Four of the AFL at Adelaide Oval.

The Best Things to Do in Adelaide This Easter Long Weekend

…or catch a foreign flick

If footy isn’t your idea of fun, head to Palace Nova Eastend for the 2017 Alliance Française French Film Festival (March 30-April 23). Saturday night’s screenings include Planetarium, starring Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp, about two American sisters in 1930s Paris. There’s also Things to Come, featuring the inimitable Isabelle Huppert.

Unleash your inner architect

Budding builders and experienced Lego masters can lose themselves for hours at Adelaide’s annual Brick-a-laide expo on Friday and Saturday at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Create your own or marvel at more than 100 displays from local and interstate modellers. Each hourly entry slot has limited capacity so book in advance. Don’t fret though: once inside, you can stay as long as you like.

Chill out in the Vale

On Sunday, pull up a chair under the mulberry tree at McLaren Vale winery Shottesbrooke. Afternoon Delights is a mini-festival running from 11am to 5pm, with live music, kids activities, face painting, tasty treats from food trucks Feisty Filomena and Delectaballs and, of course, elegant Shottesbrooke wines.

Go for a grown-up chocolate fix

Hennessy, Mayfair Hotel’s chic rooftop bar, will be offering The Bunnytail – a decadent chocolate cocktail – for the Easter weekend only. Plus, it’s one of the few establishments open on Good Friday evening.

See the gee-gees

Head for the hills for Adelaide’s answer to the Melbourne Cup: the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival. The two-day event (Saturday and Monday) attracts thousands of punters, making it the largest picnic race meeting in the world.

Eyes on the skies

The Adelaide International Kite Festival is a delightful three-day event (Saturday-Monday, 11am-5pm) on the beach and foreshore at Semaphore. Perfect for the young and young at heart, it features kite demonstrations, flying competitions, a market, hourly lolly drops and even a parachuting teddy bear.

And one for the diary….

Okay so it’s not actually over the long weekend but we think the Barossa Vintage Festival (April 19-23), a celebration of food, wine and Barossan culture, makes a perfect post-Easter getaway.