What’s Hip this July

What to explore

WHY not go the whole hog and add the Farmgate To Festival Regional Tour to your 2025 Kingaroy BaconFest adventure.  BaconFest on August 15 and 16 this year is a ‘crackling’ great event on the foodie calendar, boasting various activities across two days, including the Big Bacon Breakfast. BaconFest chief baconeer Rob Fitz-Herbert says the new regional tour will provide visitors with a chance to step behind the farmgate and discover the people, passion, produce and land that make the South Burnett unique. The exclusive bus tour will showcase six local farmers on August 15 from 10am-4pm. Tickets to the Farmgate to Festival Regional Tour (limited seats) cost $75 plus booking fee. Entry to Kingaroy BaconFest starts from $10. Visit kingaroybaconfest.com.au

What to see

A ROAD trip to Canberra with the grandkids might be on the cards, after the National Museum announced Australian children’s TV favourite Mr Squiggle is starring in a major new exhibition. From July 4 to October 13, Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington will treat visitors to an encounter with beloved puppet Mr Squiggle, ‘the Man from the Moon’, who starred in the ABC-TV show bearing his name between 1959 and 1999. Considered TV royalty, Mr Squiggle beamed into our homes for 40 years, delighting and inspiring generations of children to draw, with his distinctive pencil for a nose, charming banter and ability to turn a simple squiggle (usually upside down to keep us guessing) into a masterpiece. The free exhibition, which will also include sidekicks Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail, will explore the history and magic of one of Australia’s most original and creative minds. Visit nma.gov.au

Reminisce about …

THEY are among the artists who provided the soundtrack to our lives: Crowded House, Angus & Julia Stone, The Church, Mark Seymour with Vika & Linda and The Waifs. And they will be coming together on the same stage for the latest incarnation of the Red Hot Summer Tour. There’s still plenty of opportunity to catch the full tour line-up, including: October 19 (second show added), Sandstone Point Hotel, Bribie Island; November 15, Queens Park, Toowoomba; and November 16, Broadwater Parklands, Southport. Visit redhotsummertour.com.au and ticketmaster.com.au/search?q=CROWDED+HOUSE for any remaining tickets.

Back in the day…

CAN you believe the Live Aid benefit concert, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, was 40 years ago? Held on July 13, 1985, the sensational global music event raised funds for relief of the 1983-85 Ethiopian famine. Live Aid was two mind-blowing events held simultaneously at London’s Wembley Stadium and John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, featuring the likes of Queen, Elton John, Madonna, Mick Jagger, The Beach Boys, U2, Dire Straits, Tom Petty … The world had never seen such an assembly of musical talent in the rock age, and probably never will again. It was one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts ever.

What to book

JULY on the Sunshine Coast will see two blockbuster festivals share the limelight. First up is the Queensland Garden Show (QGS) from July 11–13 at Nambour Showgrounds. Organisers of the state’s biggest annual gardening event have announced a powerhouse line-up of speakers. Making his debut is landscape designer Charlie Albone, from Better Homes & Gardens, alongside Costa Georgiadis (pictured), Sophie Thomson, Millie Ross, Jerry Coleby-Williams, Claire Bickle and Phil Dudman. This year, the Cook’s Garden Stage will benefit from The Curated Plate: the 10-day food and drink festival from July 25-August 3. Acclaimed chefs and passionate foodies on the QGS stage include Matt Golinski, Peter Kuruvita, Cameron Matthews, Tom Hitchcock and Sophie Phipps. Visit qldgardenshow.com.au and thecuratedplate.com.au