Things To Do In October
And just like Nico Rosberg in the latest Formula 1 Grand Prix, we’ve raced through one heck of a September. We’ve raved away at Ultra Music Festival, stuffed our faces with Raya goodies, and even gotten a little teary-eyed at the awe-inspiring strength of our paralympians – month after month there’s just so much to do and so little time.
We still want all the action, just alternated with a little respite and thankfully, October has got just that. From throwing back icy pints of beer to getting your scream on at the latest edition of Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights, there’ll be just the right amount of fun to keep you pumped but well-rested this month.
No need to fret over how to spice up your life in October – we got you covered!
EVENTS
1. USS Halloween Horror Nights
It’s hard not to be reminded of the impending arrival of the second scariest month of the year thanks to USS’ Halloween Horror Nights and their creepy AF effigies terrorising our bus stops as of last month. The blood moon might have passed, but Lady Death is upon us!
Back for the 6th time with 6 new haunted houses, tons of new scare zones and roaming ghouls – you can expect the best – or worst – of local and western horrors to thoroughly spook the hell out of you. We even put team TSL to the test – find out about how they survived the horrors of the Hawker Centre Massacre amongst other blood-splattered haunted houses here!
When: 31 September to 31 October 2016
Where: USS, Resorts World Sentosa
Admission: From $65
Website
2. Join TSL on our InstaWalk @ Lim Chu Kang
We’ve come a long way since our first Instawalk expedition at Pulau Ubin. If you’ve missed our latest Little India InstaWalk, we want you to join us for our upcoming one where we take on the vast expanse that is Lim Chu Kang. On top of uncovering architectural and natural gems, we’re diving a little deeper to bring you a little surprise.
Check out our latest snaps at the hashtag #tslwalks, and follow @thesmartlocalsg on Instagram. If you’re convinced, sign up for our October #instawalk here!
3. Oktoberfest Asia 2016
Drive out all the Halloween terrors in you with 3 full days of unlimited beer, delicious german morsels, and tons of cheer! This year, Oktoberfest is transforming Tan Quee Lan Street into something a little more Munich with their legit beer tent – just the way it’s celebrated in Germany.
Don’t worry about sweating buckets in this humid weather – the tent is air-conditioned. And most importantly, beer if free-flow from 6:00pm – 12:30am, so get ready to party all night long!
When: 13 to 15 October 2016
Where: Tan Quee Lan Street (opposite Bugis Junction)
Admission: From $70
Website
4. Da:ns Festival 2016
2015’s Sixteen Dance Challenge Source
Calling all dance enthusiasts – if you think you’ve got the chops to be a K-pop dancer, try your luck and audition for the Sixteen Dance Challenge Programme, one of the highlights of Da:ns Festival 2016. Learn from the best – Jay Park’s choreographer is one of them – and watch your dancing prowess take flight.
Even if you’ve got two left feet, you can still jive along to the beat as Singapore’s young, talented street dancers burn up the stage on 15th October.
When: 13 to 23 October 2016
Where: Esplanade
Admission: Free (for some programmes)
Website
5. MAAD Pyjamas // MAAD Sounds! with Andy Yang
The Market of Artists And Designers (MAAD) folks are back again – this time with another massive market of all things quirky. Get your artsy friends together, cause this is one market you don’t want to miss. From pins and posters to cold-pressed lightbulb juices, if you’re looking for locally-made artisanal goods – this is it.
And we’re not forgetting the specially curated line-up put together by Andy Yang, so you can expect to get up close and personal with your favourite local artists as well. What a deal.
When: 14 October 2016, 5pm to 12am
Where: Red Dot Design Museum, 28 Maxwell Road Singapore 069120
Admission: Free
Website
6. Films @ The Void Deck
We’ve heard of outdoor movie screenings at Marina Bay, but none that’s outside a wet market. Reminiscent of the tales of our parents’ and how they used to crowd around their neighbours’ TV in true kampong spirit, Red Dot Cinema has curated a series of short films for an outdoor screening – and all you gotta to do is to bring along your mat and your parents!
There’s only 100 tickets available, so register now to avoid disappointment. All registered participants are entitled to free popcorn – that’s all the motivation you’ll need to sign up.
When: 2 October 2016, 7pm to 9am
Where: Telok Blangah Mall
Admission: Free
Website
7. Got To Move 2016
If all the dance videos and tutorials on Instagram have you itching to get your groove on, then let October be the month you finally sign yourself up for a class – what’s more a free Introductory Dance Class by Danz People.
Brought to you by the people over at National Arts Council, Got To Move is an initiative that celebrates our local dance scene with the aims to get everyone moving. With that, they’re bringing you over 200 FREE dance programmes from Hip-Hop to Contemporary.
So no harm jio-ing your friends to dance classes, or dropping by Got To Move’s dance carnival on 24th of October.
When: 7 to 23 October 2016
Where: Various locations islandwide
Admission: Free
Website
8. Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N
Listen up Marvel fans, with a little imagination, you too can be an Agent of the S.H.I.E.L.D. We have word that Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and Thor aren’t all fiction – there’s a science behind it!
Uncover the origins of our favourite superheroes through the intelligence files, classified studies, and experiments in this exhibition. What a great way to fulfil our childhood ambition of being a secret agent – even for a day.
When: 29 to 5 October 2017, 10am to 6pm
Where: Science Centre Singapore
Admission: $25 (Singaporean & PR Adult)
Website
9. Food Japan 2016
We’re all lovers of sushi, sashimi, and ramen – so a three-day Japanese food fest sounds like heaven to us. Food Japan 2016 is back again send your tastebuds into disarray with its copious amounts of imported treats.
As ASEAN’s largest exhibition dedicated to showcasing all the tantalising goodies the land of the rising sun has to offer, get your wallets and stomachs ready, because this is one Japanese feast you can’t miss out on!
When: 29 October 2016, 11am to 4:30pm
Where: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Halls 401 – 402, 1 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039593
Admission: $4
Website
10. How to take kicka** Architectural Photos on IG (Archifest 2016)
To up your Instagram game, you gotta learn from the experts. If the name Yafiq Yusman (@_yafiqyusman_) rings a bell, it’s probably because you’ve seen him popping up on your Instagram explore page. If you haven’t already set your eyes on his architectural greatness, you should. Because you’ll be rushing to sign yourself up for his Insta-photography crash course ASAP.
True to his title as the creator and king of #thatmirrorshotagain, you won’t catch Yafiq anywhere without his trusty mirror. How else do you think he creates all those inception-esque shots! And did we mention he does it with just an iPhone? Scroll through his feed and be mesmerised by photos taken from unthinkable angles – feels like what Singapore could be in 2050.
Sure, you won’t become an Instagram sensation overnight, but attending this workshop could be the start of something new for you!
When: 2 October 2016, 4:30pm to 5pm
Where: Archifest Pavilion @ Raffles Place Park
Admission: Free
Website
THINGS TO DO
1. Dine at old school restaurants that your grandparents used to paktor at
A young man took his girlfriend to a roadside stall for dinner. The meal consisted of two fragrant bowls of rice, and a plate of chicken with cucumber slices. They had a nice little conversation, uninterrupted by the buzzing of phones with WhatsApp notifications on their homescreens.
Our grandparents’ first date was probably similar – simple but sweet – and without the interference of technology. Though we can’t go back in time, we can still dine at an old school chicken rice shop that’s existed for 76 years – Yet Con Restaurant. They’re one of the few places that’ve managed to maintain the traditional flavour of Hainanese Chicken Rice to this day.
And if chicken rice is not your thing, we’ve done the homework for you and compiled a list of other golden oldies that you have to visit. Check out our list of old school restaurants here.
2. Soak in the Deepavali spirit by exploring Little India
The TSL crew and our friends went on our Little India #InstaWalk recently, and we sure gained more than just Insta-worthy photos. Take inspiration from us, and go on an excursion to this heritage-rich town with your buddies. Since Deepavali is round the corner, it’s time to soak in the festive spirit.
Head into Little India Arcade to get a fancy henna tattoo for as low as $5, or practise your bargaining skills while snagging knick-knacks and handicrafts.
For your cultural fix, pop by Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, and take time to appreciate the distinct architecture of the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. If you’re brave enough, talk to one of the devotees to find out more about their culture. Or include a Hindu friend in your excursion – he or she will be of huge help!
Leave no stone unturned as you navigate the nooks and crannies of Little India. Here are more places that you should add to your itinerary.
3. Pick up a new skill at a cafe
Some cafes are so aesthetic that they look like pages out of a Kinfolk magazine. It’s so therapeutic to while the whole afternoon away after lunch, and at these cafes, now you finally have a valid reason to!
Learn how to handcraft a concrete collage at DW Workshop, or take up coffee-brewing classes at Chye Seng Huat Hardware. Workshops are switched up once every few months, so check their websites before heading down.
Meanwhile, we’ve curated a list of boutique cafes where you can dine and pick up a skill – no more boring weekends!
4. Pay-as-you-wish for a meal or an activity
How unbelievable that there are businesses in Singapore that allow us to pay as we wish. After all, our little red dot is the world’s most expensive city to live in – so it’s only natural we assume most businesses are profit-driven.
Indian restaurant Annalakshmi Janatha lets you eat as much as your tummy permits for their lunch buffet, and the fees of yoga classes at Anahata Yoga Studio is determined by you, and even better – the money goes to charity. Imagine that – being given the full authority to pay as you wish for a meal or activity.
It’s nice to know that there are kind souls out there, who give consumers like us the freedom to decide, so let’s pay them a reasonable amount to keep their businesses running. Here’s our full list of pay-as-you-wish places.
5. Go on a food trail off the beaten path with these incognito restaurants
After a bad breakup, you’re ready to move on. You’re going on a date with someone new, but you don’t wanna run the risk of bumping into your ex in Orchard. Damn awkward. The solution – have your date at an under-the-radar restaurant that your ex – and half of Singapore – don’t know about.
Alleyway entrances, bypassing the security of speakeasy bars, or hitting up the roof of a dodgy mall – why settle for a normal date, when you can be all hush hush about it.
Get the lowdown on all the restaurants and bars perfect for your secret rendezvous.
6. Visit Open Farm Community Social Market
You don’t have to cab or drive all the way to the ulu parts of Singapore to get a taste of local farm produce. Open Farm Community Social Market will gladly bring them to you, so head down with your friends if you’ve missed out on their previous flea in June. Expect to find fresh organic vegetables, live oysters and unprocessed honey – things that you can’t get at the supermarkets. You can even sign up for a workshop that teaches you to grow your own crops at home!
There are locally produced snacks, such as the eggless and sugar-free cookies, or home-baked granola oats, should you get hungry halfway through. Be sure to also grab a sparkly brew of Unicorn Tears to add to your list of pretty eats.
When: 1 to 2 October 2016, 11am to 6pm
Where: Open Farm Community, 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819
Admission: Free
7. Jio your buddies for a quirky buffet feast
It’s payday and you’re ready to splurge on a buffet date with your buddies. But no one said that buffets have to be expensive. Teochew porridge buffet to keep you warm on rainy days, an endless supply of steak for meat lovers, and lok lok buffet that’s perfect for communal dining – there’s one for every occasion.
Check out our full list of super value-for-money buffets that will surely satisfy your cravings.
8. Join the queue for Uncle Chicken Rice
If you’ve spent your last few weekends queuing for Smith Street Food Centre’s Michelin-starred soya sauce chicken, here’s one more chicken rice queue you’ll want to join. It might be stowed away on the second floor of The Bedok Marketplace, but Uncle Chicken Rice sure has no shortage of customers.
For the uninitiated, their recipe is actually that of the ever-famous Sin Kee Chicken Rice at Holland Drive. Yes, the recipe lives on. Good things don’t come easy, and with queuing as our national hobby, waiting 30 minutes for this highly-rated chicken rice stall is nothing to us.
9. Have a heartland staycay to remember
The next time your friends suggest booking a staycay in town area, shock them by suggesting Ramada Singapore At Zhongshan Park in Balestier instead. Rosy pink bandung fondue fountains, an all-you-can-eat five flavour seafood buffet, and a heritage tour to see Singapore’s past – bet you never had a staycation like that before.
Find out more about our Balestier staycay experience here!
10. Plan your next long weekend getaway to BKK
Thank your lucky stars, because October has gifted us with one more glorious long weekend! And no place does weekend trips better than the land of smiles. Break out of your usual Bangkok shell and opt for a stay in a refurbished shipping container, or splurge on luxurious dining experience at a Rome-themed restaurant.
Been there, would do it again – check out our full review of The Rome!
Mark your calendars this October
With such a thrilling line-up and a long weekend to look forward to, there won’t be a dull day even if you opt for a lull day.
The month of October is perfect for bargain hunters looking to enjoy a little savings on the side. From discounted staycay packages and flights, to great deals and rebates on your monthly shopping spree – head over to the DBS Lifestyle page to get dibs on all their ongoing promotions!
This post is brought to you by DBS Cards.