October is the month of all things spooky and ghostly – so you already know that Halloween Horror Nights has made its spot on this list. But apart from that long-anticipated scarefest, there’s lots to be enjoyed this month that doesn’t involve ghastly creatures. Well, other than a real-life zombie shooting battle.
But if you can’t stomach the sight of ghouls, occupy yourself with other wholesome activities and events like a Dessert Museum pop-up, Leica exhibition, and a trippy dining theatre.
We’re always on the lookout for new staycation spots for mini getaways, and Hotel Soloha is another one to add to the list. This boutique hotel in the middle of the CBD is housed in a couple of heritage shophouses, and offers unfussy, sleek rooms that are basically home decor dreams come true.
Image credit: Agoda
The standard rooms are compact and come with all the basics, but there are also lofts and a suite with an outdoor tub if you’re looking to splurge a little for a special occasion.
Image credit: Agoda
Address: 12 Teck Lim Road, Singapore 088387
Telephone: 6222 8881
Book your room here.
Website
Everyone has an inner child, and the sight of Lego bricks is sure to get yours excited – after all, most of us did grow up letting our imaginations run wild while building towering structures with those colourful plastic bricks. Now that we’re big boys and girls, Brick Bar is here to bring back those good old days, but with a grown up twist: In this pop-up, visitors will get to make brick masterpieces while sipping booze out of innocuous Lego-shaped tumblers.
All we know is that the event will be happening at a secret location on 19th October, and there’ll be ball pits, basketball hoops, a ping pong table made from Lego bricks where you can have a friendly tournament. You’ll also get to much on Lego-themed food like sliders. Sign up on their pre-release ticketing site here for first dibs.
Date: 19th October 2019
Online shopping has become the new norm, but when it comes to bigger purchases like furniture, many still prefer to check the items out in-store. Plus, a 10kg drawer set is probably going to come with hefty shipping fees as well. At the Taobao Store by Virmall, the best of Taobao’s home items have been brought down to a physical space, so you can have a feel of them before making a purchase.
No need to worry about whether the pieces will look good in your new BTO, because a nifty virtual reality booth allows you to visualise that in a digital mockup of your home.
Read our article on the Taobao Store by Virmall here.
We’ve got some pretty insane dining experiences to try in Singapore – like a moving bus restaurant and an airplane-themed sushi joint – but none come close to Le Petit Chef’s dining theatre experience.
Here in Singapore for a limited period of time till the end of the year, this pop-up at Grand Hyatt’s Mezza9 will have you immersed in a storyline that will take you across the world through high-tech 3D projections, music, and a fine 6-course meal that includes Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Indian cuisine.
Super realistic digital projections
Image credit: @foodtrendsg
Tickets are on the pricey side of course, but this once-in-a-lifetime affair is not something you’ll get to encounter at any regular fine-dining restaurant.
Sign up for a Club at the Hyatt membership here to enjoy 15% off.
Date: Until 30th December 2019
Time: 12.30PM, 6PM, 8.30PM (2h per session)
Venue: La Cave at Mezza9, Grand Hyatt Singapore
Price: From $188
Website
Birthday celebrations aren’t complete without cake and other sweet treats, which is why Plaza Singapura is celebrating their 45th one with a whimsical Dessert Museum pop-up full of photo spots for you to go ham at.
Image credit: The Dessert Museum
Getting lost in this pastel rainbow wonderland all decked out in giant candy sculptures is sure to bring out your inner child. Don’t be surprised to find yourself craving some donuts or ice cream halfway through. Of course, this whole setup was designed specifically for photo-taking, so don’t be shy! Go on and whip out your camera and strike a pose amidst the flurry of colours.
Entry to this pop-up is free so long as you spend $45 at Plaza Singapura in a single receipt. That’s not hard – just pair up with a pal, grab dinner together, and you’ll probably hit that amount.
P.S.: For something with a similar vibe, check out our articles on the Selfie Museum in KL here, and the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco here
Date: 4th – 27th October 2019
Time: Sun – Thu 10AM-10PM | Fri – Sat 10AM-2AM
Venue: Plaza Singapura
Price: Free entry for 2 with $45 spent at Plaza Singapura in a single receipt
Website
Image credit: @kult.gallery
There’s way more to anime than just Pokemon and Sailormoon, and Kult Gallery delves into the crazy world of Japanese animation with ANIME: The Ultimate Genre-Bender. The exhibition features a collection of artwork that includes graphic prints, figurines, and even wooden skateboards that have been given a quirky anime overhaul.
Pieces are up for purchase, ranging from $5-$2000, so if you like what you see, go on and grab an eclectic new decor piece for your den.
Date: Until 5th October 2019
Time: Mon – Fri 11AM-7PM | Sat 2PM-7PM
Venue: Kult Studio & Gallery
Price: FREE
Website
October is never complete without a good scare at the annual Halloween Horror Nights. This year’s edition of the spookfest is the biggest one yet, with not one but 5 haunted houses – including one styled by the people behind Thai horror movies Shutter and 4bia.
Image credit: @dejiki
Apart from Asian ghouls like the toyol and langsuir in a chalet-themed setting that will take you back to the ghost stories of your secondary school days, there will also be the appearance of clowns and dolls – so if Chucky gets your blood curdling, best be prepared to scream your lungs out.
End it off with a bang with a death metal concert-cum-procession with a series of gruesome floats and pyrotechnics.
Date: Until 31st October 2019
Venue: Universal Studios Singapore
Price: From $60.
Website
Paya Lebar was once thought of as a boring industrial area, but not anymore with its up-and-coming facilities. Adding on to its cool factor is the new Paya Lebar Quarter mall, with a bunch of new food and shopping options.
A handful of the F&B outlets there are exclusive to the mall – such as Mom’s Touch, a famous Korean burger and fried chicken joint, and Morphine Coffee, a roastery which specialises in cold brews from just $2.10.
Image credit: @yanfoodography
Get your groove on and take a trip back to the funky ‘80s with an 80s Disco Night party at Cherry Discotheque, with the retro club coming alive with beats from good ol’ tunes from bands like Bananarama, Beegees, Queen, and ABBA.
Image credit: @cherrydiscotheque
Come before midnight to enjoy perks like 1-for-1 house pours, and free entry for the first 100 ladies. But if you’re going club-hopping and can only turn up later, rejoice in $35 jugs for the whole night.
Date: 18th October 2019
Time: 10.30PM-3.30AM
Venue: Cherry Discotheque
Price: Early bird, $25 with free drink | Standard, $30 with free drink
Website
Rise and shine on an early Sunday morning and make your way to Yoga in the Gardens by Gardens by the Bay to get those muscles moving! This mass yoga session is completely free of charge, and anyone including beginners can join. You’ll just have to bring your own mat.
Make sure you stay till the end in order to collect your goodie bag! Sponsors include brands like Dove, Himalaya, Kellogg’s, and Quaker, so you can expect some skincare items and wholesome snacks.
Slots are open on a first-come-first served basis, so register for your spot here by 14th October to avoid missing out.
Date: 20th October 2019
Time: 8AM-9.30AM (Registration starts at 7.30AM)
Venue: Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay
Price: FREE
Website
Retro themed bars are all the rage these days, with places like Level Up and NINETEEN80 first paving the way for the craze. Just when we thought we’ve seen it all, Pinball Wizard has swooped in as Singapore’s first pinball bar, with a slew of machines with themes like Guardians of the Galaxy, Pirates of the Carribean, and Batman.
To add some hype to the night, guzzle on cocktails at $18 nett, or down some Glitter Shooters ($80 for 10 shots) in crazy flavours like Peanut Butter & Jelly. There are also their quirky Signature Shooters ($15 nett), with Free Willy
Image credit: @afuqsubhan
As expected, neon-lit photo spots are aplenty, to fit in with the whole old-school concept of the place.
Address: 1 Rochor Canal Road, #B1-29 Sim Lim Square, Singapore 188504
Opening hours: Tue – Wed 6PM-1AM | Thu – Fri 6PM-3AM | Sat: 6PM-4AM (Closed on Mondays and Sundays)
Telephone: 8189 1971
Website
There are plenty of fish in the sea, but you know what else there is? Trash.
The climate crisis is no joke, and with all the waste we’ve produced through discarded plastic packaging, the ocean and its marine life are in grave danger. If we don’t do something about it now, there’ll be more plastic than fish in the water and our ecosystem will go more out of whack than it already is.
A little goes a long way, and while trying to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle, you can also help clear up any existing trash on our beaches so that it won’t get ingested by poor sea creatures or suffocate them. There are many beach cleanup groups you can join in Singapore to help play your part, which you can find more about in our article here.
Dance meets acrobatics with BANDALOOP, a Californian dance troupe that specialises in vertical dance. They’ll be gracing the facade of ION Orchard in a bunch of free performances, where you’ll get to see them prance and twirls across the glass panels of the building that will be lit up in a kaleidoscopic burst of colour.
There will also be trampoline sessions for both kids and adults to enjoy.
Date: 4th – 6th October 2019
Time: 7PM, 7.45PM, 8.30PM | Trampoline sessions: 5PM-9.30PM
Venue: ION Orchard
Price: FREE
Website
Photography buffs won’t want to miss Leica Playground, an event at Design Orchard that’s – you guessed it – centred around all things photography-related. Look forward to a photo exhibition, good food by kult kafé, and even a bohemian glamping setup that’s made specially for camwhoring with.
You’ll also want to check out the eye-catching art installations that cast shadows and rainbow-hued beams of light for the edgiest portraits.
If you want to learn from the big pros, sign up for one of the workshops and get the low-down on covergirl photoshoots and luxury watch photography.
Date: 5th October 2019
Time: 10AM-9PM
Venue: Design Orchard
Price: FREE. Tickets to workshops apply.
Website
The recent Mid-Autumn lanterns at Gardens by the Bay’s Supertree Grove have since been stripped away, but they’re making way for something just as dazzling: the Neon Jungle. In this free exhibition, giant light sculptures standing 10 metres tall and botanical neon installations will be put on display to light up the evenings.
Also part of the event is a Neon Night Market with food and little trinkets, as well as a glow-in-the-dark zone where you can doodle all over a wall with neon graffiti, and get yourself jazzed up with neon face paint so you’ll truly glow in your photos.
Date: 18th – 27th October 2019. Refer here for specific dates and timings for fringe events.
Time: 7PM-11PM
Venue: Gardens by the Bay
Price: FREE
Website
Zedtown Asia: Battle for Singapore is a post-apocalyptic video game come to life; Zombies will be taking over the National Stadium and it’s up to you to defeat them and try to remain the last one standing – armed with nothing but a Nerf gun.
Get caught, and you’ll become part of the zombie crew (complete with some sick zombie makeup!) and spread the virus to other civilians trying to fight for survival. It’ll be a frenzy for sure!
Date: 26th October 2019
Time: 10AM onwards (Approximately 4h)
Venue: National Stadium
Price: From $40. Get your tickets here.
Website
There’s never a bad time for some drinks, even if it’s in the middle of the afternoon. Let loose this coming Sunday with a round of day drinking at SHUEN Sake Fiesta, where you’ll be tasting different varieties of Japanese rice wine – including rare seasonal and premium ones.
Image credit: Sakemaru
It’s not any regular ol’ sake fest though, because the entire event will be like a classic Japanese matsuri with street food like yakitori, takoyaki, and oysters, as well as traditional games like Yo-yo Tsuri where you’ll be fishing out balloon yoyos out of a pool using a paperclip and string.
Date: 6th October 2019
Time: 2PM-6PM
Venue: Tamaya Dining
Price: From $35, with 10 coupons and free sake glass). Get your tickets here.
Website
We all gotta take a chill pill from time to time, and that’s what Chillfest was created for: To let you unwind to tunes by Boyce Avenue, Lew, and Charlie Lim, get a good stretch with yoga sessions, and fuel up with some festival food.
On a more serious note, the festival also has an eco-friendly focus, so you can join a panel discussion on the ocean plastic problems, and learn how to create your own compost while cutting down on food waste and working towards a zero-waste lifestyle.
Date: 19th October 2019
Time: 1PM – past 10.15PM.
Venue: Fort Canning Green
Price: From $138. Get your tickets here.
Website
Image credit: @p_o_s_t_c_a_r_d_s
When it comes to first dates – especially Tinder dates, where you’re meeting the person for the very first time – picking the right place is half the battle won. The easiest way to get to know someone is through good conversation over a hearty meal, but it’s important to keep things low-pressure for this first meeting – that means, no overwhelmingly romantic settings, and a reasonable price tag that won’t wipe out your wallet.
Oh, and it also helps if it’s not one of those typical cafes that she’s probably been to multiple times.
Image credit: Two Hana
Restaurants like Super Loco at Robertson Quay and Wild Blooms fit this bill, and are relatively lesser-known so you can impress that potential bae – find out more about these restaurants in our article here.
It’s a varied mix this month with bars, photogenic exhibitions, and new shopping spots to enjoy, so while you’re waiting for the Halloween festivities to reach a crescendo towards 31st October, go tick these activities off your list in the meantime.
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