Saigon events in July 2020
Vietnam has relaxed COVID-19 social distancing measures for nearly 2 months now, and many of us have freely roamed the streets and travelled domestically again.
Saigonese have even learned to embrace the rainy downpours and are entering the next phase of normalcy stronger than ever, with more plans for fun activities for well-deserved outings with friends and family. Check out our top picks of the most exciting things to do in Saigon in July 2020 to plan your next escapade around the city, from ballet performances to a craft beer festival.
Shopping in Saigon
1. Buy fresh produce from local farmers and sample craft beers
Image credit: The Hive (Villa Saigon)
HCMC residents looking for alternatives from the usual supermarkets can come here for some new locally grown food options. A wide array of fresh, organic produce sold at an affordable price is what you can expect in the Urban Farm & Feast Market 2020. You can also walk around sampling craft beers and getting some tasty grub in the middle of your shopping spree.
Image credit: The Hive (Villa Saigon)
Come here to unwind over the weekend and even exchange gardening tips with local farmers.
Image credit: The Hive (Villa Saigon)
Vendors who wish to participate in the market can register here.
Date and time: 4th July 2020, 2PM-7PM
Venue: The Hive Villa – Outdoor Pool, 29 Nguyễn Bá Lân, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: Free
Education and work talks in Saigon
2. Pick up skills to get into a cybersecurity career
Image credit: BAC – Business Analyst Training Center
Techies looking to learn about cybersecurity skills to add to your resume or complement your existing work knowledge should check out this learning course titled Information Security Awareness (Nhận Thức An Toàn An Ninh Thông Tin).
In this learning course, you’ll learn about the potential risks involving cybersecurity, from unauthorized access to a device’s data to a breach of corporate networks. The goal of the course is to help everyone become aware of the challenges in threat landscapes, tactics used by cyber attackers, and understand human risk behaviors – especially useful if you’ve ever worked in an IT department or become the go-to person to fix network or WiFi issues in the office.
Image credit: BAC – Business Analyst Training Center
This 3-hour course will be hosted by an instructor from BAC Training and Consultancy, a company specializing in business analysis training and consultancy.
Date and time: 5th July 2020, 9AM-12PM
Venue: 319 Lý Thường Kiệt, Ward 15, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: VND800,000 (~USD34.39)
3. How to get into your dream US university with extracurricular activities
Now is about time for students who plan to go to college overseas to begin working on their college applications.
Image adapted from Crimson Education
To guide you through the process, Crimson Education Company will organize a workshop titled Strategize Extracurricular Activities To Crack Top US Colleges on how to improve your chances of getting into US colleges by using extracurriculars to your advantage.
Image adapted from: Crimson Education
In the workshop, Martin Walsh, a former Stanford University admission officer, will share tips on how to impress admission officers and explore your future career with your extracurriculars.
Both students and parents are welcomed to attend the workshop, where you’ll be given a one-on-one consulting session with educational experts from Crimson.
Image adapted from: Crimson Education
Register your attendance here.
Date and time: 5th July 2020, 9.30AM-11.30AM
Venue: Liberty Central Riverside, 17 Tôn Đức Thắng, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: Free
4. Learn how to break into the product and UX design fields
Image credit: Wizeline Vietnam
Any software developer, UI/UX designer, data analyst hoping to learn more about product design, UX design, or how to conduct usability testing in the tech field should join this workshop.
In this workshop titled Tech Meetup #13: UX DESIGN v.s PRODUCT DESIGN, you’ll hear from experts about the theoretical concepts of design, a comparison between UX and Product Design, and how to engage in user-centered practices.
The speakers are Anna Nikitina, director of Majuna Design and Simon Kulkov, lead product designer at Ansarada Vietnam. Both have over 10 years of experience under their belts and extensive knowledge in the marketing and designing field.
Date and time: 30th July 2020, 6.30PM-9.30PM
Venue: 3rd Floor, Etown 1, 364 Cộng Hòa, Ward 13, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: Free
Entertainment and arts events in Saigon
5. Art gallery opening
Art lovers in the area should not miss out on the exhibition of “Noirfoto Group Show: A Photographic Assembly”, where experimental and unconventional works are featured.
Image credit: Noirfoto Darkroom-Studio-Gallery
The exhibition will gather a good selection of works from promising as well as experienced photographers, guaranteeing a visual feast.
Some of the photographers whose work will be featured include Tom Hricko, Bạch Nam Hải, Trần Lê Quỳnh Anh, and Pham Tuấn Ngoc.
Image credit: Noirfoto Darkroom-Studio-Gallery
Noirfoto is the first photo darkroom in Vietnam, well fitted with modern equipment used to develop and print photographs shot with film cameras. Because of its innovative art space, Noirfoto is often trusted by many emerging talents to feature their artworks through exhibitions and workshops.
Image credit: Noirfoto Darkroom-Studio-Gallery
Noirfoto is situated inside Thảo Điền, Saigon’s most modern and bustling neighborhood with a plethora of riverside cafes and restaurants serving exotic cuisines. You can have your dinner in the area or shop in its many unique boutiques before dropping by the gallery.
Date and time: 3rd July 2020, 6PM-10PM
Venue: 199bis Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: Free
6. Cho Lon’s Lantern Festival
Image credit: @tanbinh115
Colorful parades along major streets in District 5, Chinese musicals, and a great selection of Chinese food fairs are what we can always expect during The Lantern Festival (元宵節), or Tết Nguyên Tiêu in Vietnam. The festival usually takes place on the 15th day of the lunar month, immediately following the Lunar New Year, but was previously delayed due to COVID-19.
Fortunately, the parades and celebrations are back on 5th July, which is right around the corner.
Image credit: Tết Nguyên Tiêu Người Hoa ở Sài Gòn 2018
This year’s Lantern Festival festivities will be downsized to fewer activities and take place in only one day.
Parades and festivities will commence at 4.30PM on the same day in District 5, while Chinese-themed performances and engaging activities will be hosted at the Youth Center of District 5 on Trần Hưng Đạo Street.
Date and time: 5th July 2020, 4.30PM-10PM
7. Taste the best of local Vietnamese craft beers in one place
Image credit: Tê Tê Craft Beer
Wind down after a long week at the Craft Beer Festival 2020, that will showcase a wide variety of locally crafted beer from different parts of Vietnam, as well as ciders on tap.
Guests will also be treated to a night of live music with a DJ and get to pair their drinks with tasty food. Entry is VND60,000 (~USD2.58), including a souvenir beer glass you get to take home.
Image credit: Tê Tê Craft Beer
Date and time: 11th and 12th July 2020, 12AM-11PM
Venue: Saigon Outcast, 188 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: VND60,000 (~USD2.58)
8. Listen to live music from movies played by a classical orchestra
Image credit: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
Film lovers wouldn’t want to miss the Night of Film Music for anything in this world, where musical scores of famous films such as The Lion King, Frozen, the Harry Potter series, and Tom and Jerry will be performed live by an orchestra.
Soloists Phạm Khánh Ngọc, Hồ Trung Dũng, and Võ Hạ Trâm who are famous for their vocal ranges will also take to the stage.
Image credit: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
These will be performed by professional musicians from the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera and conducted by maestro Trần Nhật Minh.
Date and time: 11th and 12th July 2020, 8PM-10PM
Venue: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, 7 Công Trường Lam Sơn, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: VND450,000-VND900,000 (~USD19.34-USD38.68)
9. Kiều-themed ballet performance
Image credit: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
Fusion dance fans at the Ballet Kiều show will be treated to a full evening of artful ballet and glorious music.
Ballet Kiều, directed by choreographers Nguyễn Phúc Hưng and Tuyết Minh, will be a combination between Western arts, ballet, and a Vietnamese traditional folk story titled The Tale Of Kiều.
Choreographer and ballerina Tuyết Minh
Image credit: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
The Tale Of Kiều is Vietnam’s most famous folk story written by Nguyễn Du in 1820, and passed down till today. It tells the story of Kiều, a beautiful and talented lady who sells her virginity for money to save her father and brother from prison.
This ballet production will feature 15 scenes from The Tale Of Kiều using modern ballet, hologram visual arts, and even underwater footage.
Image credit: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
Western symphonic music and Vietnam’s northern traditional music will also be deftly mixed for a unique experience.
The performance will also gather some of Vietnam’s most outstanding ballet dancers, such as Trần Hoàng Yến, Hồ Phi Điệp, and Đoàn Đức Nhuận.
Date and time: 23rd July 2020, 2PM-7PM
Venue: Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, 7 Công Trường Lam Sơn, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: VND300,000-VND650,000 (~USD12.89-USD25.79)
10. View a world-class film about the truth behind artificial fishing methods
Image adapted from: Artifishal Trailer
Movie lovers, especially those who are interested in environmental issues, should watch the screening of Artifishal.
Image credit: Outside Magazine
This Patagonia film addresses the challenges ecologists and conservationists face nowadays, the future of wild fishes, and how they have found problems in human-engineered fishing methods. The film explores the poor conditions of farms that breed genetically deficient fish, as well as underwater pollution caused by open-water farming.
The money earned from screening tickets will be donated to Earth.Org to support its efforts in tackling the climate crisis through data journalism and research.
Image credit: Outside Magazine
Date and time: 21st May 2020, 8PM-11PM
Venue: The Hive Villa – Outdoor Pool, 29 Nguyễn Bá Lân, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Price: VND50,000 (~USD2.15)
Things to do in Saigon in July 2020
For our pick of the most exciting and unique things to do in Saigon every month, check out our website regularly for updates on monthly happenings in the city.
Whether it’s a beer festival or a music night, there’s always something going on in Saigon.
Also check out:
- Hanoi events in June & July 2020
- 8 beaches and islands near Saigon
- Check out VinWonder Phu Quoc – Vietnam’s largest theme park
- Railway tickets with discounts up to 40% are now available
- Hue Festival to take place from 28th August to 2nd September
- The Lantern Festival in Saigon to resume in July
Cover image adapted from: @tanbinh115, Tê Tê Craft Beer, Múa Việt Nam, and Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera
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