EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Introduction

Hello!

Are you in a situation where you are interested in visiting Singapore but have no idea of what to do or where to go here? If you are, you have come to the right place! As it can be seen from our blog title, “Peeking into the Red Dot”, we will be looking into Singapore and introducing the different kinds of engaging activities which you guys can participate in during your stay here. We can guarantee that you guys will definitely enjoy yourself during the visit!

Although Singapore is a small island, it consists of different ethnic groups with different cultures, which brings out the different colours of Singapore and makes it a unique little island. Therefore we have events and festivals for the different ethnic groups. You would be totally wrong if you think that those are all for Singapore. Besides racial events, we also have other various attractive events and festivals lined up every year that you will love. Some of such events are the Singapore Arts Festival for people who love arts and the Singapore Food Festival for food lovers! Doesn’t that sounds tempting?

Therefore, stay tuned to this blog as we will be introducing to you the various interesting and exciting events as well as festivals that will be held in Singapore. We will be touching on different themes such as the Arts, Food, Fashion, Sports, etc. We are sure that you will be able to find out more about the wide range of events which you can join and have fun!

Check out this introduction video to some events and festivals that will be held in Singapore:

Source: YourSingapore @ Youtube
You can find more videos of Singapore at their channel! CLICK HERE!

Goodbye!

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Sports

Are you a sports lover? If you are, continue to read this post! This is because there are many sport events which took place in Singapore and there will be even more sport events coming up next. I am sure that it will be an eye-opener for you.

Due to the fact that Singapore is a small country, we may not have enough land and resources to hold many great events or build superstructures. Hence, as compared to other countries, we may not be the first in functioning the number of events, but we can be the best in presenting and running events!

Many great events are held in Singapore and that includes sport events. Recently, there was a major event held in Singapore, and that is the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)! That event attracted many people like you, who love to see sports events to visit Singapore. Through the event, many tourists started to learn more about Singapore and started to be immersed in our vibrant world. If you are regretting of not being there on that event, come join us for other interesting sports events! 

First, we have some annual sport events and one of it would be the Formula One Grand Prix! If you are a fan of Lewis Hamilton, you do definitely not want to miss this! This is held every year and many people, including famous celebrities will take their time to travel to Singapore to just catch a look at the race. With Singapore being the first country to have the night race in year 2008, there has been a rise in interest from the tourists towards Singapore as we are always trying to be different from others. This gives the spectators a “WOW” and will definitely make the race becomes more challenging and interesting! It is usually held around September.

Below is a map of the F1 circuit route!


Singapore is the first country to have the night race and we are also the Asia's first country to hold the F1 street race on 28 September 2008! Below is a top of view how the F1 circuit looks like at night.

For more information, you can visit their official website: http://www.singaporegp.sg/

Besides just having the F1 Grand Prix event, at at period, many other events will take place too. Take a look at the events that took place during this year's F1! Click here!

There is another annual sport event whereby you can participate too! And that is the Standard Chartered Marathon Race. It is a healthy form of exercise and furthermore, all earnings will be donated to the Club Rainbow (Singapore) to help children who are suffering from major illnesses. Through this event, you can get to know more people and make friends with not just the Singaporeans, but people from other countries who are also a sports lover like you! Not only can you keep yourself fit by taking this chance to exercise, you can also make new friends and help those people who are in need. Isn’t that a perfect job to do? 

Below is the logo for this year's Standard Chartered Marathon event!

Take a look at the route the runners have run for this year's marathon! Click! It is usually held at the end of the year and for this year, it is held on 5th December.
This is a link to a video of a 4 year old boy suffered from spinal defect but perservered through the kid's 750km race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHY3kI3SA9s


For more information about the marathon race, visit http://www.marathonsingapore.com/Home.aspx

So what are you waiting for? Join us for the F1 Grand Prix 2011 as well as Standard Chartered Marathon Race 2011!

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Shopping & Food

Are you a shopaholic? If you are, I am sure you would not want to miss the Great Singapore Sales (GSS) which is here every end of the year!

Great deals for all shopaholics, be it Singaporeans or foreigners, this annual sales is most anticipated! It brought about 70% off its original price at all main shopping belts such as the ION Orchard, which opened recently at Orchard Road belt and at built-up shopping malls such as Tampines mall throughout Singapore. Both Singaporean and international brands are available at this annual season sales.

Besides, the multi-racial culture in Singapore made us so unique. Hence, colourful ethnic costumes are all on sales in places such as Chinatown, Little India or even at Kampong Glam. Pick your favourite ethnic group and visit these places, you will be sure to get your very own good buy pieces during the GSS. However, these places are not just an example of a perfect place for shopping; it is also well-known for food from the different cultures. So, why not sharpen up your day by having a luxurious meal?

If you want to find out more about GSS, visit  http://www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg/2011/english-html/intro.html

Have you tried the different food cultures in Singapore? If no, it is time to come down for our Singapore Food Festival! There will be different themes to revolve around each year. This year, the event has been themed around the Chinese dialects group culinary cultures. It all ranges from finger foods such as popiah to main dishes such as Hokkien mee, which are actually stir-fried prawn noodles. Besides, there are also different kinds of signature dishes that will be introduce at the event.
The sponsors will be giving out free special postcard recipe books with a minimum spending of $50.00 in a single receipt at only certain places, which are Singapore Visitors Centres at Orchard Road and Bugis Street, Changi Airport, Central, or at the Singapore Food Festival Food Street at Clarke Quay.

For more information, you can visit http://singaporefoodfestival.com.sg/ to find out!

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Arts

Are you attracted to the different kinds of arts – dance, literary arts, music, theatre and visual arts?

Here in Singapore, we have the annually held Singapore Arts Festival that consists of different kinds of arts you can enjoy. The Arts Festival has been established since 1977 is well-received by both foreign visitors and locals. Each Arts Festival has its own theme and the theme for 2010 is “Between You and Me”. Various activities were held for different age groups to help them interact with art.

There are free and ticketed shows for the Singapore Arts Festival. Some of the free shows for 2010 are the Fire Garden Installation by French fire alchemist, Compagnie Carabosse; Trois – an outdoor show that uses puppetry; Mega Line Dance – which set the Guinness World Record in 2003. One of the more popular ticketed shows is Cargo Kuala Lumpur – Singapore where visitors get to revisit the past and get a one-day experience of the truck drivers.

The next Singapore Arts Festival will be held during 13th May to 5th June 2011 and is themed “I Want to Remember”. Do participate in the Singapore Arts Festival and enjoy the different kinds of interesting arts!

For more information and introductions to the different activities, you can visit: http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/

Besides the Singapore Arts Festival, we also have the Mosaic Music Festival for music lovers! It is also held annually and at the Esplanade, one of the landmarks in Singapore. The Mosaic Music Festival always has many talented artistes lined up for the 10-day festival, performing different kinds of genres – jazz, hip-hop, indie, and many more. So what are you waiting for? :D

For more information, please visit http://www.mosaicmusicfestival.com/2011/microsite/

If you want to know more about other festivals and events related to arts held in Singapore, do visit the National Arts Council website. Here: http://www.nac.gov.sg/index.asp

Various exhibitions are also held at the Singapore Art Museum, do visit it too!

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Fashion

To all fashion lovers! Are you all wondering why the previous posts do not have anything related to fashion? The post you all are waiting for is finally here! This post would be all about fashion and it is going to talk about the huge fashion events that are held in Singapore, Asia Fashion Exchange and its sub event, Audi Fashion Festival.

To begin with, Asia Fashion Exchange is a main event that is only held exclusively in Singapore out of the whole of Asia. It is held within 5 days from 28 April 2010 to 2 May 2010. Similar to most fashion festivals, you will be able to witness sophisticated models walking confidently in the runway shows. Most of the shows would be held in Singapore famous shopping district, Orchard Road. It is a once in a lifetime chance event that gathers famous designers, interested buyers and celebrities and media from all over the world. Also, it includes sub events which involve both designers and buyers such as Blueprint, Asia Fashion Summit, Audi Fashion Festival and Star Creation. Though some of the events are only allowed to be entered if you are invited, there are still some that is of free entry or require purchase of tickets for entry which the cheapest prices start from $20. You will get to see both local and international designers' and brands' spring or summer collection. With the succession of this festival, it is likely that it would be continued for the next few years.

With the efforts put in for the Asia Fashion Exchange event, Singapore is definitely going to be the leading Fashion Industry in Asia with continuous growth in the industry and local talents on fashion. It would surely be a hot topic among all fashion lovers! They would be excited to know about the latest and newest trends and styles that are in fashion. So do remember to purchase the tickets for Asia Fashion Exchange 2011 to experience and witness every designer's hard work!

For more information about the Asia Fashion Exchange, you can visit their official website: http://www.asiafashionexchange.com.sg/

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Fashion

Is being a fashion designer your dream? Or do you wish to show your fashion talent to others? It is time for your wish to come true with the Star Creation Competition.

To begin with, Star Creation (Asia's Fashion Future) is a sub event of Asia Fashion Exchange which is discussed in details in the last post. It is a competition which meant to be a platform for young Asian designers, aged 16 to 35 years old, to display their design and help them to fulfil their dream as a fashion designer. Contestants will go through 3 rounds of reviewing by fashion professionals as well as experts and 12 contestants will be picked to go to the final rounds, where they need to design a collection based on the year's theme which is 'Internationally Asian' for year 2011. Eventually, 3 winners will be chosen and they will be given a prize of cash $10,000. They will also have the exclusive chance to receive a 12 months internship with Singapore's top fashion retailer, FJ Benjamin and the opportunity to launch their own collection which will be shown on Asian Exchange Festival 2011. Winners will be announced on 27 April 2011 at the Audi Fashion Festival.

So, if you are interested to pursue your dream as a fashion designer, hurry go and sign up for the Star Creation 2011 to take the challenge! Best of luck to you! :D

If you would like to see a video of the competition for the final 12 contestants of Star Creation 2010, you can visit this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ENFomj_eA

Source: YourSingapore @ Youtube

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Others

Do you find it amazing how Singaporeans of different races in Singapore live, work and play in peace and harmony together? Do you want to witness it yourself? If so, Chingay Parade 2011 is the right place for you to go!

The Parade has its origins from China. Chingay Parade is actually a traditional Chinese New Year procession that has developed in the current grandest street and floats parade in Asia, showcasing the rich "multi-culturalism" of Singapore. In addition, it is also a place for local and overseas performers to showcase their talents.

The Chingay 2011 highlights include a spectacular opening with Singapore's first part of 88-metre long dragons-in-the-sky from Xi-An, China and a dragon entwined with firecrackers, amazed by the Indian cultures where towering flower pyramids, Indian puppets and a grand beautiful peacock float sashay onto the parade area and many more!

This is one of the many events held annually which consists of performers from all races – Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. They age from as young as children, to housewives, and even the active retirees! Performers spent months for rehearsals just to make sure Chingay Parade 2011 will be a perfect, wonderful and successful one.

Chingay ticket price is as low as only $25! After the parade, you can join in the most exciting and happening parties of the year – City Alive!, Singapore’s Biggest Street Dance Party, with special appearances of international DJs and fascinating performances just for you! So what are you waiting for? Come and join in the fun and immerse yourself with these activities and at the same time witness the bonds Singaporeans have with one another!

For more information on Chingay Parade, you can visit http://www.chingay.org.sg/

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Others

Are you wondering how strong can a small red dot in size like Singapore be? How united Singaporeans are when Singapore is just 45 years old this year? If you are, the event that I am going to talk about in this post will definitely gain your attention! You are warmly welcomed to join and participate in with us for our National Day which happens annually!

It is the day to celebrate Singapore’s independence. This event falls on every 9^th of August, the day which Singapore gained her independence from Malaysia in the year 1965. The National Day of Singapore is celebrated together with a parade which lasts for several hours, and it has also becomes the grandest national event in Singapore!

You do not have to be worried of getting bored sitting down for several hours because there are many exciting performance during the event! These include the military parades, the amazing ‘Fly Past’ of the aircrafts which is greeted with a ‘WOW’ by everyone, storytelling of Singapore’s history, singing of our National Day song (e.g. Where I Belong), beautiful fireworks at the end of the event and many come!

You will also get to experience on how Singaporeans live together in a multi-racial society with peace and harmony by participating in this event, where every race comes together and join in this event such as sharing the proud-ness of being a Singaporean, celebrating Singapore’s independence, singing the national day songs together. In addition, you can also get to know new friends during this event which I believe they will be more than willing to share with you more about Singapore as well as the events and festivals happening in Singapore.

Not forgetting returning home with a fun pack! It is actually bags which contained goodies distributed to everyone who went to watch the National Day Parade (NDP). These goodies include food, drinks and discount vouchers from many participating companies and sponsors.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us to have a unique experience of how Singaporeans celebrate their National Day! NDP tickets are free-of-charge too!

Come and dress in red and white if possible because these two colours represents Singapore's flag just like how the difference races in this photo dress!

One united heart, for Singapore.

For more information on NDP, you can visit http://www.ndp.org.sg/

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. - Christmas

"Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh what fun it is to ride

In one horse open sleigh, hey!"

Christmas in Singapore is a public holiday on the calendar. It is a celebration of shopping, Christmas lights, entertainment and Santa showing up in Singapore despite the tropical climate.

In every Christmas seasons, Singapore malls will announce extended shopping hours. Some shopping malls even extended their operating hours to past midnight for you to enjoy shopping, does that sound awesome? Besides, you will get to enjoy exclusive Christmas sales discount! So just come down to our shopping malls, Royal Plaza, ION Orchard as well as EXPO to enjoy shopping!

Singapore’s famous shopping street Orchard Road is renowned for its Christmas Light-Up. The amazing thing is that this light-up has been running for 27 years consecutively! The glittering Christmas Light-Up is best enjoyed by cruising along Orchard Road at night and you will be able to do just that by hopping onto the open-top bus rides. The open-top bus offers a better spot for photo opportunities of the Light Up and to bring home these wonderful memories. Some gorgeous Christmas trees are also located outside Paragon Shopping Centre and ION Orchard.

This video is a preview to the Christmas Lightings!

Source: YourSingapore @ Youtube

Not forgetting the Christmas tree! This year, Singapore has the world's tallest Christmas tree which is located in Sentosa, Resort World. Do come down and take a look at the gigantic Christmas tree and don't forget to take a picture of it!

Besides this tall Christmas tree, we also have many other beautiful trees being displayed all over Singapore.

 This Christmas tree below is made up using Ferrero Rocher! Isn't it amazing?

So, what are you waiting for! Come to Singapore and get immersed in the Christmas world!

Last of all, wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Enjoy your Christmas and do not be shocked to see a man in red going into your room, because he is the SANTA CLAUS!