Weekend events guide

Canberra hosts the Southern Harvest Winter Festival this weekend with night markets at Dairy Road on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026. The event includes warming winter eats, fire dancers and vinyl DJ entertainment.

July sits in the middle of the cooler months when residents look for indoor and outdoor options that suit shorter days. The timing aligns with several scheduled markets and matches that draw families and groups across different parts of the city and nearby Queanbeyan.

Raiders double-header at GIO Stadium

The Canberra Raiders stage their Women in League Round at GIO Stadium on Saturday. The women's side faces the Sydney Roosters at 12:40pm, the men play the South Sydney Rabbitohs at 3pm and the NSW Cup match kicks off at 5:15pm. GIO Stadium sits in Bruce and serves as the regular home ground for these fixtures.

Markets across Braddon, Phillip and Queanbeyan

Haig Park Village Markets open Sunday from 8am to 2pm in Braddon. The Southside Farmers Market runs the same morning from 7am to 11:30am at Canberra College in Phillip. Further east, the Queanbeyan Christmas in July Market takes place at the Showgrounds on Sunday 19 July with winter-themed stalls and mid-year Christmas treats. The Geek and Pop Culture Expo also returns for Saturday and Sunday at an indoor venue offering comics, collectables, fandom gear and interactive panels.

Residents can cross-reference details on the Events Canberra calendar at events.canberra.com.au or the Community Diary maintained by VolunteeringACT. These listings cover the listed times, locations and activities for the coming weekend without additional charges noted in the announcements.

Check the individual event pages on hercanberra.com.au or canberradigest.com.au for any last-minute updates before heading out.