Singapore Sun Festival
Location: Various locations
Date: 3 October 2009 - 12 October 2009

Get ready for more great arts and lifestyle experiences when Singapore Sun Festival returns from 3 to 12 October 2009. Back for the third year, Singapore Sun Festival is an annual multi-arts premium lifestyle event that covers seven disciplines – music, visual arts, literature, film, wine, cuisine and wellness.

This year’s Festival will showcase a world premiere event featuring a dance performance by world renowned dancers, and an array of integrated, star-studded high profile events, as well as free events for all to attend. Artists that will be participating this year include a Hollywood celebrity, numerous Grammy Award-winners, Noble Prize winner in Literature and two of the world’s best opera divas.

Visit the Singapore Sun Festival website, www.singaporesunfestival.com, and register at the website to receive latest updates and news on Singapore Sun Festival 2009 events.

Liverpool Football Club Tour 2009
Location: Singapore National Stadium
Date: 26 July, 2009
Highlights: Liverpool Football Club vs Singapore National Team

Calling all football fans in Singapore! This is your chance to witness the England’s most successful team, The Liverpool Team, to play against Singapore National Team on July 26, 2009 for two hours from 19:00 hrs in National Stadium.

This match is part of the Liverpool Football Club Asian tour in connection with their pre-season preparation for the 2009-10 campaign.

So hold your breath and check out the winning team on 26th July! See you there.

Source: ESPNStar.com

Singapore HeritageFest 2009
Location: Various Locations
Date: 15 July to 26 July, 2009
Highlights: Music, Heritage, Chinese, Malay and Indian Cultural Performances

Who’s your neighbor? This is quite an apt tagline for Singapore, a country that has been a home for many expats from across the globe. Now in its six years, the Singapore Heritage Fest 2009 is set on July 15 – July 26, 2009 and its opening ceremony is in Suntec City, the official festival hub.

There are various events such exhibitions and daily cultural performances that will take place in different venues. The primary focus of this year’s activities is the children and youth in school thus there will school competitions and outreach programs also.

This event is for every citizens, tourists and residents in Singapore regardless of their ethnic and religious background.

Be part of it and enjoy the opportunity to celebrate with others the rich multicultural heritage of Singapore.

Source: www.heritagefest.org.sg

Night Festival 2009
Location: Singapore Art Museum, National Museum of Singapore, Peranakan Museum, SMU Campus and The Substation
Date: 10 July to 11 July, 2009
Highlights: Theatre dance and music performances, Pyrotechnic Show

Mark the Night Festival event in your calendar on July 10 and 11. Before you ignore this notice, think again! The Night Festival is set only for one weekend this year and you certainly don’t want to miss this outdoor extravaganza of theatrical performances accompanied by live music and dance.

With the installation of stunning interactive lights and the opening performance of Bersama Hijau, you can expect an enchanting Night Festival with your family and friends from 7.30pm to 2am.

So, don’t be left out! Remember the Night Festival on July 10 and 11!

To know more about the Night Festival, visit http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/

Great Singapore Sale 2009.
Location: Orchard Road, Marina Bay, Bugis and various places
Date: May 29 - July 26, 2009.
Features: Retail, Dining, Entertainment and Tourism Special Discounts.

Shopping spree for TWO WHOLE MONTHS! Yes, you read it right! The red tag ‘SALE’ will be everywhere in Singapore from May 29 to July 26, 2009. The ‘Great Singapore Sale 2009’ is one of the most anticipated events this year as the prices are slashed up to 70% in various shops stretching from the famous shopping arcades in Orchard Road and Marina Bay down to the malls.

And if you spend worth SGD 300 in retail purchases, you can redeem the ‘Great Singapore Sale 2009’ limited edition bag by Charles & Keith. And on top of that, the MasterCard is running a ‘Be Spotted’ contest with 5 weekly winners of SGD 300 worth FEVO pre-paid Master Card.

What else you can ask? It’s shopping galore in Singapore!

For more details about ‘Great Singapore Sale 2009’, visit http://www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg/

Known for its state-of-the-art facilities and unique architectural design, The Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay is the heart of performing arts in Singapore. Its facilities include concert hall, theatre, recital and theater studios, meeting venues, arts and lifestyle related services, Jendela, library and outdoor venues.

However, the major highlights of The Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay are its theatre and concert hall. The Esplanade Theatre has the largest stage in Singapore and it features world class facilities and technology support system such as adjustable proscenium arch, 30 meter high fly tower, adaptable orchestra pit which has the capacity to hold a maximum of 100 musicians. It houses also two full size ancillary stages for easy and smooth shift of scenes for any plays and performances. With its capacity to house 2,000 seated guests, it stages wide genre of performing arts such as plays, musical and advance multimedia performances.

While The Concert Hall of The Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay brags its state of the art acoustics which makes it a fantastic venue for concerts and recitals. It has movable acoustic canopy that significantly enhances its audio effects while its hall’s reverberation chamber with a volume similar to four Olympic size swimming pools makes it easier to manipulate and achieve the desired acoustic characteristics for any events. The Concert Hall can accommodate 1,600 people.

For smaller performances, it is held in the Theatre or Recital Studio while art exhibitions are showcased in Jendela (window in Malay) that has the panoramic views of Marina Bay.

On top of these facilities, art aficionados can now indulge their creative senses in the public art library located in the third floor.

The Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay is a world of art in its own. Don’t miss to visit it!

About the Author
Cyra Miles is a contributing editor of Everyday Singapore. Currently based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, her areas of interest are travel, events & holidays, health, culture & society, human interest stories and education. Visit her at http://www.cyramiles.com/ or take a peek inside her mind at http://www.anintimateconversation.com/

These delectable dishes though may not please everybody’s palate are a must for every tourists in Singapore.

Fried Carrot Cake
With a local name known as ‘Chai Tao Kway’, it is considered to be the best comfort food for Singaporeans. This dish is a far-fetched comparison to the Western carrot cake because fried carrot cake is basically made of grated white radish and a mixture of white flour and water. It is then stir-fried with eggs and other condiments.

Though carrot is not at all an ingredient for this dish, its name ‘Fried Carrot Cake’ owes from its main ingredient, white radish, which is commonly referred in Singapore as ‘carrots’

Tip: A well cooked fried carrot cake has a mouth-watering aroma and unburned egg.

Singapore Chilli Crab
Cooked in thick gravy of tomato chilli sauce, the crabs with its unbroken hard-shells preserve and seal the flavour. This is a famous seafood dish that is served in most of the seafood restaurants in Singapore.

Rojak
Looking for a light meal or simply to stimulate your appetite but don’t want to gain extra pounds, Rojak can be your choice. It is a made of fresh fruits and vegetables with fried fritters and bean curds topped with a tangy prawn paste dressing.

Laksa
“A Spicy Noodle Soup” is the trademark of Laksa. It is basically a thick rice noodle which can be served either in coconut-based curry soup or in sour fish soup. Other essential ingredients are cockles, prawns, shrimps, fish sticks or fishcake slices and it is usually topped with a chilli paste and chopped onions or coriander,

Bak Kut Teh
If your staple food is rice, you may want to try Bak Kut Teh. Roughly translated as ‘Meat Bone Tea’ or ‘Pork Rib Tea’, this rich and aromatic soup is made of meaty pork ribs which are brewed for hours with herbs and spices. Its perfect condiment is dark soy sauce, chopped chillies and minced garlic.

Hainanese Chicken Rice. Sometimes referred only as ‘Chicken Rice’ by locals, the Hainanese Chicken Rice is one of the common dishes serve from the street food shops to fine dining restaurants.

This dish is made of a poached chicken and rice simmered slowly in a hearty chicken broth until it’s cooked. It owes its scrumptious flavour to the meticulous long period of cooking topped with spices such as ginger, garlic and soy sauce.

Thinking to binge some great food, try these recommended delectable Singaporean dishes.

About the Author
Cyra Miles is a contributing editor of Everyday Singapore. Currently based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, her areas of interest are travel, events & holidays, health, culture & society, human interest stories and education. Visit her at http://www.cyramiles.com/ or take a peek inside her mind at http://www.anintimateconversation.com/

The Big Groove 2009
Location: Singapore Expo Hall
Date: 28 June, 2009
Features: hip hop concert, dance showcase, hip hop classes and workshops

Mark June 28, 2009 in your calendar! It is the culmination event of the 5-day hip hop classes and workshops that are conducted by invited dance instructors from abroad. A 2.5 hours concert, The Big Groove 2009 is the fourth annual Asia Hip Hop Festival that will take place in Singapore Expo Hall 1 at 7.30pm.

Don’t miss this showcase of great talents from best dancers in the region! Grab your tickets now before it’s too late.

To book your tickets, visit http://www.sistic.com.sg

First Asian Youth Games
Location:Singapore Indoor Stadium
Date:29 June to 7 July, 2009
Features:Various Sports (swimming, diving, athletics, basketball and more)

Singapore’s calendar of events will be marked again by another milestone this year. A novel event in the arena of international sports, Singapore is hosting the First Asian Youth Games from June 29 to July 7, 2009 and it will be participated by 40 countries with contingents of more than 1,400 athletes ages 14 to 17.

The grand opening ceremony, which will be held in Singapore Indoor Stadium, will reflect its theme ‘Asia’s Youth, Our Future’. The inaugural will celebrate the dynamic spirit of the youth while it highlights also the multi-cultural diversity of Asia.

This 9-day event will feature various sports which include aquatics (swimming and diving), athletics, FIBA33 (3-on-3 basketball), beach volleyball, bowling, football, sailing, shooting and table tennis.

For more information about the event and entrance fees, visit http://www.ayg2009.sg/.

Source: www.moe.gov.sg

Singapore River Festival 2009
Location: Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Empress Place and Robertson Quay
Date: 19 June to 27 June, 2009
Features: Entertainment, Party, Aerial Performances, Shopping and Food & Beverages
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay, City Hall

The historic Singapore River will now celebrate its inaugural Singapore River Festival from 19 - 27 June. The annual festival is usually celebrated on the month of September. For the first time this year, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Empress Place and Robertson Quay have come together to present more exciting experience for everyone. It will be a multi-faceted event celebrating the heritage, water and entertainment after sundown.

There will be different hosted events, late night shopping, music and outdoor party during this spectacular Festival. This year the Singapore River Festival will also feature exciting aerial performances.