20 ways to spend the super long SG50 weekend

The nation's Golden Jubilee weekend has begun. Here are 20 ways to spend the long weekend

Enjoy (from left) the Human Body Experience at the Science Centre, and watch the rites and rituals of a Peranakan wedding at the Esplanade. A 100m-long exhibit (left) on Sentosa features 3-D sand designs of significant moments in Singapore's history.
A 100m-long exhibit (above) on Sentosa features 3-D sand designs of significant moments in Singapore's history.
PHOTO: SENTOSA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Exhibitions

1 ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM

Find out how Singapore used to be 25 years ago through the objects that were used during that period at the Unearthed: Singapore At 25 exhibition.

On display are 50 artefacts from a time capsule buried in front of the museum in December 1990. Items include public telephone cards, a photograph of the first Parliament sitting in 1965 and an old model of a Motorola mobile phone.

Curator Maria Khoo Joseph will be taking visitors through the exhibition today and tomorrow at 2.30pm.

Where: 1 Empress Place

When: Today till Monday

Admission: Free

Info: Go to acm.org.sg


2 ARTSCIENCE MUSEUM

Singapore residents get free admission to the museum from today till Sunday.

Rediscover how far the nation has come through the stories and photographs published in English daily The Straits Times since 1845 at Singapore STories: Then. Now. Tomorrow exhibition.

Be transported to the mysterious depths of the ocean at The Deep exhibition or relive scenes from your favourite DreamWorks films at the DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition.

Where: Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue

When: Today to Sunday, 10am to 7pm daily

Admission: Free for Singapore residents. (Otherwise, DreamWorks Animation costs $22 while The Deep costs $15 an adult). Entry is free for all to Singapore STories: Then. Now. Tomorrow.

Info: Go to www.marinabaysands.com/museum


3 SCIENCE CENTRE SINGAPORE

Enjoy the Human Body Experience at the Science Centre. PHOTO: SCIENCE CENTRE SINGAPORE

Singapore citizens will get free entry during the Golden Jubilee weekend, including admission to six of its attractions. The highlights are the Human Body Experience exhibition, which takes visitors on a journey through the human anatomy; Snow City, where visitors can take a tumble in artificial snow; and Omni-Theatre, the centre's digital full-dome system screening films and live shows.

Check the Centre's Facebook page before heading down as admission is on a first-come, first- served basis at each attraction.

Where: 15 Science Centre Road

When: Today to Monday, various timings for entry into attractions

Admission: Free for Singapore citizens and $25 for others. Singapore citizens need to present their identity cards, valid passports, national service identity cards or Pioneer Generation cards. Each card will admit the holder and up to four children under age 16.

Info: Go to www.facebook.com/ ScienceCentreSG


4 ESPLANADE - THEATRES ON THE BAY

Watch the rites and rituals of a Peranakan wedding at the Esplanade. PHOTO: ESPLANADE - THEATRES ON THE BAY

Music, roving performances, markets and exhibitions will be spilling out of the Esplanade this National Day weekend.

Highlights include #My Singapore - Ours To Create, a travelling exhibition specially curated for Singaporeans by Singaporeans to celebrate 50 years of nationhood.

Music lovers can check out a series of live 30-minute shows at the Esplanade Concourse. Retro-seekers can tune in to Let's Tea Dance!, comprising 1950s hits, while others can listen to hip cover versions of National Day favourites in Songs From Our Home.

Where: 1 Esplanade Drive

When: #My Singapore - Ours To Create is on till Monday at the Esplanade Lawn. Let's Tea Dance! is on today at the Concourse from 3 to 4pm and 4.30 to 5.30pm. Songs From Our Home will be at the Concourse tomorrow from 7.15 to 9.45pm with two breaks in between.

Admission: Free

Info: Go to www.esplanade.com/nationalday


5 GOOGLE SHOPHOUSE

The folks at Google have transformed a shophouse in Spottiswoode Park Road into an interactive pop-up space featuring cool new technologies.

Visitors can tinker with the new app Singapore Time Walk. When you hold up your mobile phone camera and align the landmarks on your screen with an actual landmark, the app can show information and historic images of places such as the former City Hall and Old Supreme Court.

The 360-degree panoramic Street View in Google Maps is one of the company's iconic features. At the exhibition, 40 new Street View locations here will be unveiled, including footpaths on Pulau Ubin and the treetop walk at MacRitchie Reservoir.

Where: 63 Spottiswoode Park Road

When: Today till Monday, 10am to 5pm

Admission: Free

Info: Go to goo.gl/5BygzM


Concerts

6 100+50 BANDS FESTIVAL

Indie-pop band Pleasantry (above) will play at the 100+50 Bands Festival.PHOTO: JENSEN CHING

A whopping 150 home-grown music acts have banded together to showcase the nation's musical talents in the second edition of this outdoor music festival this year.

The festival began last weekend and will run for two more weekends at Bedok Reservoir. Watch out for bands including punk-rock outfit Plainsunset, rock quintet Caracal and singer-songwriter Charlie Lim.

At the festival, you may spot some people dressed in colourful skin-tight suits that cover them from head to toe. These are zentai enthusiasts and 49 of them are expected to be out on the streets.

Where: Bedok Reservoir

When: Today to Sunday, and Aug 14 to 16

Admission: Free

Info: Go to www.facebook.com/events/11150819585629


7 SINGAPORE CHORAL FESTIVAL

To ring in Singapore's 50th birthday, 600 singers from various choirs including The Vocal Consort will perform 50 compositions and arrangements made local by home-grown composers.

These include newly commissioned works and new arrangements of hits including the National Day favourite Home and folk song Dayung Sampan.

Where: Victoria Concert Hall, 9 Empress Place

When: 7.30pm today, 2.30 and 7.30pm tomorrow

Admission: $20

Info: Go to www.konzertchoral.com


8 SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS: NANYANG, THE MUSICAL

Set in the 1930s, this coming- of-age story depicts the lives of Singapore's first-generation artists who melded Chinese, South-east Asian and European aesthetics to create a new style that is uniquely Singaporean.

Staged by One Kind Theatre and featuring music by composer Eric Ng and lyricist Xiaohan, the musical is performed in Mandarin with English surtitles.

Where: Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building

When: Today, 8pm; and tomorrow, 3 and 8pm

Admission: $25 to $75 (excludes Sistic booking fee)

Info: Go to sifa.sg/sifa/show/nanyang


Attractions

9 SENTOSA

Relive Singapore history on Sentosa's Siloso Beach, where the free Sands Of Time exhibit is on show. The centrepiece is a 100m- long sand sculpture showing Singapore's development over the past 50 years.

Sentosa's 37m-tall Merlion will be covered with bright hues in a video, light and sound show that tells the tale of Singapore's growth. The free shows are held daily this month from 7.45pm.

On Monday, cable car rides will be free too, from Harbourfront station or any of the stations on the island.

Where: Various locations on the island

When: 10am to 7pm for Sands Of Time exhibition, free cable rides from 9am to 9pm on Monday and entry to the Sentosa Merlion is from 10am to 8pm tomorrow

Admission: Free

Info: Go to www.sentosa.com.sg/en/sg50/


10 ANIMAL ANTICS

Creatures at Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo are joining forces to celebrate Singapore's 50th.

At the bird park, Sassy the sulphur-crested cockatoo will fly the Singapore flag while Amigo the yellow-naped Amazon parrot will sing Happy Birthday during the High Flyers Show, which takes place at 11am and 3pm.

Over at the zoo, look out for elephants and sea lions which have mastered the art of flag-raising during the Elephants At Work And Play show at 11.30am and 3.30pm, as well as the Splash Safari show at 10.30am and 5pm.

Singapore residents enjoy half- price off admission to Jurong Bird Park, and a 50 per cent discount on bundled tickets to the River Safari and Singapore Zoo. The promotions are valid for this month.

Admission: For Jurong Bird Park, discounted tickets for Singapore residents cost $14 an adult and $9 a child (aged three to 12). Combo tickets are at $30 an adult and $19.50 a child (aged three to 12) for the River Safari and Singapore Zoo

Info: Go to www.wrs.com.sg


11 MADAME TUSSAUDS SINGAPORE

If you are a Singaporean or permanent resident aged 50 and above, you can enter Madame Tussauds free this month and see wax figures of famous people such as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, pop star Stefanie Sun and pop group One Direction.

You may also visit Images Of Singapore Live, an attraction next to the museum that explores Singapore history.

Where: 40 Imbiah Road, Imbiah Lookout, Sentosa

When: 10am to 6pm on weekday, 10am to 7.30pm on weekend and public holiday

Admission: Free for Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50 and above. Otherwise, it costs $39 an adult and $29 a child (aged three to 12). The offer is limited to 100 daily, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Info: Go to www.madame tussauds.com/singapore


National Day fireworks

12 WHERE TO GO

This year's National Day Parade fireworks display is set to be the largest. Marina Bay is the best vantage point, so aim to spend your evening at spots such as Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage or the open areas at Marina Bay Sands, including The Promontory.

Fireworks will also be set off from the rooftop of seven buildings - the Adelphi, Maybank, Pan Pacific Singapore, Republic Plaza, Suntec Tower 1, Swissotel and UOB Plaza 1.

Apart from National Day, there will be special fireworks previews around Marina Bay tonight and tomorrow for a few minutes between 8 and 9pm.

On Sunday, the fireworks will take place throughout the parade and culminate in a grand finale.

If you did not get a ticket to the National Day Parade, there are many places to watch the live streaming of the event.

Official locations include Marina Barrage, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Merlion Park, The Float @ Marina Bay, OCBC Square at the Sports Hub, Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza, Serangoon Community Park, as well as Sengkang and Pasir Ris Sports Centres.


SG50-inspired fare

13 SINGAPORE'S CULINARY GRANDE DAMES MENU AT THE CLIFFORD PIER

Singapore's culinary grande dames menu at The Clifford Pier. PHOTO: FULLERTON BAY HOTEL

For a taste of Singapore's past, local chef and food consultant Shermay Lee has curated dishes from three grand dames of Singapore and Peranakan cooking: Mrs Lee Chin Koon (her grandmother and the late prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's mother), Mrs Leong Yee Soo (Lee's grand-aunt) and Mrs Ellice Handy (former principal of Methodist Girls' School).

From Mrs Lee's recipe book is babi chin, tender pork shoulder braised in dark soya sauce with thick wedges of bamboo shoots, served with white rice and nonya achar (pickled vegetables).

Equally delectable are Mrs Leong's chicken almond-cashew curry with nasi kuning (yellow rice), nonya achar and papadum, as well as Mrs Handy's itek sio, or braised duck with pineapple-apple chutney.

Where: The Clifford Pier, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay

When: Now till Aug 31 for lunch and dinner

Cost: From $13 a dish

Info: Call 6597-5266


14 KUVO'S SG50 COCKTAIL MENU

Try cocktails with local flavours at Elixir Bar. PHOTO: KUVO

Drink to the nation's 50th birthday with a chicken rice or teh tarik cocktail. Chief mixologist Yutaka Nakashima of Kuvo's Elixir Bar is shaking things up with eight savoury and sweet cocktails inspired by Singapore fare. Flavours include laksa, bak kut teh as well as pandan.

Where: Kuvo, 02-01 Orchard Shopping Centre, 321 Orchard Road

When: Now till Aug 31

Cost: $20.15++ for savoury cocktails or $19.65++ for sweet

Info: Call 6733-8272 or go to facebook.com/KuvoSingapore


Carnival fun

15 OLD-SCHOOL CARNIVAL AT TANJONG PAGAR RAILWAY STATION

Head down to the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station for a carnival which harks back to yesteryear, complete with carousel and bumper car rides.

Children can try old-school games including chapteh and five stones or view a photo exhibition featuring items from the different eras of Singapore's history.

There will also be food booths and activities including balloon sculpting and face painting.

Where: 30 Keppel Road

When: Sunday, 9am to 9pm

Admission: Free

Info: Go to www.facebook.com/SingaporeLandAuthority


16 COMMUNITY BASHES

You need not travel to the Marina Bay area to soak up the festive atmosphere. Chances are, there is a jubilee celebration happening right at your doorstep.

The People's Association has organised more than 250 community events across the island. These activities range from carnivals in Marine Parade, Serangoon and Tampines to a musical wholly produced and written by Jurong Central residents.

Where: Various locations

When: Various timings from today till Monday

Admission: Free

Info: Go to www.pa.gov.sg/


Free sports activities

17 FREE ENTRY TO ACTIVESG GYMS AND SWIMMING POOLS

Try out 50 different types of sports at different sports centres. PHOTO :SPORT SINGAPORE

Break a sweat at no cost as the national sports agency Sport Singapore grants free admission to all ActiveSG swimming pools and gyms islandwide.

Those game to try a new sport have 50 to pick, ranging from floorball and golf to aqua zumba and hot hula fitness, which will

be held at sports centres across Singapore.

Where: Various sports centres and swimming complexes

When: Till Monday

Admission: All activities are free

Info: Go to www.myactivesg.com


Stand-up comedy

18 SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS: KUMAR'S LIVING TOGETHER

Comedian Kumar and entertainers Koh Chieng Mun, Zaliha Hamid, Sharul Channa and Shane Mardjuki will go to the heartland to skewer Singaporeans' bad habits and prejudices.

Where: Tomorrow: Tampines Festival Park @ Tampines Street 21 between Blocks 257 and 254; Aug 13: Amphitheatre, Block 204 Marsiling Drive; Aug 15: Community Plaza between Blocks 312 and 316, Jurong East Street 32.

When: All shows start at 7.30pm.

Admission: Free

Info: Go to sifa.sg/sifa/


19 STAND-UP COMEDY BY MARK LEE AND HOSSAN LEONG AT SINGAPORE FLYER

Singapore Flyer will have a series of exciting events including a stand-up performance by Mark Lee and Hossan Leong, a flea market and a free film screening of local favourite Army Daze.

For this month, Singapore citizens and permanent residents will get one free child or senior ticket with every purchase of an adult one ($33) to board the Flyer. Pioneers will pay only $12, a 50 per cent discount off tickets.

Where: Singapore Flyer, 30 Raffles Avenue

When: Stand-up event: tomorrow, 7 to 8pm; Film: 8.30 to 10pm

Admission: Free standing

Info: Go to www.singaporeflyer.com


Mambo night

20 THE ULTIMATE MAMBO JAMBO: BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE AT ZOUK

Enjoy Mambo Jambo night at Zouk. PHOTO: ZOUK SINGAPORE

Mambo Jambo fans rejoice - Zouk's retro-themed party returns tomorrow night.

The party will serve as the setting of the finale scene for a documentary about Mambo Jambo, a much loved but now-defunct weekly party, by musician Dave Tan.

Before it was stopped in 2012, Mambo Jambo had partygoers boogie-ing to retro hits from the 1970s and 1980s, complete with cheesy synchronised dance steps. Now it is brought back only on special occasions, such as on the eve of public holidays.

At tomorrow's event, Mambo Jambo merchandise, including bomber jackets and slogan tees, will be on sale at a pop-up store.

Where: Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim Street

When: Tomorrow, 11pm

Admission: $28 for women and $33 for men, inclusive of two drinks

Info: Go to www.zoukclub.com

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 07, 2015, with the headline 20 ways to spend the super long SG50 weekend. Subscribe