LANTERN FANTASY 2008 - F8 HELLO KITTY GO RACES

Take your family to the Lantern Fantasy extravaganza celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival at Chinese Garden where they can view more than 2,000 lanterns including 280 Hello Kitty and Friends' lanterns. You can catch the popular Sanrio characters taking part in various races, the highlight being a sailing race featuring 15 colourful lantern sailboats in the garden's Stoneboat Lake.

Where: Chinese Garden, 1, Chinese Garden Road, Jurong MRT: Chinese Garden When: Till Sept 28: 6 - 11pm daily Admission: $12 (adult) & $8 (child aged three to 12) from Mon - Thu & $15 (adult) & $10 (child aged three to 12) from Fri - Sun, Tel: 6475-2944 Info: Other highlights include a show by a troupe from China, lion dances and food stalls, Visit www.2008lanternfestival.com.sg for details

Art

COLOURS OF INDIA

View fresh works by young Indian contemporary artists at this exhibition, which also showcases a preview of works by senior Indian artists.

Where: ARTrium, MICA Building, 140 Hill Street MRT: City Hall/Clarke Quay When: Till tomorrow : 9am - 8pm daily Admission: Free Tel: 6270-7988

A TRIBUTE TO THE GARDENS BY ONG KIM SENG & STUDENTS

Visit Villa Halia, a restaurant at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and buy any of 77 paintings by Ong Kim Seng, Singapore's top watercolourist and Cultural Medallion recipient, and his students. Inspired by the beauty of the gardens, the paintings capture magical glimpses of the garden.

Where: Singapore Botanic Gardens, Villa Halia, Ginger Garden MRT: Orchard When: Till Sept 30: noon - 11pm (Mon - Fri), 9am - 11pm (Sat & Sun) Admission: Free Tel: 6476-6711 Info: You can catch a talk by Ong Kim Seng and artist's live class on Sept 13 & 14 from 4pm at Villa Halia. You can also visit www.halia.com.sg for information

Charity

GLO FOR YOUTH

Catch this concert featuring home-grown bands such as The Fire Fight, Saw Loser and Allura, and help raise $60,000 for the Student Advisory Centre, which reaches out to troubled youths. By YOUths.Care, a community service project by students from 10 junior colleges.

Where: Fort Canning Park MRT: Dhoby Ghaut When: Today: 6.30 - 10.30pm Admission: $15 Tel: 9769-0419

Info: www.youthscare.com

FIGHT WORLD HUNGER

When you dine in or buy takeaway food at any KFC Restaurant or Pizza Hut restaurant here, you donate $2 to the United Nations World Food Programme which will go to help fight world hunger and support victims of disasters, such as those in the cyclone-affected areas of Myanmar.

Where: All KFC Restaurants outlets and Pizza Hut Restaurants outlets here When: Till Sept 28: 11am - 10pm, (KFC outlets) When: Till Oct 7: 11am - 10pm (Pizza Hut outlets) Admission: Free Tel: 6290-7591 Info: Visit www.kfc.com.sg or www.pizzahut.com.sg, you can also donate online by visiting www.fromhungertohope.com. Donors will each receive two appreciate gifts - a limited edition World Hunger Relief 2008 wristband and KFC or Pizza Hut meal coupons

Class

BILL'S FITNESS DANCE BOOTCAMP

Get in shape. Women can try out fitness trainer and celebrity dance director Bill Calhoun's fitness bootcamp, which combines muscle conditioning with cardio and group circuit training and dance-based workouts.

Where: Dance On Us, Claymore Point 01-03/04, 8 Claymore Hill MRT: Orchard When: Today - Thu : 8.15pm & Sat: 9am Admission: $480 for 12 sessions three times a week Tel: 6737-4466 Info: E-mail registration@danceonus.com for information or visit www.danceonus.com

Classical

A SINGAPOREAN IN RUSSIA

Catch this recital by Song Ziliang, a Singapore pianist studying at the Moscow Conservatory. He will perform works such as the Grand Sonata In G Major Op. 37 by Tchaikovsky and more.

Where: National Museum of Singapore, The Salon, 93 Stamford Road MRT: Dhoby Ghaut When: Today: 8pm Admission: $12 Tel: 6332-3659

MONDAY NOON RECITAL

Enjoy solo and ensemble pieces at this free weekly noon recital by students from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

Where: Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, next to University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge MRT: Clementi/Buona Vista Today : 12.15pm Admission: Free Tel: 6516-1167 Info: No entry to children below six

LYNDON WATTS: BASSOON RECITAL

Enjoy a mixed repertoire of contemporary solo pieces and sonatas by Devienne and Saint-Saens at this bassoon recital by Lyndon Watts, the principal bassonist of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

Where: Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, next to University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge MRT: Clementi/Buona Vista When: Tomorrow : 7.30pm Admission: Free Tel: 6516-1167 Info: No entry to children below six

BEETHOVEN COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS (RECITAL BY BORIS KRALJEVIC)

Be treated to Beethoven's Piano Sonatas C minor Op.13 'Pathetique', C sharp minor Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight' and D major Op.28 'Pastoral' at this recital by Ukrainian pianist Boris Kraljevic. Part of a cycle of 10 Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas recitals.

Where: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Lee Foundation Theatre, 151 Bencoolen Street MRT: Bugis When: Tomorrow : 8pm Admission: $28 Tel: 6348-5555

Class

HIP HOP WORKSHOP

Your children can have fun learning this street dance-based session which uses the latest funky steps that are challenging and fun. They can also build up energy, style plus a touch of attitude.

Where: Kids Performing, 03-13 red dot Traffic Building, 28 Maxwell Road MRT: Tanjong Pagar When: Tomorrow: 10 - 11.30am (those aged seven to 11 years old), 2 - 3.30pm (those aged 12 to 15) Admission: $32 with registration fee a session Tel: 6327-8919 Info: Visit www.kidsperforming.com

Contest

14TH NGEE ANN CITY NATIONAL LION DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008

Who will be the Lion King? Catch 25 of Singapore's top lion dance teams battling it out for the Ngee Ann City Challenge trophy and top cash prize of $6,000 at this Lion Dance tournament at Ngee Ann City.

Where: Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, Orchard Road MRT: Orchard/Somerset When: Today - Sat : 7.30pm nightly Admission: Free Tel: 6733-0337 or visit www.ngeeanncity.com.sg

Education

CATS CLASSIFIED LEARNING FOR SUCCESS EDUCATION EXHIBITION 2008

Make the right education and career choice. Head for this Education Exhibition where you can get information on local and overseas certificate diploma, degree and postgraduate courses and select from more than 400 programmes. Sign up for a course at the exhibition and you might win a HP TouchSmart desktop computer worth $2,499.

Where: Suntec Singapore Concourse, Level 3 MRT: City Hall, When: Sept 13: 10am - 8pm, Free Tel: 6319-5917 Info: You can find out more from various educational institutions, such as the Asia Pacific Management Institute and the Marketing Institute of Singapore, as well as top universities.

Food

EAT & WIN AT CATS CLASSIFIED FOOD FEST

Spend at least $20 at any participating restaurant in the Cats Classified Food Fest 2008 and you might win a Cherry QQ Hatch or a Cherry T11 SUV, worth $55,000 minus COE, road tax and insurance, in the grand draw on Nov 15.

Tel: 6319-5924 Info: The names of the participating restaurants will be featured in Lianhe Zaobao (Tue), The New Paper (Wed), Lianhe Wanbao (Thu) and Shin Min Daily News (Sat) till Nov 8. There will be four fortnightly draws. The first draw on Thu is offering a three-day stay for two at the Banyu Biru Villa on Bintan

Gig

TRIBUTE TO BAI GUANG

Home-grown singer Jessica Tan will perform memorable hits of Bai Guang, a legendary singer from Hong Kong and 1940s movie star and singer, such as If I Don't Have You and Autumn Night at this concert. In Mandarin, it's part of the Coffee Morning & Afternoon Tea programme presented by The Esplanade.

Where: Esplanade Recital Studio MRT: City Hall When: Today :10.30am & 3pm Admission: $13 Tel: 6348-5555

LIVING WITH... ZUO EN & XUE TING

Home-grown musicians Zuo Eng and Huang Xue Ting will perform on the piano and guitar and sing tunes such as popular songs by Eric Moo, Tanya Chua and Kit Chan, as well as original songs.

Where: The Arts House, Old Parliament House, 1 Old parliament Lane MRT: Raffles Place When: Today : 8 - 9pm Admission: $10 Tel: 6332-6919 Info: www.intunemusic.com.sg

LIVING WITH...AARON LIM

Catch original compositions by Aaron Lim, a local singer-songwriter and director of Intune Music School, and demonstrations of famous hits by other singers, such as Lee Sheng Jie, Cha Jian Er Guo and Zui Jin, at this concert.

Where: The Arts House, Old Parliament House, 1 Old parliament Lane MRT: Raffles Place When: Today : 9.15 - 10.15pm, Admission: $10, Tel: 6332-6919 Info: Visit www.intunemusic.com.sg for information

JAZZ TRIO IN CONCERT

Enjoy jazz standards at this life jazz concert featuring three foreign performers: Malaysian jazz pianist Tay Cher Siang, American bass guitarist John Cavendish and drummer Adam Osmianski.

Where: The Japanese Association Singapore, 120 Adam Road MRT: Toa Payoh/Newton When: Tomorrow : 7.30pm Admission: $30 Tel: 9637-4573

Magic

ULTIMATE MAGIC

Hey presto! This permanent magic show at Clarke Quay's The Arena featuring illusionists J.C. Sum and Magic Babe Ning kicks off today. The acts include Sum's Impossible Teleportation, where he will try to teleport from other parts of the island including the Singapore Flyer and the Night Safari.

Where: Clarke Quay, The Arena, near Novotel Hotel, River Valley Road MRT: Clarke Quay When: From today (ongoing): 5 & 7pm (Mon - Sat), no show on Sun, Admission: $55 (adults) & $27.50 (children), no entry for children below six, Tel: 6338-3158 Info: Visit www.thearenalive.com.sg for details

Theatre

PUCCINI'S TURANDOT

Be uplifted by the music of Puccini at this opera about an icy Chinese princess who refuses to marry any man unless he can answer three riddles. Held by the Singapore Lyric Opera to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini's birth (1858-1924). Performed in Italian with English and Chinese surtitles.

Where: Esplanade Theatre MRT: City Hall When: Today - Wed : 8pm Admission: $28 - $133 Tel: 6348-5555

THE RAINBOW FISH

This musical for the young and young-at-heart about a proud and pretty Rainbow Fish is told in a magical mix of black light, music and fishy mayhem. Based on Marcus Pfister's award-winning storybook, the script and lyrics are by Brian Seaward, the artistic director of I Theatre.

Where: Alliance Francaise, 1 Sarkies Road, MRT: Newton When: Today - Sept 14: varying times Admission: $20 (adult or child) Tel: 6348-5555

MORE OR LESS

Artistes from The Loose Moose Theatre Company of Canada will skillfully spin an extraordinary tale with your suggestions and wild ideas. Anything goes in this improvisational theatre presented by Act 3 International for children aged four to eight.

Where: Act 3 Theatre, 126 Cairnhill Road MRT: Newton/Somerset, When: Today Mon - Fri : 10am, Sat & Sun : 11am & 4pm Admission: $21 Tel: 6348-5555

THOMAS & FRIENDS LIVE! ON STAGE: THOMAS SAVES THE DAY

Families and pre-schoolers should not miss this brand-new musical, which features trains with engaging personalities, a thrilling story and new railroad-themed songs.

Where: Singapore Expo Hall 3A MRT: Expo When: Wed - Sun : various times Admission: $31 - $71, Tel: 6348-5555

Web

THE STAR BLOGGERS

The Star Bloggers discuss the latest topics in their inimitable way.

Info: Visit www.stomp.com.sg/starblog to read their takes

Wedding

THE NEW PAPER WEDDING PLANNER

Prizes worth a total of $4,000 are up for grabs in a buyers' draw at The New Paper Wedding Planner exhibition featuring an eclectic array of wedding-related products and services. Just buy anything at this exhibition to qualify for the draw. You can also join a wedding cake eating contest for a chance to win the top prize of $1,000 cash.

Where: Suntec City Mall, Entertainment Atrium MRT: City Hall When: Sept 12 & 13: 11am - 10pm (exhibition), Sept 13 & 14: 5pm (Bridal Couture Fashion Runway Show featuring stunning wedding gowns), Sept 14: 11am - 9pm, Admission: Free Tel: 6319-5916 Info: On Sept 14 at 4pm, you and your spouse-to-be aged 18 to 40 can take part in a wedding cake eating contest for a chance to win $1,000 cash. To participate, couples have to submit their photographs with their names, age, identity card numbers and contact numbers to cats@sph.com.sg by Sunday.

Compiled by Magdalene Lum

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