From 2-4 August, witness a spectacular show of lights at Westfield Chermside. It’s another year of the Festival Of Lights and levels 1 and 2 of the dining precincts at the venue will be illuminated.
Consider this event “lit,” because not only will you have a lights festival, but there will also be fireworks shows, live music, roaming entertainers, interactive projections, and activities such as UV face painting.
The schedule for this three-day event is:
7:00 p.m. – Lighting Show with Fireworks
8:00 p.m. – Lighting Show
9:00 p.m. – Lighting Show
Best Spots To Watch
Catch the lights show at the Food Court entrance on Level 1. If you’re on the second level, then wherever you stand, you will be able to witness the laser light projections and the fireworks as well.
Whilst other businesses are busy targeting Millennials, a Brisbane mother-and-daughter tandem has another market in mind – Generation Z. They have identified a gap in the market for this generation and has launched their Harper Bee brand for them.
Credit: Harper Bee Facebook
Gen Z, born from 1995 to 2010, are the children of Generation X and the ones who have grown up with the internet. Considered as “digital natives,” Gen Z are distinctly wired to all information around the world.
According to the Urban Dictionary, Gen Z are more cautious and conservative because they are born when there is a technological revolution, war on terror, and global campaign for multiculturalism.
Gen Z may sound like a hard market to capture, but Brisbane mother and daughter Janine Burford and Jessica Wood are certainly willing to try.
Jess and her mum Janine Credit: Harper Bee Website
Harper Bee stores opened in Westfield Chermside and Toowoomba this year.
We celebrate each and every girl’s uniqueness and individuality and are so happy to have them as part of our Harper Bee community! Credit: Harper Bee Facebook
Ms Burford perceives Gen Z as very particular and on-trend. She said that currently, there are no shops that cater to their needs. Realising this opportunity, she and her daughter created products that are no longer babyish but at the same time don’t look like something that mothers would buy for themselves.
Credit: Harper Bee Facebook
Harper Bee has all the stuff that Gen Z will otherwise have difficulty finding from other shops. The store has decorations for the bedrooms and desks, the latest technology, cute jewellery, beauty products, weekend clothing, over night stuff for sleepovers, and gift options for the BFFs.
But the mother-and-daughter tandem does not want to stop there. They are calling on Gen Z and their parents to tell them what else are they looking for. Anyone is welcome to send in their suggestions here.
Harper Bee merchandise can also be purchase online, just click here.
A new two-storey Italian restaurant has opened at Westfield Chermside last December. Casa Cibo, which means “food house” in Italian, promises a great dining experience with its authentic Italian ambience, from its wood-fired ovens to its Italian interiors.
Credit: Casa Cibo Facebook
Executive chef Joey Goldman wants diners at Casa Cibo to enjoy great Italian home cooking and that sense of belonging that comes from eating together with the family that is the hallmark of an Italian home.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Joey has been in Australia for the past five years. Three and a half of which he has been running the six Jamie’s Italian restaurants across the country. Joey has now joined the Casa family to give his own twist to some traditional Italian dishes! Credit: Casa Cibo Facebook
This is also why Casa Cibo is known for its Family Style Sharing Menu that is best for groups of eight or more.
Credit: Casa Cibo Facebook
Chef Goldman has been putting Casa Cibo’s Italian wood-fired ovens into good use as he makes pizza on-site from scratch. He has also included lamb ragu, focaccia bread, and porchetta to the overall menu, with wood-roasted vegetables as appetizers. Guests can also take pleasure in other sumptuous sets which include charcuterie and cheese boards, salmon salmoriglio, Amalfi roast chicken, and tagliata rump steak.
Two Stefano Ferrara wood fired pizza ovens all the way from Naples, Italy. Credit: Casa Cibo Facebook
Like in any other family, Casa Cibo also focuses on the most important members of the family – the kids. The place has prepared menus, as well as activities that can keep the tots busy to make the whole dining experience for the family trouble-free. The restaurants gives all kids a paper mat with characters which they can colour and games which they can finish as the adults wine and dine. They are also given basil seeds for them to plant. Chef Goldman assures parents that the recipes in the kids’ menu are very well planned. Sous chef Anthony Kentrotis shares that all meals include nutrition notes and are divided into go, glow, grow food category.
Anthony Kentrotis, aka Ali, is a local Brisbane born and raised talent. Credit: Casa Cibo Facebook
Families and groups can choose any one of three family-style private dining rooms: Nonna’s Table with a capacity of up to 12 people, La Famiglia Dining Room which has been designed with large glass doors, and The Don’s which can accommodate up to 24 people with its massive table.
Casa Cibo is located at Level 2, Shop R68 Westfield Chermside.
Children can have quality time with Santa at Westfield Chermside from 9th November to 24th December. All family members can have photos taken with Santa and beloved pets can have a moment with Santa too. The kids can even join a parade.
The Search For Santa’s Little Helper
Santa Claus Credit: Westfield Chermside Facebook
During the first week of November, Santa has been in the lookout for a Little Helper who can assist him during the arrival parade at the mall. This lucky child will get to ride a Mercedes-Benz to get to the mall and will be the lucky one to walk with Santa during the arrival parade.
Those who have missed the chance to be Santa’s Little Helper can still catch him on Level 2 of the Westfield Chermside shopping mall, in the new Dining Precinct. This is where his whole entourage will convene at 10:30 a.m. for the parade that starts at 12:00 p.m. on the 12th of November.
As soon as Santa arrives at the Westfield Chermside mall on 12th November, everyone can have the chance to take photos with him at the Santa Set located outside of the Coffee Club on level 1. The photo sessions will run until 24th December and all children will receive a free gift from Santa himself.
Weekly prizes will also be given for the duration of the event. Everyone is welcome to colour Paddington Bear at the Santa Set. Anyone who participates can leave their details with any of Santa’s little helpers.
Santa Pet Photography
Santa’s Pet Photography Credit: Westfield Chermside Facebook
Pets can celebrate Christmas too and can have fun with Santa as well. From 19th November to 17th December, your precious furballs can also have their photo opportunity with Santa at the mall. For booking information, please click here.
The Santa Pet Photography session makes a comeback this year in partnership with Paddington 2, with a release scheduled for the 21st December. Paddington 2 casts include Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, and Peter Capaldi.
Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
Credit: FilmSelect YouTube
Paddington 2 will also have an advance screening on the 3rd of December at 11:00 a.m. at Event Cinemas. It will be an exclusive charity event with all proceeds to bedonated to children’s hospitals around the country. For more information, click here.
Credit: Event Cinemas YouTube
For more information about Santa’s stay in Chermside, click here.
Westfield Chermside is still giving free rides on the Carousel until the 16th of August. This is a fantasy and fairytale-like Carousel ride that is the creative collaboration of artist and jewellery designer Paula Walden, Creative Productions Company, Stage ONE, and Westfield Chermside.
Riders must be at least 105 centimetres tall. The inner horses can only hold 60 kilograms of weight, while the outer horses can hold 100 kilograms.
The Urchin will be filled with wonderfully choreographed, live light shows created by the audio-visual artist Kit Webster.
Each night, there will be fireworks, live DJs, free glow-in-the-dark face painting, and LED robot stilt walkers that will roam around the dining precinct.
ENVY Jewellery will showcase their Spring/Summer 2017 Collection. Every guest will receive a glass of champagne upon arrival, a copy of the new ENVY Lookbook and My Moments Lookbook for Spring/Summer 2017, and a $100 gift card.
Good news for all art buffs looking for supplies and inspiration in Chermside! Ironlak Art & Design opened its doors recently at Shop 2629, Level 2 of Westfield Chermside.
“Black Japan” theme of the Ironlak Chermside (Photo credit: www.ironlak.com)
Ironlak’s Chermside branch is its third flagship store in Australia, and the first Ironlak store to open in a shopping centre. Every Ironlak Art & Design store has a unique theme that gives the location a distinctive individuality. For the Chermside store, the Brisbane store’s “Black Japan” theme was adapted and then updated to fit the shopping centre vibe, with dark timber framing and strips of white neon light.
Beautiful artwork from the Art Show in Sydney (Photo credit: www.ironlak.com)
Ironlak is more than just an art supplies store. A proud 100% Australian-owned company, the company initially gained recognition for their first product, their signature aerosol spray paint.
As the company expanded, their product range also broadened until they became known for carrying different art supplies, from paints and inks to sketchpads and canvases. Today, their production is largely based off-shore.
Ironlak is also a home that helps artists enhance their creativity through different exhibitions all around the world. The Ironlak Family is a family of artists including artists in Australia, intriguingly represented by these anonymous code names: LINS, MEKS, SIRUM, SOFLES, TUES, and VANS THE OMEGA.
He really “DOES” the wall mural very well. (Photo credit: www.ironlak.com)
Every store has a large raw concrete wall dedicated for an actual artwork rendition from an artist-member of the Ironlak Family. In Chermside, DOES of The Netherlands spent a few days creating a beautiful mural with just Ironlak Acrylics, aerosols, paint, fresh concrete, a hammer, and a chisel.
Watch DOES in action and get a glimpse of his amazing piece of art. Better yet, visit Ironlak Chermside and view it for real.
Something for everyone in Ironlak (Photo credit: www.ironlak.com)
Ironlak Chermside has a complete range of their bestselling products, including paint and ink markers, acrylic and oil paints, watercolour paint, Sugar Artists’ Acrylic spray paint, colour pencils, drawing pens, canvas, and other art supplies. Test benches for product trials and Ironlak apparels showcasing art and graffiti are also available in-store.
Click here for the store hours or check their website for updates on store openings and new products.
