Many well-supported festivals take place within the Northern Territory on an annual basis, often being centred around Darwin. Each year on the first day of July, Territory Day is a huge event, with the local government laying on an evening fireworks display at Mindil Beach.
The month of July also sees the arrival of the rather unique Darwin Beer Can Regatta, which was first held in 1974 as a way of recycling rubbish following Cyclone Tracy and now sees participants creating boats out of little more than cans and plastic bottles. The regatta features boat races alongside Mindil Beach, while those who prefer dry land can join in the various other related events, such as tug of war competitions, sandcastle building and beach races.
Lasting for two weeks and staged each year in the middle of August is the aptly named Darwin Festival, where things to do and see include live music, film screenings, comedy gigs and exhibitions of Aboriginal art, as well as the NT Indigenous Music Awards. Also staged in August is the Rodeo, the Darwin Cup horse race and even a Mud Crab Tying Competition.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- 26th January - Australia Day
- 1st Monday in March - Labour Day
- Good Friday / Easter Monday March / April - Easter
- 25th April - Anzac Day
- 2nd Monday in June - Queen's birthday
- 1st Monday in August - Bank Holiday
- 25th December - Christmas Day
- 26th December - Boxing Day
Darwin Calendar of Festivals and Events 2012 / 2013
January
- Hottest 7's in the World - late January, an international rugby competition
February
- Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin - mid-February, commemorating those who lost their lives in the Second World War
April
- Craft Expo - early April, held at Fannie Bay in the museum grounds, with a wealth of local handicraft items, workshops and stalls
- Annual Territory Craft Fair - early April, with craft stalls and workshops
May
- Seabreeze - mid-May, first held in 2005 and based within the Nightcliff suburb, where talent shows are the main event
- NT Expo - late May, held in the Central Business District (CBD), the Northern Territory 'NT' Expo has become one of the largest trade expositions of its kind in Australia
June
- National Trust Patron's Dinner - early June, a formal dinner profiling the National Trust and the city's heritage
- Orchid Spectacular - early June, a large exhibition of flowering orchids at Darwin's Marrara Indoor Stadium
- Northern Territory Writers' Festival - mid-June, featuring readings, writing workshops, debates and lively discussions
- Darwin Pride Festival - mid-June, large gay pride celebration, with Mardi Gras parades, carnivals and general festivities
July
- Territory Day - July 1st, centred around Mindil Beach
- NT Orienteering Championships Carnival - mid-July, carnival and celebrations, organised by Top End Orienteers
- Dragonfly Craft Fair - mid-July, a large local arts and crafts fair. Around 50 individual stalls gather within the grounds of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory on Conacher Street, Fannie Bay
- Beer Can Regatta - mid-July, unique festival featuring boats made entirely out of beer cans
- Darwin Fringe Festival - late July, with lots of themed exhibitions, comedy events and film screenings
- Speargrass Festival - taking place the week before the first full moon in July, with screenings of locally made films and documentaries, live music, basket weaving demonstrations, Frisbee golf and organic cooking lessons
- Royal Darwin Show - late July, popular agricultural show at the nearby showground in Winnellie
- Darwin Cup Carnival - late July / early August, with eight days of horse racing and other exciting equestrian-related events
- Darwin to Bali Yacht Race - late July, the start of this prestigious boat race
August
- Darwin Rodeo - mid-August, with bareback riding, calf roping and large crowds of cheering spectators
- Festival of Darwin - mid-August, outdoor arts fest, with many striking Aboriginal paintings
September
- World Solar Challenge - late September / early October, with solar-powered cars travelling around 3,000 km / 1,875 miles from the city, all the way to Adelaide
November
- Christmas Craft Fair - late November, a large handicrafts fair held in the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory grounds, including workshops and demonstrations
December
- Carols By Candlelight - early December, evening Christmas carols at the Amphitheatre based within the George Brown Botanical Gardens
- New Year's Eve on the Wharf - December 31st, with live entertainment and spectacular fireworks at midnight
