Penrith's annual Real Festival will bring the fun back to the beautiful Nepean River with three jam-packed days of art, music, activities and entertainment. Held at the newly upgraded Tench Reserve from September 15-17, this year’s festival has locked in a terrific line-up to spice up your weekend. From roller rinks and silent discos to retro arcades and dragon boating, there’s almost too much good stuff to pack in. Oh, and the whole thing will cost you a grand total of zero dollars.
Start your Real Festival adventure on Friday and Saturday evening from 4-9pm with a magical journey through the festival’s interactive art displays. You can pose for a picture next to the larger-than-life LED pups or add a leaf to Penrith Library’s savvy recycled book installation.
Next, it’s time to unleash some energy at the free Roller Rink, dance the night away at the Silent DisGlow, or throw it back to the golden age of gaming at the open-air arcade with old friends Pacman, Pinball and Space Invaders.
You can expect a spellbinding set of performances throughout Real Festival spanning fire twirling and stunt skits to jetpack shows and a headline performance by Illuminart.
The kids can come out to play on Sunday from 10am-3pm with an epic program of family-friendly workshops, including circus skills, wild edibles foraging, pot decorating and slime making. Adults can experience the river in new ways too with kayaking, supp-ing, Nepean Belle cruises and dragonboat paddling. All the workshops are free to attend, but be warned: some require pre-booking to secure a spot.
Throughout the festival, you can also discover local goods at the artisan markets, fill up on all sorts of deliciousness from Sydney’s best food trucks and enjoy a bespoke cocktail under the stars at the pop-up riverside bar.