Billed as the biggest Australia Day Parade in the Nation, Adelaide's ethnic and community groups really put on a show; music, dancing and colourful costumes. This year's parade had 130 groups with more than 3000 participants.
Tonight we had our annual Christmas Street Party. As you can see it not not held in the street, but in a neighbour's front yard. People bring meat to cook on the barby and a salad or sweet to share.
The Lockleys Carols Night at Mellor Park is always a bit different to other carols nights that we play at. The compere, Richard Berry, always includes some crowd participation; it is a real fun family night.
Last Thursday saw the crowning of the 2009 Christmas Pageant's King and Queen; Matt Nolis and Marie Antoniou.
This mural in a park in Greenacres was created by John Whitney and year 10 students from nearby Ross Smith High School.
This is the entrance to the Pasadena Village, one of many such retirement complexes that have been built in the Adelaide metropolitan area in recent years.
The residents have access to shared facilities like the park shown here; a barbecue are and a bowling green. Also on site is a large community room where residents may choose to socialise.
The ABC Wednesday meme was created by Denise Nesbitt. To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions click here
Come Out Festival, now in its 35th year, provides arts experiences specifically for the youth of SA. Schools across the state participate in a range of activities; music, dance, circus, theatre and cultural events.
A Balinese Taruna Jaya Dance - beautiful girls in exquisite costumes; lovely to watch.
The SeOrkesNyah Dangdut band - a highly energetic and entertaining group with a mix of traditional Indonesian and Western instruments.
An appreciative crowd!
This morning local Adelaide radio station Triple M ran a Mascots' Race. Held at St. Raphael's Primary School, it was part of one of the station's breakfast program's regular segments "Back to School Friday."
The breakfast show hosts Kim, Ali and Dzelde ran their show on site at the school. Click here to see a slide show of the mascots on Triple M's web site.
Today it was announced by the premier, Mr Rann, that the new road under Anzac Highway be named Gallipoli Underpass. The 118 million dollar underpass will be opened to traffic later this month; significantly improving traffic flow. Another underpass is scheduled to be built under Port Road.
"One Australia - many cultures" was overwhelmingly obvious this morning during the colourful Australia Day Parade in Adelaide. Representatives from many of the cultural groups that make up our South Australian community adorned national costumes, played their music, sang and danced in the parade that ended in Elder Park for a massive community Australia Day party.
Over the last few weeks I have played at several community carols nights. This was taken a couple of Sundays ago at West Lakes, a western suburb of Adelaide. Even though it was a breezy and cold night most of the carollers stayed to the end.
Last week I gave you a glimpse of Adelaide's Christmas Pageant. In addition to that pageant, there are several others held in suburbs around Adelaide.
The main reason I went to the pageant was to see my granddaughter who paraded with her school.
Yesterday the school my granddaughters attend had a day of song and dance. The school had hired Bushwahzee to perform bush music and dance and then run workshops with the children.
The first "Johnnies" Pageant was held in 1933 and has been held each year since, apart from a four year break during World War II. The idea was conceived by Sir Edward Hayward, owner and general-manager of John Martins (a retail store).
Workers at John Martins, and now the credit unions, play a very big part in the pageant. My mother worked at John Martins and had the privilege of being part of this great event.
The photo was taken in 1938
My home for the weekend was Narnu Farm. Each year our community band has a 'band camp'. We visit a rural area and have a workshop and combined concert with a local band.
This is the main communal room, a place to eat and socialise. Off to the left is a well equipped kitchen and an activity room; table tennis and a large screen projector. To the right is the accommodation; dormitory rooms with double bunk beds.
Strathalbyn is a country town in the Adelaide Hills, about 60 km from Adelaide and each year they host a bands' festival. The event runs over two Sundays, attracting about 10 bands each day. Last Sunday I performed as a member of the Henley and Grange Concert Band.
Yesterday was National Tree Day, a community event organised by Planet Ark. Since its inception in 1996 more than 11.5 million native trees and shrubs have been planted throughout Australia by over 1.5 million volunteers.
This is Mr X playing a xylophone. I play saxophone in the Henley and Grange Concert Band, a community band, and a few weeks ago we purchased this new xylophone. Not really Mr X; Ben is one of our percussionists and he happily posed for the photo for me.
To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see links to other participants' sites go to mrs nesbitts place
Today the band I play in, the Henley and Grange Concert Band, performed in a concert at Murray Bridge. It was a combined concert with Murray Bridge Community Concert Band which was celebrating its 15th birthday. Murray Bridge is about 80 kilometres east of Adelaide.
