Nature Festival is in the swing of its fifth year, bringing new and innovative experiences for all ages. CityMag has collated some of the events to look out for before it wraps up in mid-October.

Nature Festival celebrates all things natural, hosting various shows relating to art, Aboriginal culture, music, food, wine, wellbeing and adventure.

This year’s theme is “awe” and aims to showcase South Australian events that will make you feel exactly that.

Nature Festival Director Ryan Hubbard says “the feeling of awe is this sense of expansiveness”.

“It’s something that captures you, arrests you or pulls you out of that rush of a narrow head-down, small view of the world, to a much wider view of the wonderous living system that you’re a part of,” he says.

Here are our picks from the program that CityMag anticipates to be awe-inspiring.

Birdsong at UKARIA

This picture: Bowerbird Collective

The Bowerbird Collective is performing two shows for the Nature Festival at Mount Barker’s UKARIA Cultural Center. Bowerbird Collective aim to feature awe-inspiring performances from talented female composers.

They will be performing Passenger Pigeons with guest performer Katie Yap, as well as other cinematic songs. Katie is not only friends with the collective but is an award-winning artist of this year’s Musica Viva FutureMaker. Passenger Pigeons is inspired by the poem of the same name, created by Aussie poet Judith Wright.

They will also perform Where Song Began, a celebration of songbirds through music spanning 300 years, aided by visual projections.

The performances are on October 5, and there’s an optional light lunch available between concerts. Book via the Nature Festival website.

Illustrating the Orchard

Illustrator and graphic designer Kate Wauchope is hosting this Sip and Paint class in Glen Ewin. She is a part of the historic family estate that will provide a gorgeous backdrop to the creative tasting.

Collecting natural materials around the property including flowers, grass and other objects, attendees are invited to enjoy a glass of wine and attempt to draw their natural selections.

The Gatehouse Bar is also open for wine and gin tastings made from the restored fig orchards around the property.

Painting and illustrating in an outdoor setting will provide a therapeutic remedy for anyone who attends on September 29 and October 12.

Tickets are available via the Nature Festival website.

Nocturnal – a solo guitar recital by Andrew Blanch

This picture:  Bowerbird Collective

An ethereal experience from an award-winning guitarist, Nocturnal is a feat among darkness. This 60-minute performance is showcased with intricate light-work and roaring soundscapes.

Using sourced footage, artwork and poetry, Nocturnal combats the increasing issue of light pollution, while giving insight into the night’s cultural and biological significance.

This performance comes after a US tour that sold out halls across the west coast. While acting as an art show, Andrew’s soothing guitar will surely calm the mind.

Catch Nocturnal at Nexus Arts on October 12 at 7:30pm.

Pleasance

A gallery of infinite floral possibilities. Pleasance is a peaceful connection between the Karrawirra Parri/River Torrens and human creation.

This event is a collaboration between immersive art project Fallow and Super Bloom plant practitioners. These two teams have combined site-sensitive sculptures and artworks with the biodiversity of urban and natural landscapes.

Pleasance will explore evolving plant life that will be on display as the season progresses and the climate compatibility of species from near and far as the weather begins to change.

Pleasance is free and available to view from 10am ’til 5pm outside in the courtyard sculpture garden at the Art Gallery of South Australia from September 27 ’til October 19.

Sparkling in the Wild

This picture: Sinclair Gully

Witness and interact with the intricate art of winemaking with Sparkling in the Wild at Sinclair’s Gully, where you will learn the ins and outs of sparkling wine.

Property and winery owners Sean and Sue Delaney have worked to maintain conservation and sustainability practices in their winemaking and are inviting the public to experience it with them.

Starting with a guided tour, samples of their fine bubbles are available for tastings. Through the event, you will learn “traditional techniques of hand-disgorging, dosaging and corking your very own bottle of sparkling wine to take home”.

The experience is being held on three dates: September 28 and October 4 and 11. Find out more via the Nature Festival website.