Glenelg is the place to be this July, as Jetty Road, the City of Holdfast Bay and Gluttony present the Glenelg Winter Arts Festival at Colley Reserve.

Popular East End festival hub Gluttony will pop up at the Bay from 7—23 July, showcasing ground-breaking artistry that’s the perfect school-holiday or date-night destination.

For Gluttony program director and recent 40 Under 40 Inspiring Female Leader award winner, Elena Kirschbaum, it’s an exciting opportunity to get out of the city and into the seaside locale.

“In wintertime, you don’t naturally think beachfront,” Elena tells CityMag. “So for us to do an event, we’re thinking a little bit outside the box… to invigorate a space that is so beautiful and so iconic but perhaps under-utilised in wintertime.”

If you’re prone to winter hibernation, fear not. The vibrant Gluttony infrastructure you’re used to seeing in Murlawirrapurka Rymill Park will fill Colley Reserve, along with a range of comfortable (and warm) seating areas.

“Our team is really used to creating spaces that are cosy and fun and make the most of winter while still making it a really comfortable space to be,” Elena says.

The main stage is housed in heated big-top The May Wirth, named for the Australian vaudeville performer known for her horseback acrobatics. A portrait of May adorns the tent’s façade, which is owned by Red Canvas Productions.

Within The May Wirth, there will be new music, circus, stand-up comedy and cabaret shows. If you’re after a laugh, there are some Fringe favourites lined up, including Wil Anderson, Mel Buttle, Rove McManus, Peter Helliar and Nazeem Hussain.

Next door is The Drawing Room, a pop-up venue for ticketed workshops. Midday activities will engage the kids this school holidays. In the evenings, gather your mates or dates to flex your creative muscles or learn a new skill – like painting or even circus.

Arabana and Kokatha visual artist, Mali Isabel will host workshops for kids and adults. Mali shares her style of colourful dot paintings, teaches Aboriginal cultural symbols and will help you paint your own stories. She says it’s about getting out of your comfort zone and being open to learn.

“It’s an opportunity for the youth to learn culture from a young Aboriginal person in a safe space and be able to ask questions,” Mali says. “The Adelaide community really needs to take advantage of Gluttony and things like this because it has so much to offer.”

Rachel Vidoni, who’ll appear in ‘Her Majesty: The Queen Rock Show‘

Festival organisers know you’ll work up an appetite, so it’s a good thing you’ll be in the Bay’s foodie precinct.

Local Jetty Road traders are part of the fun. Those that aren’t setting up at Colley Reserve will run festival deals allowing punters to grab a bite elsewhere along the strip before or after a show, if they so please.

Jetty Road’s Bottega Gelateria owner, Adriano Macri, says people still want to get out in winter in Glenelg. 

“It will be a good occasion to showcase special flavours for the duration of the event, and it’ll certainly be attractive to the area,” he says.

If you shiver at the thought of gelato in winter, you can stay warm with Bottega’s decadent hot chocolate. Using Belgian chocolate callets to create a full-bodied, rich and velvety texture, Adriano says the drink has built a decent following.

For the brave, Bottega’s new dark chocolate series is available from June and throughout the festivities in July. Adriano says this is exclusive single-origin plantation chocolate “no one else uses in South Australia”, from French chocolatier Michel Cluizel.

Adriano Macri at Bottega Gelateria’s Henley store

Elena tells CityMag the festival is designed to engage local businesses and make Glenelg an exciting destination during the school holidays. 

“[Colley Reserve] is quite a small park with these beautiful big hills encasing it. It already has this really kind of lovely cosy feel to it… [and] it is really accessible and easy to get to,” Elena says.

“Here you can see a show, you can have a drink, you can participate in some free activities, you could stay and do a workshop — it is a full outing.”

The festival and its ticketed events open to the public on 7 July from 6pm.

It will be closed Mondays, but every other day it’ll open from 11am and run into the evening, with day and night entertainment options for all ages.