Sydney’s Rainbow Mardi Gras

A few weeks ago, Nick and I were at our favourite local pub having a mid-day pint (as one does) and discovered brochures for something amazing: a gay & lesbian Mardi Gras! It’s effectively Sydney’s gay pride festival, stemming from protests in 1978 (homosexuality was still illegal until 1984 in New South Wales). You can read more about the history here at the Wikipedia article. Nick and I learned that Mardi Gras is Sydney’s second-biggest tourist even of the year!

The celebrations began on a Sunday with Mardi Gras fair day – a day of live music, food, and drinks. Next year we will stay for the whole day as we were having a lovely time, but we had a Chinese New Year parade to get to later in the evening.

Live music & comedy at Fair Day. Next year we will stick around – but we had a Chinese New Year parade to catch!

Proud to support our LGBTIQ friends, family, and coworkers.

Giant sausages abounded at Mardi Gras Fair Day.

The following weekend (actually, last night) was the parade. Nick and I were super excited for this event and it did not disappoint. The floats, costumes, and dancers were amazing.

Mer-queens!

😀

Qantas’ “rainbow roo” float / I prefer the “Gay380” 🙂

Qantas’ “rainbow roo” float / I prefer the “Gay380” 🙂

Qantas’ “rainbow roo” float / I prefer the “Gay380” 🙂

We saw lots of amazing outfits among our fellow spectators.

Adonises

Sydney lifeguards

The police even showed up…with their police-Porsche.

Amazing costumes.

All business in front…

…party in the back.

Weapon of mass destruction.

Chinese New Year & Lunar New Year

Happy new year! Nick and I celebrated Chinese/Lunar New Year in style this year in Sydney, which seems to celebrate everything in style!

First, there were fireworks to kick off the two weeks of celebrations for the New Year. I went with some friends – Nick missed out on this one as he was stuck at home with a very bad cold.

Fireworks over the opera house to kick off the celebrations.

Paper lantern terracotta warriors.

Paper lantern terracotta warriors.

However, the following week he was back to himself and we spent the day wandering around the festival in Darling Park…

A beautiful New Year’s Day 🙂

Gate to the festivities.

Nick and I rode the merry-go-round in Darling Harbour.

After riding the merry-go-around (we asked, and the woman selling tickets assured us that we can never be too old!), it was off for dinner at Din Tai Fung in downtown Sydney, a world-famous dumpling chain. They had these adorable sheep dumplings for dessert, and we couldn’t pass them up…

It’s the year of the sheep, so the dumpling place we went to for dinner had these sheep dumplings filled with molten chocolate.

Delicious, delicious sheep.

After dinner, it was off to find a good spot for the parade – which we did, right up against the guard rails! We had a great view of all of the floats and wonderful costumes.

Dancers.

A sheep-shearing float.

Year of the sheep meant many sheep in the parade. They were super cute and furry.

Ferocious sheep-dragon thing.

The parade ended late, so we missed the closing fireworks show in Darling Harbour (which I’m sure was spectacular!), but opted to walk around the paper lantern display in Darling Harbour. The lanterns were beautifully aglow, it was a lovely way to end the evening. Happy new year, everyone!

Paper lanterns at night in Tumbalong Park.

Paper lanterns lit up at night in Tumbalong Park.