Five things to do this weekend (Mar 24-26)

If you’re looking for ways to unwind after a busy week, the events lined up this weekend will let you surround yourself with cats and Japanese food.

Here are five things to do this weekend (Mar 24-26):

Satisfy your Japanese food cravings at the ISETAN Sakura Matsuri fair running till Mar 26 at NEX Atrium Level 1.

Open from 10.30am to 8pm, the fair offers “authentic but affordable” Japanese dishes such as skewers, sweets and treats, street food and premium fresh produce from 33 renowned brands.

Some of these brands include Tsukiji Unagi Shokudo, famous for its unagi; Higo Marunoya, known for its award-winning karaage; and Fruits Café TOKIO’s fruits and desserts.

Cat lovers can look forward to the Singapore Cat Festival with over 50 cat-related booths run by local and international vendors on Mar 25 and 26. These include Steak & Eggs Please selling postcards and stationery goods, and nutritional cat food from PetCubes.

There will also be workshops such as art jamming for $40 and cat toy-making for free.

For those interested in bringing a feline home, an adoption drive will be held during the event in collaboration with organisations such as the Cat Welfare Society, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Purely Adoptions. 

The festival will run at 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Great World City, Singapore 237994. Visitors are allowed to bring their cats along, provided they are kept in transport crates or carriers.

Bookworms can spend time at the two-day literary launch party called the Sing Lit Shuttle organised by Sing Lit Station from Mar 25 to 26. The event is to publicise upcoming releases from local writers such as Balli Kaur Jaswal, Rachel Heng, and Tse Hao Guang. 

It also features panel discussions, poetry readings, book signings and more.

Visitors can enjoy combat demonstrations, food workshops and an annual opening party after the panel discussions. 

Admission is free for all programmes except SPLOOSH X GAUDY BOY and Eating South Asian Food in Singapore: Enjoying a New Conversation.

The party will take place from 12pm to 2pm at 22 Dickson Road Singapore. Those who are interested may register online, with a $5 refundable deposit required to secure tickets to the free programmes.

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is holding a theatrical performance, pEARs ‘ — — — ‘ in §pring, scripted and choreographed by artist Joo Choon Lin as part of the Dance in The Destruction Dance exhibition.

The performance revolves around playing with texture, the tonality of language, and the visceral effects of sound through the act of reading. 

“Film-objects” composed of industrial materials and assembly hardware like latches, hinges, collapsible legs and casters will be reconstituted and moved around the exhibition space, highlighting how “all meaning is generated through interdependence and constant renewal.” 

The free event will take place from 6pm to 7pm at Gallery 2, SAM at Tanjong Pagar District Park.

Held on Mar 25 from 12.30pm to 3:30pm at Suntec City Summit 2, Love, Bonito’s event features various workshops and panel talks to empower young female tertiary students. 

The panel discussion titled There Is Power In The Pack will feature four successful young women. They will share on various topics, from mentorships and rising in leadership roles in the workplace to insights on how to overcome challenges and achieve success. 

They include Joan Chang, the co-founder of Lloyds Inn, founder of Good Addition, Soup Cup, as well as the director of Macly Group; Christabel Chua, founder of kāi; Lily Wu, SEA & Greater China startup partner lead of Stripe and co-founder of Pixie World; and Azura Goh, a Ria 897 radio DJ, actress, and podcast host.

Additionally, there will be a styling workshop by the vice president of design of Love, Bonito, Tingzhi Liu, sharing fashion tips and advice for participants’ internships or full-time careers. 

Public admission tickets can be purchased online and the event is open to same-day walk-ins.