The Northern Territory sees a number of fun festivals and well-supported events, with Alice Springs being called home by some of the most significant. Many of the principal things to do tend to be based around the Todd Mall, where community celebrations and exhibitions of large art works are amongst the principal draws.
Numerous events staged in Alice Springs reflect the arid nature of this part of Australia. The annual Alice Desert Festival incorporates the famous Lions Camel Cup, where camel races take place at Blatherskite Park, being organised by the Lions Club and first staged in 1970.
Those arriving around springtime (September in Australia) will be able to join the crowds gathered on the banks of the dry Todd River, where the Henley-on-Todd Regatta takes place. However, with a lack of water, this is a sailing regatta with a difference, as the crews simply race along the dry river bed with their bottomless boats, a number of which are armed with flour bombs and fun water-based weaponry.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- 26th January - Australia Day
- 1st Monday in March - Labour Day
- Good Friday / Easter Monday March / April - Easter
- 25th April - Anzac Day
- 2nd Monday in June - Queen's birthday
- 1st Monday in August - Bank Holiday
- 25th December - Christmas Day
- 26th December - Boxing Day
Alice Springs Calendar of Festivals and Events 2012 / 2013
January
- Australia Day - late January, local celebrations around the Telegraph Station, including a flag raising ceremony
March
- Central Australian Expo - early March, located at the Alice Springs Convention Centre
- Central Australian Bike Challenge - mid-March, featuring six days of cycle races
April
- Alice Springs Cup Carnival - mid-April, a major horse racing event at the Pioneer Park Racecourse
- Heritage Festival - mid-April, celebrating the rich European heritage of the area, including guided tours of historic buildings
- Alice IS Wonderland Festival - late April / early May, popular gay and lesbian gay-pride Mardis Gras themed festivities based around the centre
May
- Bangtail Muster - early May, with a parade of carnival floats heading down the Todd Mall in central Alice Springs
- Molly's Bash - popular fundraiser event for the Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame
June
- Country Music Festival - mid-June, with live Country and Western music, dancing and plenty of refreshments
- Finke Desert Race - mid-June, a 240 km / 150 mile race around Finke with more than 400 motorcyclists, dirt bikes and buggies
- Alice Springs Beanie Festival - mid-June, held at Witchetty's at Araluen, with displays, workshops and awards related to woollen beanie toys
July
- Alice Springs Show - early July, annual agricultural show, with many side stalls and attractions
- NAIDOC Week - mid-July, a festival about the indigenous culture around the Northern Territory (National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Committee)
- Voyages Alice Springs Lions Camel Cup - mid-July, camel racing held at Blatherskite Park, attracting large crowds
August
- Harts Range Amateur Race Club Bush Sports - early August, with a variety of horse racing events held at the Harts Range
- Alice Springs Rodeo - late August, staged at Blatherskite Park, including bareback riding and calf roping
- Big Screen - late August, with free screenings of major Australian films
- Alice Springs Marathon - late August, between Araluen and Flynn's Grave
September
- Australia's Festival of the Desert - early September, with general festivities and entertainment
- Henley-on-Todd Regatta - mid-September, a bizarre bottomless boat race along the dry Todd River
- Verdi Club Beerfest - late September, held at the Verdi Club on Undoolya Road
October
- Alice Open Men's Fours - mid-October, lawn bowls at the Alice Springs Bowling Club
- Masters Games - late October, popular sporting events at various venues in the town
November
- Alice Prize Arts Festival - throughout November, art exhibitions and events in the Araluen Cultural Precinct
- Corkwood Festival - late November, celebration of local handicrafts, music and food
December
- Christmas Shopping Market - early December, Yuletide market stalls based around the centrally located Todd Mall
- Christmas Carnival - mid-December, seasonal procession around the Todd Mall
