What's On in the Adelaide Hills This Weekend

Kurt Opray
Jul 2
3 min read

July has well and truly arrived in the Adelaide Hills, and with it comes the kind of crisp winter air that makes a walk through the gums feel magical. After a stormy start to the month, conditions are settling in nicely for the weekend — think cool, clear days in the low teens, perfect for rugging up and getting out. Here's what's on this weekend and into the first week of July.

Saturday 4 July

Bright Night — Stirling Village, from 4pm (FREE)

Stirling's popular winter festival Bright Night returns, transforming the main street into a glowing celebration of community warmth. The Stirling Business Association fills the village with paper lantern installations, live acoustic music, outdoor fire pits, and local eateries staying open late. Expect hot chocolate from Hokey Pokey, Belgian waffles from Red Cacao, face painting and drop-in craft for kids — all completely free. Just show up. Details at stirlingadelaidehills.com.au.

Grunthal Brew & Udder Delights Cheese Making Class — Verdun, 9:30am–1pm ($190pp)

Start your Saturday with something hands-on. Award-winning cheesemaker Sheree Sullivan hosts this popular class in the Grünthal Greenhouse, where you'll make your own feta from scratch and learn how the same base recipe creates camembert and other soft-ripened cheeses. Includes a guided cheese tasting, freshly baked ciabatta, a glass of wine or Grünthal beer, cakes, take-home recipes and a small equipment starter kit. Book via rezdy at grunthal.com.au.

Grunthal Brew Cheese Making Class with Udder Delights in the Greenhouse, Verdun

Sunday 5 July

Uraidla Market — Uraidla Oval Show Hall, 10am–3pm (FREE)

The Uraidla Market fills up the Show Hall on the first Sunday of each month with locally made crafts, artwork, plants, fresh produce, and the makers themselves behind every stall. It's the kind of market that rewards a slow browse — bring a bag, plan for a coffee pit stop nearby, and enjoy the unhurried pace. Free entry.

Uraidla Market at the Uraidla Institute Hall

Firstival: Sunday Session of Music — Mt Barker Community Library, 3pm (FREE)

July is Firstival month across SA's public libraries — a statewide festival encouraging people to try something new. At Mt Barker Community Library this Sunday afternoon, the space transforms into a relaxed live music venue with local performers taking the stage. A lovely low-key way to round out the weekend. More at firstival.com.au.

Also This Week — NAIDOC Week Begins

NAIDOC Week 2026 (5–12 July) is themed 'Deadly in the Hills', celebrating First Nations culture and community across the Adelaide Hills. If you're extending your stay into Monday, there are two hands-on events worth knowing about.

Aboriginal Style Beaded Jewellery Making Workshop — NAIDOC Week 2026

Aboriginal Style Beaded Jewellery Making Workshop — Monday 6 July, 9–11am, Mt Barker Community Library ($5)

Local Indigenous artist David Booth guides participants (ages 7 and up) in making their own Aboriginal-style bracelet and necklace. All materials provided; everyone takes their jewellery home. Limited places — book via Eventbrite or through ahc.sa.gov.au.

Quandong Connections: Seed Bracelet & Keyring Workshop — Monday 6 July, 10:30am–12pm, Stirling Library (FREE)

Also part of NAIDOC Week, this free workshop at Stirling Library explores the cultural significance of the Quandong — a native Australian fruit with deep meaning — while participants create their own seed bracelet and keyring to take home. Details at ahc.sa.gov.au.

Something Different This Weekend

If you want a truly memorable Saturday evening, Bright Night in Stirling is the pick of the weekend. It's one of those rare events that feels genuinely local — no ticketing lines, no corporate gloss, just a village lighting itself up in winter. Grab a hot chocolate, wander the lantern-lit laneways, and let the kids loose at the craft station. It's exactly the kind of thing you can't find just anywhere.