Saigon weekend: Craft beer fest to carnaval nights

Saigon craft beer festival

The Saigon Craft Beer Festival is an event held on Feb. 24 at Saigon Outcast, a social hub in Ho Chi Minh City, that celebrates various craft beer brands. The event provides attendees with the chance to sample a wide range of craft beers from both local and international breweries and enjoy live music.

Saigon craft beer festival. Photo courtesy of Saigon Outcast

Saigon Outcast is located at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street, Thu Duc City. Admission to the event costs VND80,000 ($3.25) and includes a complimentary novelty glass.

Aroma workshop

The workshop titled "Botanical Art: Scent Station" is part of the multisensory experience series "Botanical Art: Ways of Seeing". The event aims to educate attendees about essential oils, including their extraction process and the identification of single-note fragrances.

There are three sessions daily: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Each session can host up to 20 participants, and registration closes upon reaching capacity. Interested individuals can sign up for the event through the provided link.

The workshop is set for Feb. 23 to 25 at Annam Gallery, at 371/4 Hai Ba Trung Street, District 3. Tickets are priced at VND150,000 ($6) for early birds and VND200,000 ($8.13) for walk-in registrations.

Art performance of love after life

An art performance called "Do You Believe in Love After Life?" will simultaneously take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Köln, Germany, this Saturday. The performance explores themes of time, space, and body, departing from conventional boundaries to explore ruptures in these concepts. Four queer performance artists of Southeast Asian heritage in Germany will present stories through various mediums such as performance, poetry, moving images, karaoke, and video art.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the event will take place on Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. on the 6th floor of Amanaki Thao Dien Hotel, at 10 Nguyen Dang Giai Street, Thu Duc District. You can pay what you can for entrance, but registration is required through the link provided.

Arts and mental health talk

"Talk & Music: Navigating Mental Health through Arts, Storytelling, and Community" aims to explore how arts, storytelling, and community engagement can contribute to healing. The panel discussion delves into topics such as the role of storytelling in mental health therapy, artists' therapeutic processes, the influence of local cultures, and the impact of the digital world on mental health.

Speakers at "Talk & Music: Navigating Mental Health through Arts, Storytelling, and Community" event. Photo courtesy of Arcan

The event, scheduled for Feb. 24 at Arcan Saigon, at 29/2H Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District, will feature a talk from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by a DJ set until 8 p.m. The after-party will continue from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Although admission is free, attendees must register in advance using the provided link.

Brazilian carnaval night

The "Carnaval Do Brasil" event provides an evening of Brazilian music, dance, and festivities. Attendees can enjoy live music, DJ sets, and samba dancers, along with face art services. Dress code is in line with the Brazilian theme.

Carnaval Do Brasil poster. Photo courtesy of Le Café des Stagiaires - Saigon

Tickets purchased online until Feb. 24 cost VND900,000 ($36), while tickets bought at the door on Feb. 24 are priced at VND1,000,000 ($40). All tickets include costume accessories and free-flow drinks from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., although the event will last until late, at Le Café des Stagiaires, located at 10 Street 54, Thu Duc City.