It’s no secret that Aussie culture rides hard for alcohol. From sippin’ on Brew Jackmans to enjoying a martini dirtier than the fridge in my old share house, from the moment we enter adulthood – all of our events seem to revolve around having a drink in hand.
While I genuinely enjoyed a portion of my early adulthood making the most of all the pubs and clubs around Sydney, as I’ve gotten older, drinking doesn’t have the same appeal. And it’s not just because my frontal cortex has developed and told me not to make out with the dude wearing Soulja Boy glasses or deadlift people on the dancefloor.
Because although the last time I deadlifted people with alcohol involved I hurt my back badly enough to warrant a trip to the physio, my step away from alcohol is mainly because the older I get the worse my alcohol-induced anxiety gets.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve experimented with going periods of time completely sober.
I became a sober-curious gal, if you will. And although I find it super easy to order a non-alcoholic bevvie when I’m out to dinner with pals, I find it hard to find events and social functions that make me feel comfortable when I’m sober. Family functions are tricky. Work events are a fresh hell. And honestly, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve folded and found myself giving up on sobriety and attempting to catch up to everyone else’s level of tipsy with a couple of shotties.
But recently, I’ve realised that I’m not alone in my sober curiosity. In fact, according to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey taken in 2019, more and more Aussies are taking steps to either give up or reduce their alcohol consumption, with 31 per cent saying that they’d reduced their drinking habits. On ya, my friends!
And to honour the growing interest young Aussies have in sober curiosity, there is now an abundance of delicious tasting non-alcoholic beverages like Heaps Normal, Seedlip and Nocktail. Delicious, yummo! But what I think we need more of are events that have live music, dancing, and fun activities where we aren’t expected to use alcohol as social lube.
This weekend, Pedestrian Group and our mates at BWS have joined forces to bring this kind of event to Melburnians. Oksoberfest is a one-day sober event created to help ditch the stereotype that we need booze to have fun. God, I’ve just had the realisation that I sound like my mother.
Anyway, the event is jam-packed with market stalls from sick brands like You, Me & Bones, Yulaa-Li By Kiara, Clingy Bags and more. Plus delicious non-alc drinks and food to sip and snack on too. Plus, a bunch of local DJs like Kavi, Crissy and Ambedo to listen to as you stroll.
And if you’re the type who needs to keep your hands busy, there are workshops led by jewellery legends Haus Of Dizzy, an upskilling lesson by Into Carry and even a ceramic workshop by Wonki & J Ceramics. Anyone down to act out that scene from Ghost? No?
Oksoberfest is taking place this Saturday, October 28. To find out more information on the worships, stalls or cool shit happening on the day, check out the website HERE.