Went to Artbox Singapore and my friend even took the afternoon off to join me in this pop-up container market at Bayfront Event Space, which is next to Marina Bay Sands. I didn't go to Artbox Singapore last year (although I wanted to) thanks to the numerous Facebook posts about the crowd, the heat and sheer madness of it all.
Thank goodness the organisers took the feedback and have made this year a lot more enjoyable by making it almost three times larger than 2017's, increased the width of the walkways and introduced 1 more dining space so that people could relax and have their meals. So that's over 140, 000 square feet of retail and dining at the twist of the regionally acclaimed Artbox Bangkok.
This year's theme was "Oasis" and represented an annual urban escape from the city to a space of experiential imagination. To beat the massive jam of humans, this year's Artbox has a massive entranceway where people have to queue to go in (it's still free entry) but this allows better crowd control.
There are a lot of stalls to indulge in and if you're feeling a little health-conscious, there are some tips on how to be active and be less 'sinful' at The Wellness Insider.
For the alcohol lovers, do try out the Mead! It is so rare to find mead in Singapore and this was one of the first few stores that I spotted. They weren't set up when we were there at about 4.00pm but they were still happy to give me a bit of a sampler of their 4 flavours (but they gave us only 1 small cup to share?!).
If you're unfamiliar with mead, it's the world's oldest beer - made from honey and yeast. As such, it is light and doesn't taste bitter as there aren't any hops in it. Nonetheless, they do have 1 flavour with hops added so as to have a slight bitter aftertaste that is characteristic of beer.
I got a little bit hungry and decided to get the Lychee Balls as well as the Prawn Slider. I loved my choices! The Lychees were filled with cream cheese before coated with a thin layer of batter and fried. As a result, there was a nice balance of sweet, salty and gooey. We were equally impressed with the prawn sliders which had a prawn patty that was topped with nacho cheese and a mango sauce. Yum!
If you want to really go into the calorie-laden, full-on feasting mode, then we have the Crododo made by blogger Bong Qiuqiu herself. It's a Milkshake with a cronut (croissant-donut). I didn't dare to try one. I don't think my trainer and nutrition coach would be impressed.
What I really liked about the whole set up was that there's something for everyone - retail, street food (whether it be hipster style, local or Thai), music, chill out, games and activities. There's so much that you can do there, if you've got the time and energy. Especially once heat exhaustion sets in.
And that's when you choose one of the 3 chill out spots to sit down, have a bite or listen to live music while chillaxing in one of the many Airmocks. Thailand's Singha beer also has a beer garden there with Beer Pong, DJ sessions and photobooth.
When the sun sets, the place is also really pretty as it is lit with fairy lights spanning across 6km. It is also a lot cooler to visit at night, but you'll need to have patience to queue to get in. So...I suggest going in early and stay on till the night.
Remember to bring a cap/hat, sunblock and maybe a change of clothes if you perspire a lot!
Artbox Singapore 2018: Oasis
| Dates: | Fri to Sun; 25-27 May and 1-3 June |
| Timing: | 3 to 11pm |
| Venue: | Bayfront Event Space, next to Marina Bay Sands – The Shoppes |
| 12A Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018970 Nearest MRT: Bayfront |
For more details on Artbox Singapore, please visit www.artbox.sg.
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