Free BLOOM fun and exclusive merch make Charlestown Square the place to be these school holidays
Hunter families can step inside a giant garden of colour - and take a little piece of BLOOM home with them - at Charlestown Square these school holidays, with the immersive artwork bringing quirky characters, oversized details and plenty of surprises to the Centre, plus exclusive free BLOOM merchandise up for grabs.
Running at Charlestown Square until 11 October, BLOOM is a large-scale immersive artwork created by acclaimed 3D artist Melissa Mathieson, aka MelissaLikesSushi, transforming the Centre into a playful garden for families to explore.
Take a piece of BLOOM home
During the school holidays, families can also get their hands on exclusive BLOOM merchandise, with two limited-edition pieces inspired by the artwork available to shoppers.
From 28 September to 9 October, spend $100 in Centre in a single day and receive an exclusive BLOOM keyring, or spend $200 to take home a BLOOM frog plushie, inspired by one of the artwork’s colourful characters.
The merchandise is available weekdays from 11am, with very limited quantities available each day. So, for families hoping to take home their own BLOOM character, getting in early will be key.
The BLOOM merchandise offer is free with qualifying spend and is subject to availability.
A giant garden with a bigger story
BLOOM is part of a new partnership between Charlestown Square and New Annual, the City of Newcastle’s flagship arts festival, which runs from 25 September to 4 October.
Previously exhibited only once before in Melbourne, BLOOM is bringing Melissa Mathieson’s distinctive 3D work to the Hunter, giving local families the chance to experience a large-scale immersive artwork without travelling into the city.
The installation is designed to be explored at your own pace, making it easy to pop in during a shopping trip, stop by for a few holiday snaps or spend longer discovering all the little details hidden throughout the garden.
Make a day of it
After exploring BLOOM, families can make a full day of their visit with plenty of entertainment, dining and shopping on offer at Charlestown Square.
Charlie’s Fun Pass brings together a range of family-friendly experiences and offers, including a game at Strike Bowling, Holey Moley or Laser Tag, Timezone Play and Powertickets, plus a Mini Me Meal at Grill’d, a Junior Juice or Smoothie from Boost Juice, a $10 Yo-Chi voucher and a free full day of parking.
With convenient underground parking, families can easily combine a visit to BLOOM with lunch, entertainment and a spot of shopping, and potentially leave with their very own BLOOM keyring or frog plushie.