Happenings & Events: Stuff To Know in August!

DB SUMMER SPLASHTOPIA DB Summer Splashtopia is in place through August 31. Open daily from 10.30am to 1.30pm and 3pm to 6.30pm on Tai Pak Wan, it’s billed as Hong Kong’s biggest beach water park. You can expect eight massive inflatable bouncy areas and a 10-metre water slide, along with myriad splashtastic games and sports. AWARDS FOR LYC Lantau Yacht Club became Hong Kong’s first marina to achieve the prestigious 5 Gold Anchor Platinum status in June. One of only five marinas in Asia to receive this elite recognition, accredited by the Marina Industries Association, the club was also awarded Superyacht Ready Marina status. This dual accreditation showcases LYC’s commitment to excellence in superyacht hospitality. HONG KONG DISNEYLAND 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Hong Kong Disneyland’s year-long birthday party is now in full swing with an all-new castle stage show; the largest parade yet at the resort; a special 20th anniversary edition of Momentous; delicious food; adorable merchandise and some truly magical special offers. Our top pick is the Friendtastic Parade, the park’s largest yet, complete with 11 dazzling floats, around 100 performers and including more than 30 Disney characters. Four original songs have been developed for the parade, which features floats themed to the Walt Disney Animation Studios films Zootopia, Big Hero 6 and Encanto, and Pixar Animation Studios films Toy Story, Monsters, Inc, Turning Red, Inside Out and Up. Duffy and Friends and the Disney Princesses are included in the lineup, and Red Panda Mei from Turning Red, Isabela from Encanto and Officer Clawhauser from Zootopia are making their park debut. The parade starts between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and makes its way to the beginning of Main Street, USA. Another top pick is Disney Friends Live: Party at the Castle!, an electrifying new concertstyle show featuring the 20th anniversary anthem, two brand-new original songs and a stunning LED decor. Then there’s Momentous: Party in the Night Sky!, a special anniversary edition of Disney’s well-loved nighttime spectacular. The show’s stunning castle projections have been extended all the way down Main Street, USA, and you can expect drones, illuminated water projections, choreographed water fountains, flames, lasers and pyrotechnics. To find out more, visit www.hongkongdisneyland.com. DB OPEN WATER RACE CHALLENGE Be sure to catch the third edition of the DB Open Water Race Challenge at Tai Pak Wan and Sam Pak Wan beaches on August 31. Organised by Open Water Swim Series HK, the event includes three solo swim races (3.8km, 1.7km and 400m) and two 400m swim relays. Races are open to participants aged 6 to 75. To find out more and enrol by August 24, visit www.eventshorizons.com. DB PIRATES: NEW SEASON SIGN-UP DB Pirates is on the lookout for new players of all ages and gender: training for the 2025-26 rugby and netball seasons starts on August 31. Founded in 2003 and known as DB’s ‘friendliest sporting club’, DB Pirates continues to go from strength to strength, with teams competing successfully across Hong Kong and beyond. To find out more, turn to page 20. To register for the new season, and learn about volunteering and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.dbpirates.com. LANTAU 2 PEAKS Registration is open for the CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks, organised by Action Asia Events, and the two peaks in question are, of course, Lantau and Sunset. There are two distances: the 23km (two peaks: elevation gain 1,889m), which you can run solo, with a partner or in a team of four, and the 15km (half peak: elevation gain 854m), which is run solo. To sign up to race on October 5, visit www.actionasiaevents.com. AUBERGE ON MUST-STAY LIST Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong has earned a spot on Dianping’s prestigious Must-Stay List 2025. The Must-Stay List celebrates hotels that excel in providing consistent quality, value-for-money and unique guest experiences. It’s a valuable resource for travellers, helping them choose accommodation based on real user reviews and AI-powered analysis of various factors like service, cleanliness, room ambience and breakfast quality. SMART RECYCLING Smart textile collection machines are cropping up all over DB. In addition to clothing, the machines also take in shoes, bags, toys and accessories. You’ll also find a set of Smart recycling bins for plastic bottles, metal and paper in Siena Two near the Graceful Mansions bus stop. When recycling, you can earn points to redeem gifts. Scan the QR code on the machine, register as a member, and accumulate points to cash in. OUTSTANDING IB RESULTS AT ESF ESF students across Hong Kong achieved an average IB score of 36.1 this year, well above the global average of 30.3 in 2024, with over 298 achieving a score of 40 or more. An incredible 15 students, including Yashasvini Agarwal of Discovery College, attained the maximum possible score of 45 points, 27 students scored 44 points and 64 students 43 points. Overall, 914 ESF students gained their IB Diploma – at a 97.6% achievement rate. Additionally, 62 ESF students who followed the IB Careers Related Programme received the IB CP award. ALL-IN-ONE ART CLASS AT DC You don’t have to be a Discovery College student to attend art class at the school on Tuesday evenings. There’s a regular class from 4.30pm to 5.30pm, and a combo class from 4.30pm to 6pm – both running from August 19 to December 9, and led by instructors from Banana Art Club. Kids, aged 5 to 13 years, get to focus on any two of the following: drawing and sketching, watercolour, oil/ soft pastel, canvas painting and cartoon and manga. To register and find out more, call 6020 5476 or visit www.bananaartclub.com. DB DRAGON BOAT GALA The enrolment deadline for the DB Dragon Boat Gala 2025 (the event’s 35th edition) is August 31. The races will be held at Tai Pak Wan on October 26 with categories for the whole community to enjoy. Spots are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. To enrol your team, visit https://forms.gle/3kpGWR8LnJk7nbfz6. CINDERELLA ADVENTURE POP-UP Cinderella Adventure has popped-up at the former EpicLand in DB North Plaza and will be in place through August 31 – longer if we’re lucky. Guests get to enjoy all the play centre facilities plus handicrafting (alpaca-shaped money box painting and sand painting). In addition, each guest receives two tokens to use at the claw machine in the hopes of grabbing a free soft toy. Cinderella Adventure is open from 10am to 6pm daily; children must be accompanied by an adult – entry is HK$288 for two, HK$100 for each additional visitor. To find out more or make a booking, call 6315 0611. DISCOUNTS ON FERRY TICKETS If you’re a regular ferry commuter, be sure to look into the discounts available – worth it when you consider the standard single-trip ticket fare is HK$55.8. There’s no monthly travel pass available but DB residents can pick up a special Octopus card at the Discovery Bay Transportation Customer Service Centre or DB Ferry Pier to bring the fare down to HK$38.2 per trip. Non-residents can look into the stored-trip option which is valid for 60 days: 20 trips to Central Pier 3 for HK$884 (HK$44.2 per trip). There’s also HKRCL’s ongoing Spend & Ride Offer, which gets you (and three companions) a free ride back to town if you spend HK$150 (HK$250 on the weekend and public holidays) at a designated DB restaurant, bar, or store. To find out more, head to www.visitdiscoverybay.com. Back to School: Forward for the Planet! Sustainable choices to kick off the school yearSUSTAINABLE SHOPPING GREEN TRANSPORTATIONBUY DURABLE ITEMS. Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. They save money over time. CHOOSE ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS. Look for recycled and recyclable, organic, local, or sustainably sourced products. SUPPORT WOKE BRANDS. Purchase from brands that prioritise ethical and eco-friendly production. INTRODUCE MEAT-FREE LUNCHES. Pack at least one meat-free snack and lunch each week to support the planet. GREEN TRANSPORTATIONWALK OR BIKE. Choose walking or cycling to school with your children whenever possible. BUS. If not, take the school bus instead of a golf buggy. CARPOOL. Reduce traffic by sharing golf buggy rides – can you carpool, bike, or bus at least one day each week? REDUCE AND REUSEMAKE AN INVENTORY. Before buying anything new, check what you already have at home (notebooks, stationary, backpacks). BUY USED OR RECYCLED. Consider secondhand uniforms, backpacks and electronics. MINIMISE PACKAGING. Choose items with minimal or recycled and recyclable packaging. CONSERVE PAPER. Use last year’s notebooks if they aren't full and write or draw on both sides of the paper. PACK WASTE-FREE LUNCHES. Use reusable food containers, bottles and lunch bags. Avoid individually packaged snacks. Try homemade snacks and swap wet-wipes for cloth napkins. RECYCLE. Some packaging can be recycled at the weekly Green@Community collection near Parkridge (note: only plastic bottles in your building's bin). Encourage kids to bring packaging home for proper recycling. COMPOST. Check if your school composts food waste. If not, use the purple food waste bins found in most Discovery Bay buildings. START SMALL! MAKE A BIG IMPACT! Together, our choices create a cleaner, greener future for everyone! Find more from DB’s homegrown environmental charity at www.plasticfreeseas.org. What's Happening Across HK!HONG KONG CAT EXPO A celebration of all things feline is running at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 1 to 3. Expect a variety of exhibitors showcasing the latest in cat food, toys and accessories, plus cat competitions, a cat breed parade, grooming demonstrations and educational talks. The expo is themed Ancient Egypt – back then cats were worshipped as deities – and photo spots include a 4-metre-high pyramid. Purchase tickets (HK$30) at the door. SUMMER FEST @ WANCHAI Head to the Wanchai Harbourfront Event Space through September 28 to enjoy this year’s fun-filled edition of Summer Fest. Expect live music and dance, wandering ukulele players, arts-and-crafts workshops, and yoga and cookery classes. There’s also a market and a sports playground, open daily, with a lineup of seven interactive games perfect for all ages. Admission is free. REVIVING HONG KONG’S OCEAN HERITAGE Reviving Hong Kong’s Ocean Heritage, showing August 22 to September 4 at Cityplaza, is brought by environmental nonprofit The Nature Conservancy to shine a light on Hong Kong’s vanishing oyster reefs. These biodiverse ecosystems once flourished around Lantau and in Deep Bay, providing not just a habitat for marine life but also natural coastal defences and a livelihood for oyster farmers. Expect interactive displays, VR experiences and community-led restoration stories. Admission is free. GIN FEST MEETS TEQUILA FEST Running August 1 to 3 at the Event Space, 1/F Central Market, Gin Fest Meets Tequila Fest spotlights international spirit producers alongside rising homegrown talent. Expect tastings from 100+ gin and tequila brands, mixology demos and limited-edition pours. Each ticket, priced at HK$300, includes five drink tokens and a steel cup. Make a booking at Klook. INTERNATIONAL ARTS CARNIVAL Hong Kong’s annual International Arts Carnival, running through August 17 at various venues, attracts world-class performing arts groups from across the globe. Highlights include the Summer Cine Family Fest; interactive multimedia theatre by Mime Wave; Phoebus Chan’s energetic Sounds of Sports; and The Secret Agent Spin-off: Hidden Treasure, a musical adapted from the bestselling novel series. Book tickets at Urbtix.