BRIDGETTE ALI
Fortitude Valley’s The Brightside is inviting patrons to bring their dogs along to the venue’s new Heaps Good Sundays series.
The free event, which launched yesterday, will run from 2pm till late on the second Sunday of each month.
Event organiser Bree Corthorn said the idea of making the series dog-friendly was to add an incentive for patrons to attend.
“It’s another incentive for people to come; people like to show off their pets and just do something on a Sunday that they can include their pets in,” Ms Corthorn said.
“The venue has a really good set up where we have a beer garden readily available where we don’t have to open up the rest of the venue, and it can be open-spaced so dogs can come in, which a lot of venues in the Valley don’t really have,” she said.
“Pets are just such a big part of people’s lives these days, [so] we wanted to create a space where they could enjoy drinks and live music and still include them.”
Ms Corthorn said the idea for the series came from wanting to create a new Sunday destination point for locals.
“The idea behind it was kind of creating a bit of a Sunday sesh in the Valley, because I kind of a saw a bit of a niche there,” Ms Corthorn said.
“There’s some in West End and some in the city but the Valley doesn’t really have anything like that, so I wanted to put something on,” she said.
“Normally we’re closed on a Sunday, so this is something new for us.”
The Brightside already hosts another pet-friendly event, Barks and Brews, although Ms Corthorn said the two events were completely different.
“The main point of difference between Heaps Good and Barks and Brews would be Heaps Good has a stronger focus on the music,” she said.
“At Barks and Brews we have pet stalls and Puppacinos, and things like that for the dogs, whereas with this we just wanted to do something on a Sunday that people can include their pets in.”
“It’s more about the music and the drinks and just creating a vibe, as opposed to Barks and Brews, which is just very dog-centred.”
This month’s instalment of Heaps Good Sundays featured a performance from Reid Cooper of local band Mary Handsome.
Ms Corthorn said featuring local Brisbane talent was another aspect of the series.
Two patrons at yesterday’s event, Isaac Betteridge and Ben Jensen, said they thought the event was a great way to end a weekend and spend a Sunday afternoon.
“It’s just got a really nice, relaxed vibe going on that you don’t really get in the Valley on a Sunday afternoon,” Mr Betteridge said.
“Normally if you want to go somewhere you have to get a bit dressed up and pay a lot of money, but this is just chill and a lot of fun,” he said.
“I actually have a pet at home, but I just wanted to check it out this time before I brought him,” Mr Jensen said.
“I know it’s only monthly at the moment, but I hope it picks up really well and becomes more regular,” he said.
The next instalment of Heaps Good Sundays is set for October 13.
For more information about The Brightside, visit thebrightsidebrisbane.com.au.