Get wet and wild at the largest sundown party this year at the Singapore River Festival. By Zaki Jufri

The Singapore River Festival rolls into town for the second year running from Jun 19-27, and with it comes a mixture of magic, music, food and fun. In addition to the more traditional arts and culture showcases, this year sees a packed line-up of DJs, music by local bands and good old-fashioned roof-raising along the river, all complementing myriad activities, such as bumboat parades, dance performances and magic acts. Here’s our picks for the hottest tickets of the week:

Get a Blast from the Past
How many of you remember Peter Diaz, Gypsy and Tokyo Square? Not many, we guess, and if you do remember these names, you probably sported a mullet and shoulder-pads back in the days. Still, it’s time to get nostalgic at Milestones. This music festival and flea market happening right on the River Promenade at Empress Place pays tribute to the best of homegrown music from the ‘70s right up to the present.
    “A lot of young Singaporeans don’t know much about these musicians and some of these pioneers are still active in the scene today,” says Danny Loong, Ublues Group’s deputy managing director. The Ublues Group are the people behind nightspots such as Timbre and Klee, and have previously brought in international acts, including Vertical Horizon, Colbie Caillat and Ernie Watts.
    “We thought that it would be appropriate to link the festival to Singapore’s music history, especially since the Singapore River is such a historical landmark. Many concerts happened near the area back in the ‘70s, and what better way than to showcase it than to relive Singapore music of the past 40 years?” Loong explains.
    Of course, the festival is not just all about the past. Watch out for current local bands Blues Train, West Grand Boulevard and Goodfellas as they join the Milestones line-up to pay a special tribute to the pioneers of our local music scene, such as October Cherries, Force Vomit, Tokyo Square and Concave Scream, to name but a few.
    Not to be missed too is a special double-bill concert on the last day
featuring renowned Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera and UK-based, Lorraine
Ayensu who blends folk, acoustic soul, world beat and urban sounds.
A special jam session with Jack and Rai closes the festival, rocking it out with their favourite veteran musicians. For those who won’t leave any party without a little memorabilia, get into the festival spirit by scouring the flea market, with stalls offering vintage finds.
Milestones: Music Festival and Flea Market is on Jun 23-27, from 6pm.
River Promenade, Timbre@The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane.
Milestones Double Bill Concert tickets (Jun 27), $40 (includes one drink)
from www.timbre.com.sg

The Circus Comes to Town
Head down to Boat Quay and Robertson Quay for a surreal mix of whimsical circus antics and block-busting beats. Witness the two quays transform into a circus-themed outdoors mega-party with the Singapore River Circus Pop Series. On Jun 20, from 9pm, Boat Quay will come alive with circus acts, candy floss, music from DJ Jon White, circus-themed goodies, and food and drink promotions galore from bars such as The Penny Black, Harry’s, Dallas, The Cavern and BQ Bar.
    The circus will travel to Robertson Quay on Jun 27 (from 7pm-1am) where you can indulge in a smorgasbord of culinary delights from some of the best restaurants and eateries on Robertson Quay. An after-party will see the party present one of Sydney’s hottest spinners, DJ Audio Misdemeanour, providing the beats.
Singapore River Circus Pop Series, Jun 20, from 9pm, Boat Quay; Jun 27, 7pm-1am, Robertson Quay. Log on to www.singaporeriverfestival.com for more information.

Mojito Mojo
The libation of choice for buccaneers and pirates, the humble mojito dates from before the 1930s, where it was a popular drink in Cuba to refresh and relax with. In the late 1940s, the rum-spiked mischief maker burst onto the international scene when it was “discovered” by the palates of illustrious folks like Ernest Hemmingway at La Bodeguita del Medio. The Original Bacardi Mojito Fiesta celebrates the resurgence of the Cuban concoction behind bar counters here.
    Besides quaffing an Original Bacardi mojito, revelers can also expect a wide variety of different blends, with each of the over 30 participating outlets muddling a signature concoction of their own. At no other time will mojito lovers be able to experience such a wide range of tastes and flavors as available in this Fiesta.
    To celebrate the spirit of Cuba and the mojito, Bacardi has also lined up a series of Cuban and mojito-related events to shake up the festivities even more. These include Cuban jazz by the river featuring Latino artistes like Fabiola Zuniga  at the Asian Civilisations Museum Green (Jun 19 and 26, 9:30-11:30pm), a dance music party at Home Club with DJs Craze and Klever (Jun 27, from 9pm), a Bacardi Mojito Party at eM By The River (Jun 24, from 7pm), a Salsa Extravaganza (Jun 20, from 8pm), the Bacardi Mojito Discovery Tour (Jun 21, 6-9pm), a fiesta party (Jun 26, 7:30-10:30pm) and the annual prestigious Bacardi-Martini Grand Prix bar flairing competition (Jun 27, 7:30-10pm) all happening in Clarke Quay, party-goers and Cuban-philes are guaranteed a grand time at this Fiesta.
The Original Bacardi Mojito Fiesta, Jun 19-Jul 31. Various outlets.
Log on to www.mojitofiesta.com for more information.