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Hello, weekend!
It’s time to get your mind off work with a weekend of events and delicious food and wine…and we have some ideas.
Special Events and Festivals
Play Outside Ngala Day
Canberra, it’s time for a Play Outside Ngala Day! Celebrate the beauty of nature this season in Haig Park.
Join a day packed with diverse activities suitable for all ages and interests:
- Escape From Plastika Performance (feature image): A dynamic and interactive way for kids to learn more about sustainability.
- Fairy Tea Party: Enjoy the enchanting new fairy tea party tree seating.
- Charcoal Drawing: Express your creativity by charcoal drawing on the trees.
- Suitcase Rummage: find hidden treasures!
And when it’s time to relax, there will be cosy hammocks for you! Come out, play, and enjoy autumn in Canberra.
Saturday 4 May from 11 am until 3 pm | Haig Park, Braddon | Free | More information here
Market Day at the Museum
See the region’s talented makers and creators as they showcase their wares at the National Museum of Australia on 4–5 May. Browse more than 40 market stalls featuring locally crafted products, including ceramics, candles, spirits and artworks, as well as much-loved Aussie labels at The Museum Shop.
Soak up the vibrant atmosphere and enjoy great music, food and drink while you hunt for that unique gift. Perfect for Mother’s Day shopping!
Saturday 4 May and Sunday 5 May, 9 am–3 pm| National Museum of Australia | Free entry | nma.gov.au/whats-on/market-day
Suitcase Rummage
Suitcase Rummage is your local community market, without the hassle! Pack your suitcase with your pre-loved wares and/or handmade creations and sell straight out of your suitcase. It’s as easy as that!
There are no tents, no tables, no racks, no overheads and most importantly, no elitism.
Saturday 4 May from 11am – 3 pm | Haig Park | More information here
Sci(Fi) Night
Leave the Ewoks at home and journey to a gallery far far away for the ultimate Sci(Fi)Night as Questacon’s annual evening of adults-only entertainment ventures beyond the known universe.
Saturday 4 May from 6-9 pm | Questacon | Tickets via Ticketek
The Dirty Janes Fashion Runway Show
Enjoy a night of glamour, sustainability and vintage style. There’ll be champagne, a fabulous catwalk, stylists and photographers as well as local wineries, and some wonderful food trucks. What a great night to celebrate creativity and eco-consciousness in the Canberra fashion industry.
Friday 3 May 6.15 – 9 pm | Dirty Jane, 80 B Collie Street, Fyshwick | See information here
Dance Week 2024
Did you know that ACT hosts the largest Australian Dance Week program in Australia?
This year, The Dance Week 2024 lineup is extraordinary and highlights the growing strength of dance, both professional and community, in Canberra and surrounds.
Australian Dance Week provides the opportunity for to turn the spotlight on Canberra’s incredible local dance scene. This is the time to get out and try a new dance experience, see a show, take a class and celebrate dance.
See the full lineup of events here.
29 April – 5 May | Various venues across Canberra | ausdanceact.org.au/australian-dance-week
Circus Spectacular & Infamous Cabaret
Two great shows – Infamous Cararet and Circus Spectacular – under one roof until 18 May!
Whether you’re looking to entertain the family this school holidays, or for a fun date night, it’s all on offer in the big top at Majura Park until 18 May!
Tickets start from $16 for Circus Spectacular and $62 for Infamous Cabaret.
Daily shows until 18 May | Majura Park | Infamous Cabaret | Circus Spectacular
Discovering Ancient Egypt
Journey back in time to discover the wonders of ancient Egypt in this must-see exhibition featuring over 220 objects from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden). You’ll learn all about the lifestyles of the ancient Egyptians, their religion and society, their creativity and their belief in an afterlife where they hoped to live for eternity.
Until September 2024 | National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton | Book here.
Markets
Little Burley Markets
Offering a diverse array of multicultural foods, much-loved beverages and brunchables, beautiful blooms, locally made art, fashion, photography and homewares, artisanal bread, delectable pastries, seafood, smoked charcuterie, truffles, meats, puppy treats, and much more, you’ll be able to find plenty of goodies at this bespoke lakeside market
8 am – 1 pm Saturdays | Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes | thelittleburleymarket.com.au
Haig Park Markets
Moments away from Lonsdale Street’s boutiques and cafes, the Haig Park Village Markets will delight your senses with delicious cuisines, tasty treats, beautiful blooms, fresh produce, delectable charcuterie and artisan products. It’s a lovely place to enjoy a picnic whilst feasting your senses on the culinary delights on offer or to browse the fabulous local handmade design stalls.
8.30 am – 2 pm Sundays | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Southside Farmers Markets
This village market is located at Canberra College, making it the perfect place to duck in to grab what you need (and maybe a few things you don’t). Order an egg and bacon roll to start the morning as you explore the best of fresh seasonal veggies, handmade pasta and pet treats.
8 am–11.30 am Sunday | 2 Launceston Street, Phillip | facebook.com
Food and Wine
Urban Wine Walk Canberra
The streets and laneways of Canberra will come alive this Autumn as a line-up of the best venues transform into an Urban Cellar Door for you to visit on a self-guided trail.
Simply decide which venue you’d like to start from and you’re off. Choose your own adventure as you and your friends move from venue to venue tasting delicious wines thanks to the incredible line-up of Australian winemakers.
Guaranteed to sell out, the Urban Wine Walk promises a fun and unique self-guided wine-tasting experience that you and your friends won’t want to miss.
Saturday 4 May | Across multiple venues in Canberra | See information here.
Stage, Screen and Music
Billy Elliot
Nothing was quite the same after Jamie Bell put on those ballet slippers for the first time in the 2000 film Billy Elliot – but did you know it was originally a musical?
Now Free-Rain Theatre Company is bringing the magic of this iconic story of struggle, class, freedom and the love of dance to The Q from 9 April until 5 May – plenty of time to let original songs by Elton John let you forget about our impending Canberra winter.
Until Sunday 5 May | The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre | theq.net.au/whats-on/billy-elliot-the-musical
Canberra International Music Festival
Witness a remarkable lineup of international, national and First Nations artists converge on the nation’s capital to bring vibrant life to an unmissable 2024 Festival program! You’ll see 60 world-class artists, 20 spectacular concerts, 11 magnificent venues, over five glorious days, and it sounds amazing.
Until Sunday 5 May | Various locations | Book here.
Humans 2.0
A symphony of acrobatics, sound and light, this is next level circus by Circa. Created by circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz, Humans 2.0 is intimate, primal and deeply engaged with the challenge of being human.
2 – 4 May 2024 | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, City | Buy tickets here.
The Actress
The curtain is ready to rise on Lydia Martin’s final performance before retirement. As Lydia prepares to farewell the stage her family, friends, rivals, and colleagues descend upon her dressing room to deliver gracious goodbyes and settle past scores.
There’s as much drama and comedy backstage as there is onstage in this witty, smart, and emotional tribute to the power of leading ladies everywhere.
3 – 18 May 2024 | Canberra REP Theatre, 3 Repertory Ln, Acton | Buy tickets here.
Exhibitions
Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence
This is the first major exhibition of the Sydney-born artist’s work in his home country. Featuring some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date (from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent paintings), you’ll see some amazing works that have cemented Ralph Heimans as a internationally sought-after portraitist known for his meticulously realised paintings.
Until Monday 27 May | National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes | More information here.
Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour
This exhibition of acclaimed Western Aranda artist Vincent Namatjira, Vincent Namatjira: Australia in Colour, charts the artist’s career, revealing the power of his painting and the potency of his words. Showcasing Namatjira’s burgeoning artistic practice, this major exhibition brings together paintings, works on paper and moving image from public and private collections nationwide, the exhibition will also feature a selection of watercolours from the national collection by the artist’s great-grandfather and critically acclaimed Western Arranda artist, Albert Namatjira.
Until Sunday 21 July | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | More information here.
Sport
Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies vs Fijian Drua
May the Fourth be with you when the Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies take on the Fijian Drua at GIO Stadium.
Don’t miss any of the action, visit the website and book your tickets now!
Saturday 4 May | GIO Stadium Canberra, Battye Street, Bruce | Book here.
UFC 301 at ONYX Lounge Casino Canberra
Defending Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is going toe-to-toe with Aussie fighter Stephen Erceg. Who will win, the champ or the underdog?
Join in Live & Loud on the big screen at the ONYX Lounge and Bar with one of the biggest screens in Canberra and find out for yourself!
Sunday 5 May | Casino Canberra 21 Binara Street, Canberra City, | More information here
2024 Canberra MS Walk, Run and Roll
Whether you’re moving on your feet, using a wheelchair, or pushing a pram. Come celebrate the resilience and diversity of Canberra’s amazing MS community – Sign up and participate in the 5-kilometre or 10-kilometre course, with staggered start times for Walk, Run or Roll.
Sunday 5 May | GIO Stadium Canberra, Battye Street, Bruce | Register or donate here
Source: hercanberra.com.au
George Barham, an accomplished journalist and avid gambling enthusiast, serves as the esteemed Editor-in-Chief at fly-to-australia.com, Australia’s leading source for comprehensive gambling news and insights. With an unwavering passion for both the written word and the ever-evolving world of betting and gaming, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the helm of our editorial team.
