It was March 16, 2020, the very day after the Canberra Balloon Spectacular finished last year, that events as we knew them were stopped in their tracks.

A year on, and the exciting news is that Enlighten Festival, Canberra’s vibrant, jam-packed celebration of autumn, is back for 2021.

Even more-excitingly, for the most part it’s going to look much the same. While unfortunately, the Night Noodle Markets and Skyfire won’t be part of the program this year, everything else that locals and visitors know and love will be on.

Running from February 26 to March 14, the festivities include the much-loved Enlighten Illuminations around the Parliamentary Triangle, Lights! Canberra! Action!, the Canberra Balloon Spectacular, Symphony in the Park and Canberra Day.

But like many events these days, there will be one big difference: you’ll need to get into the habit of grabbing a ticket. Just like usual, entry will be free to the main events, but you’ll need to pre-register to ensure that events can go ahead in a COVID-safe manner.

So what’s on the agenda? Grab your diary and let’s start planning.

First off, there’s the hero of Enlighten: Illuminations. Running from 26 February-8 March, stunning designs will be projected onto Parliament House, Old Parliament House, the National Library, Questacon, the Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery.

This year, all of the designs are going digital, which means every single building will feature moving imagery.

And while there are no Night Noodle Markets this year, Illuminations will all be focussed around two seriously delicious hubs, which have both been at the festival before but are returning bigger and better.

The Bentspoke Beer Garden will be located near the lake at John Dunmore Lang Place, while Enlighten Alley will be on East Lawn. Both will have plenty of local food and drinks to tuck into, and plenty of open-air space to relax with family and friends.

Both are open every night of Illuminations and there will be two ticketed sessions each night, so you will need to register to secure your spot. There will also be art installations in the area, but this year you might need to search a little harder to find them, so keep an eye on the trees and even in the reflections of the pond.

You won’t need a ticket to wander past the projections themselves but will need to check-in using the Check In CBR App, just like you do when you’re out and about.

Just like in previous years, some other venues, like the National Zoo and Aquarium and the Canberra Glassworks are also getting involved with special after-dark events. These are paid events and you’ll also have to book in advance—keep an eye on enlightencanberra.com for the full lineup.

Then on Saturday 6 March is Lights! Canberra! Action!, which is this year moving locations to Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park. Head along to watch the creations of some of Canberra’s talented film-makers at an outdoor screening. This is always a popular one, so (free) tickets are likely to go quickly.

Then from March 6-14 is the Canberra Balloon Spectacular, which is also moving locations this year. The balloons will be inflated and take off from Patrick White Lawns, in between the National Library and the lake, and you’ll have to register for a ticket to get in.

As always, the balloons inflating is weather-dependent, and a decision will be made early each morning. There’ll also be the all-important coffee and breakfast available.

And if you can’t make it to Patrick White Lawns, there are plenty of great vantage points around town to watch the majestic display float across Canberra’s early morning sky.

On Sunday 7 March, Symphony in the Park will again take over Stage 88 for one night only. Since we could all do with a bit of singing and dancing joy, they’re bringing back one of the most popular themes to date: the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will be playing the music of ABBA.

And then on Monday 8 March, there will be plenty of ways to celebrate Canberra Day. It will start with a special new event “Breakfast at the Balloons”, where Skywhale and Skywhalepapa will make an appearance weather permitting.

Throughout the day there will be a number of opportunities to explore parts of Canberra. Then at night, there will be an extra special closing night of Enlighten Illuminations, with an extra added dose of local talent.

Throughout it all this year you’ll find a subtle theme, which, let’s be honest, we could all do with a bit of.

“What we’ve done with everything is a subtle theme of hope, and we thought people would really be able to respond nicely to that,” said Vickii Cotter, Executive Producer of Enlighten Festival.

“We’re really thrilled to be able to work with everybody to put Enlighten Festival 2021 on for Canberra to enjoy, and it really helps boost that local economy which is really helpful for all of the people like our food stalls, artists and local suppliers, who have been out of work.”

So while us Canberrans aren’t necessarily known for planning and booking ahead, this month might be the time to buck the trend. Tickets to each session are limited to ensure the events can go ahead in a COVID-safe manner, and they’re being released to the public right now! So better hop to it.

Feature image: Matt Witcombe