Enlighten illuminations, Harvest Day Out, the Holi Mela Festival and more! 40 things to do this weekend
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Autumn is officially here—and with it comes the Enlighten illuminations, Harvest Day Out, the Holi Mela and Colour Festival, and more.
Here are 40 things to see, explore and eat around town!
Special Events and Festivals
Illuminations @Enlighten Festival
Some of Canberra’s most loved and iconic buildings is lighting up once again for the Enlighten Festival. From Australian Parliament House; the National Library of Australia; the National Gallery of Australia; Questacon; the National Portrait Gallery; and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, expect a stunning display of light, sound and movement!
Until Monday 13 March | Various locations | enlightencanberra.com
Enlighten Illuminations at Parliament House
As day turns to night, watch Parliament House light up with colourful animated scenes designed by Eggpicnic. Showcasing the birds, insects and gum trees found in the surrounding native gardens of Capital Hill, it will be accompanied by an immersive soundscape which brings the local landscape to life.
Until Monday 13 March | Australian Parliament House Forecourt, 1 Parliament Drive | aph.gov.au
Before Us: Night Walk Through Time
This March, in Civic Square the T-Rex and friends reign supreme! As part of City Illuminations @Enlighten, you will discover and follow 18 illuminated finely crafted creatures after dark through City Walk and Civic Square. This outdoor and free, family-friendly exhibition trail will be open daily (and you’ll have the chance to encounter life-size puppets roving the city each night from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm).
Until Monday 13 March | Civic Square, Canberra City | enlightencanberra.com
Enlighten at the National Library
Head to the National Library to enjoy extended opening hours as the lawn is transformed into a play area complete with giant lawn games, hula hoops, face painting or watch a skipping rope demonstrations from Jazzy Jumpers. If you’re looking for food to go along wit your fun, grab a bite to eat from one of the food stalls or head to Bookplate Café to try a special Enlighten festival menu!
Saturday 4 March | National Library of Australia, Parkes Place West, Parkes | nla.gov.au
Canberra Holi Mela and Colour Festival
It’s back baby! Colour the sky and enjoy the music at the Canberra Holi Mela and Colour Festival while you enjoy a colourful mix of hip hop, RNB, pop, live performances, dance, colour fest, DJs, food, drink and kids activities.
Saturday 4 March | Canberra Greyhound Racing Club, 235 Narrabundah Ln, Symonston | facebook.com/events
Harvest Day Out
The perfect way to celebrate autumn, Lanyon Homestead is hosting a day out in the gardens with food, music, workshops, market stalls and more. Bigger and better than ever, Harvest Day Out it’s a celebration of all things harvest and all things autumn. Themed ‘grow – preserve – sustain’, there will also be a range of workshops (including the opportunity to learn about First Nations connections and perspectives) demonstrations, talks, tours, market stalls, music and a variety of food offerings (think ice cream, and Sylvie & Bruno’s coffee van as well as the onsite Barracks)!
Saturday 4 March | Lanyon Homestead, Tharwa Dr, Tharwa | historicplaces.com.au
Dementia Trivia Night Fundraiser
Raising funds for dementia research, join in on a fun filled Trivia Night! Tickets are $35 each or $300 for a table of 10 with finger food and one lucky door prize ticket. There will also be lots of raffle and lucky door prizes, auctions, surprises, and of course the Trivia. See you there?
Saturday 4 March | 3 Grose St, Deakin | facebook.com/events
CBR GRRRLS To The Front
Taking place at premier live music venue The Basement on Saturday 4 March, CBR GRRRLS To The Front is coming to the stage to lift the voices of female (and gender-diverse) artists while addressing the male-dominated nature of the music industry. Featuring VOIID (QLD), Box Dye , Masochist (NSW) and Pretty in Punk, you’d be mistaken if you think this mini-festival is just about the music. There will also be an educational element with stalls and vendors providing plenty of opportunities to support women outside of the music industry.
With representation from the ACT Women’s Legal Centre, Good Omen Goodeze, local artists, and more, on the night GRRRLS To The Front will also be supporting Share The Dignity and Girls Rock! Canberra—asking that anyone in attendance brings along toiletries to help women in need and donating $5 from ticket sales to give younger rockstars the opportunity to attend and learn at music camps.
Saturday 4 March | The Basement, 2 Cohen St, Belconnen | Book here.
Jurassic Haig Park
Calling all dinosaur lovers, Jurassic Haig Park is here! Get ready to explore our prehistoric friends as Haig Park comes alive with Jurassic-themed activations and games. There will be dinosaur bone excavation games, face painting, cubby building, a treasure hunt, dino ring-toss, your own dino puppet to take home, food and drink options and more!
Saturday 4 March | Haig Park, Braddon | facebook.com/events
Melanoma March Canberra
Taking steps to beat melanoma, the Melanoma March is back at a new location: Black Mountain Peninsula. Head along to chat with Melanoma Patients Australia (who will be in attendance with resources and information on services provided throughout Australia), enjoy a coffee and bring a friend (including the furry kind).
Sunday 5 March | Black Mountain Peninsula | canberra.melanomamarch.org.au
Food and wine
Assembly Boozy Brunch
Did someone say two hours of mimosa jug refills, an espresso martini on arrival and your choice of any breakfast dish? Assembly is hosting the ultimate boozy brunch for $80 per person. Saturday plans? Sorted.
Saturday 4 March | 11 Lonsdale St, Braddon | Book here.
Agostini’s at Lark Hill Winery
Did someone say one of Canberra’s most beloved Italian kitchens, at a winery? Delizioso. Serving Italian classics like calamari fritti, proscuitto e rucola pizza (and yes, tiramisu), Agostini’s at Lark Hill Winery is now open for lunch bookings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Offering stunning views across the Bungendore valley as well as delicious food, your weekend catch up just went up to a whole other level.
Open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays | Lark Hill Winery, cnr Joe Rocks and Bungendore Road, NSW (30 minutes from Canberra) | Bookings: eat@agostinis.com.au or by calling 02 6178 0038
Sunday suckling pig and paella feasts
The tradition of eating a Sunday roast for lunch just got upgraded—to a leafy al fresco courtyard setting with a big hit of Mediterranean flavour. Head along to Saint Malo for its new Sunday Sessions in the Garden, featuring a buffet with star attractions including enormous pans of paella, a whole suckling pig, Spanish-inspired small bites, marinated olives, grilled vegetables, and more.
Every Sunday between 11 am – 3 pm | $85 (not including alcohol which is table service or can be purchased from the Gin Cart) | Bookings are essential here.
The Dancing Queen Dining Experience
Ever been raging with jealousy whilst watching Donna and the gang sing and dance on stunning Greek islands? Well, rage no more. Grab your dancing queens, because a Mamma Mia-inspired Restaurant is landing in Canberra in January.
Until 31 March | Saint Malo, 19 London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
International Women’s Day at Le Tres Bon
Looking to get out of the city this IWD? Make your way to one of the oldest French restaurants in the Canberra region, Le Très Bon. Aside from a glass of prosecco on arrival and the delicious favours of Le Tres Bon’s French antipasto selection, guests can also enjoy a heartfelt presentation from esteemed author Tania Blanchard on her latest novel, ‘Daughter of Calabria.’ Telling a moving story inspired by true events, her discussions and meaningful insights are just as rich as the food on offer. Oui s’il te plaît!
Sunday 5 March | 40 Malbon St, Bungendore | Book here.
Exhibitions
Settled/Unsettled
Settled/ Unsettled uses the universal language of visual art to address personal and profound issues faced by Australia’s asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Examining how experiences of conflict, the separation of families and cultural displacement shape the lives of new Australians, and how issues of hybrid-identity, intergenerational trauma and guilt affect first-and second-generation immigrants, the exhibition hopes to encourage empathy, empower and acknowledge the important role migrants have had in the making of our nation.
Saturday 4 March until Sunday 25 June | Canberra Museum and Gallery,mCnr London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City | cmag.com.au
Jonathan Jones: untitled (walam-wunga.galang)
Created by renowned Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist, Jonathan Jones this is a collaborative project with Uncle Stan Grant Senior and Beatrice Murray that emphasises the sophistication of Aboriginal agricultural economy, which was erased by colonial narratives of First Nation’s people as hunters-gatherers.
Saturday 4 March until Sunday 23 July | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes | nga.gov.au
Amelia Mollett: Shorelines
Transfixed by sunlight reflecting off the lake at Pryor’s arboretum, this exhibition sees the work of Amelia Mollett use collage and mixed media to explore how to represent this multi layered natural world in a way that mirrors how she feels, using the forms and colours that inspires her.
Until Sunday 12 March | 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt | strathnairn.com.au
Craft ACT X Rainbow Takeover Exhibition
This exhibition is a celebratory patchwork of pieces by queer artists from across the nation, centered around the nucleus of LGBTQIA+ pride. Reacting to collective and individual experiences of queerness, love, and togetherness, the exhibition explores storytelling, truth telling, and the coming-together through the commonalities of the larger plight of being queer.
Until Thursday 23 March | Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre, 180 London Circuit, Canberra City | craftact.org.au
Daisy Chain
This group exhibition see’s JamFactory’ showcase, accelerate and develop the skills of emerging artists and designers. The focus of Daisy Chain is to utilise the JamFactory’s environment for collaborative learning and mutual exchange of techniques and ideas across disciplines.
Until Saturday 18 March | Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre, 180 London Circuit, Canberra City | craftact.org.au
Emerging Contemporaries
Playing a pivotal role in supporting and transitioning artists into professional practice, Emerging Contemporaries s the Craft ACT National Award Exhibition for early career artists. Featuring the works of Dianne Bourke, Gabriela Renee, Nathan Nhan, Sabina Moore and more, it’s free to attend.
Until Saturday 18 March | Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre, 180 London Circuit, Canberra City | craftact.org.au
Mycelium Sky
This is an exploration of fantastical interconnected worlds, botanical biomes and surreal dreamscapes. Head along to enjoy the work of Paul Summerfield, a digital artist, who blends traditional painting and drawing techniques with digital mediums as he takes viewers on journeys into vivid worlds.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Wrack and Salvage
Provoking questions in the face of the climate crisis—What do we value? What do we stand to lose? What will we see destroyed? What are we willing to sacrifice? What are we prepared to save?—this sculptural installation resembles the flying forms of flood debris. A reflection on how we have responded to climate change, artist Jacqui Malins explores themes of loss, hope and resoultion.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
earth unframed
This open exhibition uses the work of several artists to explore the concept of ‘earth’; our home, the environment, soil, land, fragility, strength or purpose. The result is a mix of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, and mixed media that uses imagination with a sense of play, political activism, boldness, experimentation, thoughtfulness, or contemplation.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
ground whisper softly
A celebrative dance of the abundance found on the ground, in the garden, along the water, at the rocky outcrop in the pocket of remnant bush, Belco Arts describes these works by emerging artist Valerie Schönjahn as meditative in process. Intrigued? See you there.
Until Sunday 26 March | Belco Arts, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au
Found Metaphors: Sophia Childs at the COX Gallery
Now showing at the COX Gallery, Sophia’s paintings are multilayered, textured, and non-compositional. And although she doesn’t paint identifiable subjects, the colours and textures are drawn from daily life. Head along to enjoy her work as she brings your attention to the messy, information-soaked reality of navigating life.
Until Friday 31 March | 1/19 Eastlake Pde, Kingston | coxarchitecture.com.au
Stronger Together: Artists’ perspectives on the ACT COVID-19 frontline health response
In late 2021, Canberra Health Services commissioned local artists Marzena Wasikowska, Dion Georgopoulos and Waratah Lahy to make works in response to the care provided to COVID-19 patients by Canberra Health Services. Now you can see it.
Until Sunday 30 July | Canberra Museum and Gallery, Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City | cmag.com.au
Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages
Celebrating the power and diversity of female spiritual beings in cultural traditions and beliefs across the globe, this exhibition explores how goddesses, demons, witches, spirits and saints have shaped our understanding of the world.
Featuring more than 160 objects from the British Museum’s exceptional collection, this is a timely exhibition that explores and questions feminine power, authority and identity.
Until Sunday 27 August | National Museum of Australia | nma.gov.au
Stage and Screen
I Have No Enemies
An original post-dramatic play about surveillance, data collection, and how we make sense of our place in the digital world. This cyberpunk detective story will take you into a confronting, enlightening and absurdly entertaining world that will leave you wondering ‘Who are you trusting with your data? And who’s behind the screens?’
Until Saturday 11 March | Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, Batman Street, Braddon | Book here.
Mary Coustas – This Is Personal
This Is Personal will be gracing Canberra Theatre Centre to give Canberrans a powerful and unforgettable insight into the woman behind the infamous and iconic boofhead Effie. Laced with Coustas’ comedic flair, This Is Personal is a kaleidoscopic exploration of love, loss and laughter, and how all three come to define us.
Saturday 4 March | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
The best of ARJ Barker: Power Hour
What do you get when you take your very best jokes from over the last 30 years, lovingly restore, refine, and remaster each one, jam them all into a single hour, and finally, sprinkle in some brand-new material and hint of improv? You get the best of Arj Barker. You’re welcome.
Saturday 4 March | Canberra Theatre Centre, London Circuit, Canberra City | Book here.
DOWNTOWN: The Mod Musical
Celebrating the strong female singers of the mod era, this musical focuses on the stories of five very different women. Hear their stories as they come of age in the turbulent decade known as the swinging 60s and enjoy this non-stop journey through the infectious and soulful pop anthems and ballads that made household names of stars like Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield and Lulu.
Until Sunday 5 March | Belconnen Community Theatre, 23 Swanson Court, Belconnen | Book here.
Music
The Garifuna Collective (Belize)
Meet the Garifuna Collective—one of the most unique Afro-Caribbean bands on the planet. As representatives of the Garifuna people (a separate language and culture group spread across several countries in Central America) they harness the indomitable energy of their African and Indigenous ancestors, generating an irrepressible, positive energy every time they perform. And you can see them when they hit town.
Saturday 4 March | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers St, Canberra City | thestreet.org.au
Vieux Farka Touré
Returning from Mali to Australia, Vieux Farka Touré is one of the world’s most respected guitarists and musicians. Performing his critically acclaimed new album, Les Racines, expect Vieux’s masterful guitar work and soulful singing mixed with dubby psychedelia.
Sunday 5 March | The Street Theatre, 15 Childers St, Canberra City | Book here.
Sport
Canberra United vs. Adelaide United
Join the Canberra United’s home game against Adelaide United and see some of the best up and coming talent that Canberra and Australia have to offer!
3 pm, Saturday 4 March | McKellar Park, Walkley Pl, McKellar | Tickets here
UC Capitals v Perth Lynx
Don’t miss this! The UC Capitals take on the Perth Lynx at the National Convention Centre Canberra from 5:30 pm. See you there?
Saturday 4 March | National Convention Centre Canberra, Constitution Avenue, Campbell | Book here.
Workshops, Webinars and More
Urban Cinematic Nightscapes: Cinema Film Workshop
This nighttime-based workshop will walk you through capturing and developing nighttime urban landscapes on cinema film with artist and tutor James Harber. Learn how the difference between cinema film compared to other professional and consumer-based film, how to develop it in ECN2, and go on interesting nighttime walks, where you’ll learn how to expose nighttime scenes correctly with cinema film, with hands on help from James.
Until Wednesday 22 March | PhotoAccess, 30 Manuka Circle, Griffith | Book here.
Markets
The Little Burley Market
Say hello to Canberra’s lakeside market. Head along to enjoy multicultural foods, much-loved beverages and brunchables, beautiful blooms, locally made art, fashion, photography and homewares, artisan bread, delectable pastries, seafood, smoked charcuterie, truffles, meats, puppy treats and much more. See you there?
Every Saturday, 9am – 1.30pm | 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.
Every Sunday, 8:30 am – 2 pm | Haig Park, Girrahween Street, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Old Bus Depot Markets
With more than 100 stalls (including your old favourites), you’ll have the chance to shop for a brilliant variety of Australian-made, handcrafted and premium products. Sneak a walk around the foreshore while you’re down there.
9.30 am – 2.30 pm Sunday | Wentworth Avenue, Kingston | obdm.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
Feature image: Adam McGrath.
