10 things to do this week in Canberra
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What is there to do this week in Canberra? Oodles! From the festive to the family-friendly.
From Christmas markets to al fresco drinks and movies, here’s how to spend your week. You can even create your very own Christmas Candle! Cute!
HerCanberra X The Canberra Distillery Pop Up at Canberra Centre
Come and have a drink with us! We’re teaming up with our friends from The Canberra Distillery (with whom we made our award-winning HerCanberra Earl Grey Gin) for a cheeky Friday drinks at Canberra Centre to celebrate the season!
Make your way to Canberra Centre’s gorgeous bar area on Level 1 near David Jones to grab yourself a tipple from The Canberra Distillery’s friendly team and say hello to the HerCanberra team too!
Stay tuned for more information to be released closer to the day. One drink per person.
Friday 17 December from 5.30–7.30 | Level 1 Monaro Mall, near David Jones, Canberra Centre | canberracentre.com.au
Jeffrey Smart
The year 2021 marks one hundred years since the birth of acclaimed Australian artist Jeffrey Smart. The National Gallery of Australia’s major exhibition celebrates and commemorates this significant centenary.
One of Australia’s most celebrated artists, Smart sought inspiration from the world around him – looking to the environment of urban and industrial modernity – which he transformed through his imaginative sense of theatre and intimate understanding of geometry and composition. These potent and intriguing images have become emblematic of 20th and 21st century urban experience.
Showing until 15 May 2022 | National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes | nga.gov.au
Christmas Movie Cinema at Canberra Outlet
Until Friday 24 December, Canberra Outlet is hosting a Children’s Christmas Cinema, offering a little Christmas magic for local children, while also raising money for the Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation.
The cinema experience runs daily sessions at 10 am and 12 pm, showing your favourite kids Christmas movies including Elf, Home Alone, Home Alone 2, The Grinch, Santa Claus & A Nightmare before Christmas.
Parents will relish in the Shop and Drop feature, enabling them to drop their children at the cinema to be supervised for the entirety of the movie, allowing them the freedom to finish their Christmas shopping quickly and easily.
Cinema sessions are capped at 20 children per viewing. Tickets are $5 which include snacks and drinks such as a Reindeer popcorn box, Snowman water bottle, and Reindeer snacks.
All proceeds will be going to the Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation—a local charity brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families run by ACT’s 2018 local hero, Suzanne Tunks.
Until 24 December with two daily sessions at 10 am and 12 pm at the front of Focus on Furniture, Canberra Outlet | Cost: $5 + Booking Fee which will be donated to Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation | canberraoutletcentre.com.au/news/christmas-movie-cinema
House of Bubbles
Weekend afternoons done right! Kick back and relax with a glass of champagne in the beautiful surrounds of Bowen Park, when The House of Bubbles pops up this weekend.
Chairs, tables and rugs provided—just gather your colleagues and friends! Bookings preferred for larger groups.
Sunday 19 December from 2pm | Norgrove Park, Kingston| facebook.com
Two Twenty Somethings Decide Never To Get Stressed About Anything Ever Again. Ever.
Winning the ‘best name ever’ award, this hilarious comedy summarises life as a Millennial in Australia, complete with pot pants, edamame and existential dread.
Until 14 December | Canberra Theatre Centre | canberratheatrecentre.com.au
See the Mix 106.3 Mixmas Christmas Lights Trail!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Canberra—and the HerCanberra and Mix 106.3 Mixmas Christmas Lights Trail has arrived!
For some, it may not feel like Christmas until the back of our legs start to stick to plastic chairs or you can’t escape Mariah in the shopping centre, but real Canberrans know it isn’t Christmas until you’ve navigated the best Canberra Christmas light displays using the Mix106.3 Mixmas Christmas Light Trail!
Sunset Cinemas
Gather your friends and family, sit back, relax and watch the stars at your new summer local! Open multiple nights each week in November through to February at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
The season is packed with new release blockbusters, quirky comedies, award-winning features and cult classics—perfect for a date night, girls’ night out or some family fun.
Until 26 February 2022 | Australian National Botanic Gardens | sunsetcinema.com.au/canberra
Lerida By The Lake
Join Lerida Estate at the Canberra Visitors Centre at Regatta Point for a one-hour personal wine tasting for two people with delicious antipasto and the best views in town!
One of the team will guide you through five different wines whilst you graze on meats and cheeses. When your wine tasting session concludes, grab a seat in the wine bar and relax with award-winning wine and views over Lake Burley Griffin.
12 noon–8 pm Friday | Canberra Visitors Centre, Regatta Point | eventbrite.com.au
Sesame Street Circus Spectacular: Christmas Edition
Santa is ready to welcome guests on arrival to the sensational Sesame Street Circus Spectacular – Christmas Edition which is making its world debut in Canberra this December.
All your favourite Sesame Street characters and a cast of international circus stars will have audiences gasping, laughing and sitting on the edge of their seats in a fun, thrilling and entertaining show suitable for all ages from 1-23 December at Majura Park.
The fully themed venue is just like a Christmas festival with dozens of beautiful trees, Christmas themed sideshow games, Sesame Street bouncy castle and what would a Christmas event be without the chance to catch up with Santa to tell him if you‘ve been naughty or nice!
Until 23 December at Majura Park | sesamestreetcircus.com.au
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2021
Audience favourite, the National Photographic Portrait Prize, is back bigger and for longer this year. Selected from a national field of entries, this iteration incorporates photographs from the maelstrom that was late 2019 and 2020.
Accordingly, they’ve called it Living Memory to acknowledge a time like no other. This exhibition always reflects the distinctive vision of Australia’s aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.
Until 16 January | National Portrait Gallery | portrait.gov.au
Christmas Village Markets at Haig Park Village Markets
With Christmas just around the corner, Haig Park Village Markets will be getting Braddon into the festive spirit with their very own Christmas Village Markets throughout December, with cheerfully themed market days on Sundays in December.
Imagine a Summer Festive Drinks Garden, live Christmas carols, string quartet, and Christmas themed market stalls combining to delight your senses. Culinary delicacies from the region, fresh produce, artisan products, handmade jewellery, Christmas decorations and more – all of which will be setting the scene for a festive Christmas experience amongst the pines of Haig Park.
Kids can craft their own gingerbread ornaments to hang on the tree or see the big man in red himself. Why not sit back with a beer, wine or G&T and take it easy in the summer breeze, listening to a talented line up of local musicians with a charcuterie or cheese board.
Sunday 19 December from 9 am to 2 pm | Haig Park, Braddon | haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au
Sly Fox Christmas Markets
Celebrate the end of another year at the annual Sly Fox Christmas Market!
Plenty of coffee to be had alongside some flea market-style shopping!
Saturday 18 December 11 am–4 pm | Sly Fox Coffee, the bike path, Lyneham | Facebook
Feature image: Ben Calvert
