On Canberra Day, held on Monday 11 March, Canberrans can take part in the Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run, then enjoy a day of entertainment and fun activities for the family at Commonwealth Park from 10am to 5pm.
It is “a great opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate our wonderful city”, Tara Cheyne, ACT Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, says.
As part of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular from 9 to 17 March, early risers can start the day watching the launch of more than 40 balloons from Patrick White Lawns, near the National Library. Food trucks and coffee carts will serve hot breakfasts.
The balloons can also be seen from vantage points across the city including the lake foreshores, the National Arboretum, and Mount Ainslie.
From 10am, Canberrans can support their community by entering the Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run (organised in partnership with the Stromlo Running Festival), a 2km, 5km or 10km run or walk around Lake Burley Griffin to raise funds for local charities through Hands Across Canberra, the ACT’s independent community foundation. You can register to participate in the Fun Run here.
The Canberra Day Appeal invites local residents to ‘give where they live’. The funds raised through the annual Appeal support 360 local charities and community organisations and the tens of thousands of people they work with in the ACT region. This year, the Appeal hopes to raise $1 million.
Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park will be the venue for live music and family entertainment in the morning and afternoon. Budjerah, an ARIA award-winning Coodjinburra singer, will take centre stage; he received rave reviews supporting Ed Sheeran, an English singer-songwriter, on his recent Australian tour, and his first ever appearance on the pop music radio station Triple J’s Hottest 100 competition landed him in the top 20 this year.
“On Canberra Day, we reflect on what it is to be a Canberran—and that includes celebrating our diversity,” Ms Cheyne said.
At a Local Food and Makers’ Market, Canberra’s regional vendors will cook street food from Italy, Croatia, Mexico, Burma, modern Australia, and more. ‘Grab a picnic’ options will be available, with pre-orders and a collection point. Traders will sell locally made crafts and products at the market.
“Our growing city is diverse, inclusive and a place our community is proud to call home,” Ms Cheyne said. “I invite Canberrans and visitors alike to enjoy the diverse offerings at Commonwealth Park as they celebrate our great city this Canberra Day.
“This year’s celebrations are all the more meaningful as we are invited to support our community through funds raised through the event and to support the local businesses and entertainers who make the event possible.”
For more information on Canberra Day, visit enlightencanberra.com.
