We get an eggstra long one this weekend, 29 March – 1 April and the Canberra region is ready to relax.
Easter weekend in Canberra means the return of the National Folk Festival with four days of music, art, craft and community connection.
Locals are invited to an experience that will question reality as you know with the sensory deprivation as Darkfield opens at Canberra Theatre Centre.
Pooches are encouraged to get in on the Easter fun and find some chocolate-free goodies in The Great Treat Hunt at Haig Park on Saturday.
EVENTS
National Folk Festival: The beloved Easter long weekend festival returns with music, arts and community connection on the agenda. Exhibition Park, 28 March – 1 April; folkfestival.org.au
Darkfield: A sensory deprivation experience that will challenge your realty, set in shipping containers choose between Flight and Séance. Canberra Theatre Centre, 28 March – 14 April; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Canoe Polo Championships: Australia’s top canoe polo players make their way to Canberra to compete for the national championship. Burley Griffin Canoe Club, 29-31 March.
Canberra Steam Train Rides: The heritage rail journey returns for the Easter long weekend, travel on the steam locomotive 5917 from Canberra to Bungendore and back. Canberra Railway Station, Kingston, 29 March – 1 April; picnictrain.com.au
The Great Treat Hunt: Before the bunny brings chocolate for the humans, someone has hidden dog treats all over the park, so bring your pup to find some goodies. A professional photographer and the weekly markets will also be there. Haig Park, Saturday 30 March 10am-1pm.
Dahlicious: A festival of design, colour and dahlias jam packed with exciting events such as workshops on growing and displaying the blooms, yoga in the field and a guided morning tour. Beltana Road, Pialligo, until 31 March; bisonhome.com
National Film and Sound Archive: Has a jampacked March, from a month-long celebration of Black Irish Comedy to an exploration of Ozploitation in a partnership with Stunt Double at Canberra Theatre Centre, Visual feasts as part of Enlighten Festival and so much more. Until 31 March, find all the program details: nfsa.gov.au/events
Easter Market: A chocolate egg hunt and the chance to meet the Easter Bunny along with all the usual great local buys. Bus Depot Markets, Sunday 31 March 9:30am-2:30pm.
Three Sixty Fashion Market: Support sustainable fashion with this second-hand market with unique top-end and vintage finds up for grabs. Fitter’s Workshop, Kingston, 31 March 10am-3pm.
French Film Festival: Alliance Française presents an extensive program of some of the best films that capture French culture and storytelling. Palace Electric Cinema, until 2 April; affrenchfilmfestival.org
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Gladys Knight: The empress of soul performs her biggest hits in The Farewell Tour stopping in at The National Convention Centre, Thursday 28 March 7:30pm; frontiertouring.com
EXHIBITIONS
Tuggeranong Arts Centre: Showcases three exhibitions – Josephine Townsend’s Seeing the Forest and the Trees, Prints From Studio One: The Collection of Basil Hall and Jeremy Barrett’s Recent Paintings and Monoprints. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, until 28 March; tuggeranongarts.com
Belconnen Arts Centre: Presents four new exhibitions- Lines of Sight by Patsy Payne and John Pratt; Interwoven 7 by Basketry and Textile Artists, atmo-sphere by Francis Kenna; The Benefit of Doubt by Fran Romano and Zoe Slee. Until 28 March; belcoarts.com.au
Body, Space and Place: A group exhibition by the 2023 winners of the ANCA Emerging Artist Support Scheme Exhibition Award exploring the concepts of presence, location, context, memory and identity. ANCA Dickson, until 28 March; anca.net.au
With Nature: A group exhibition curated by Alexander Boynes brings together artists who have been influenced by landscape in their works. CCAS Lakeside, until 6 April; ccas.com.au
Beaver Galleries: Presents two exhibitions The Village Within, a collection of paintings by Derek O’Connor and Colossal Wreck, a series of drawings by Kirrily Humpries. Until 6 April; beavergalleries.com.au
Kyeema Gallery: Presents a collection of stunning images in Birds and Nature- A Photographer’s Perspective by Le Thanh. Capital Wines, until 7 April; capitalwines.com.au
Moraig McKenna: Explores the surface effects of texture, glaze, salt and as on clay in Surfacing at Canberra Potters Gallery, Watson, until 21 April; canberrapotters.com.au
Emily Kam Kngwarray: Celebrates the timeless art of the pre-eminent Anmatyerr artist who devoted her final years to painting and creating work capturing the experience of her extraordinary life. National Gallery of Australia, until 28 April; nga.gov.au
Jordan Wolfson: Body Sculpture: A commissioned piece that evokes emotional and physical responses from the viewer through the movements of an animatronic sculpture, contains mature themes. National Gallery of Australia, until 28 April; nga.gov.au
Told. Retold. Untold.: A site-specific exhibition from artist Rosalind Lemoh that highlights the rich history of the Kingston building. Canberra Glassworks, until 28 April; canberraglassworks.com
Deep Inside My Heart: Bringing together sculptures, drawings and other works from the national collection by female artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. National Gallery of Australia, until 19 May; nga.gov.au
Focus: Australian Government Photographers: Undertake a journey spanning six decades of Australian life with works from some of the government photographers working between 1939 and 1996. National Archives of Australia, until 10 June; naa.gov.au
Vincent Namatjira: Australia in colour: The first survey exhibition of the Western Aranda artist, showcasing paintings, works on paper and moving images from worldwide collections. National Gallery of Australia, until 21 July; nga.gov.au
Change: Stories from your pocket: The Royal Australian Mint curates an exhibition exploring the stories our coins tell about our history. Canberra Museum and Gallery, until 31 August; cmag.com.au
Discovering Ancient Egypt: On loan from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities is a deep dive into the culture of the ancient society with more than 220 objects, spanning more than 3,000 years. National Museum of Australia, until 8 September; nma.gov.au
Materiality…but not as we know it: Ten artists and designers with Canberra connections explore the ideas around truth to materials and functionality and design. Canberra Museum and Gallery, until 20 October; cmag.com.au
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