The Canberra region is bursting at the seams with fabulous events happening this weekend, 17-19 November.

If you’re looking for a furry new family member or just love dogs, head on down to ARF’s inaugural Adoption Day on Saturday to meet some pooches and see some tricks.

If fast cars are your thing, the final round of the Australian Rally Championships speeds through the forests of our region.

Soak up the last weeks of Spring with the Orana Steiner School Spring Fair on Sunday, where you can hunt for second-hand treasures and enjoy live music and fresh food.

Start your Christmas shopping early at the Queanbeyan Market where you can find handmade goods to put under the tree for the special people in your life.

EVENTS

CIT Open Day 2023: Finishing school or thinking about an apprenticeship or career change? Check out the courses on offer and find the one for you. CIT Bruce, Fyshwick and Reid. Friday 17 November 2-7pm; cit.edu.au

Festive Lane Markets: Hosted over three magical afternoon/evenings under the iconic Christmas tree in the heart of the city from Friday 17 – Sunday 19 November, the Festive Lane Markets will herald the arrival of Santa to the city, filled with lights, colour and festive cheer; learn more

Iranian Film Festival Australia: Experience a celebration of resilience and creativity in Iranian cinema, with a carefully curated selection of thought-provoking, heartwarming and award-winning films. National Film and Sound Archive, 17–19 November; nfsa.gov.au

Trans Joy: A Gender Agenda hosts an evening of insightful discussion on Trans Joy this Trans Awareness Week with nibbles and networking before official events. Ainslie Arts Centre, 17 November 5pm; ainslieandgorman.com.au

Garage Sale Trail: Jump on the trail and find treasures and goods from participating ACT & NSW neighbours, 18-19 November. Find a full list of participants at garagesaletrail.com.au

Subaru Canberra Rally of Canberra: The final round of the Australian Rally Championships comes to the forests surrounding Canberra. Various locations, 18-19 November. Full program at rally.com.au/rallyofcanberra

Amber’s Garden and Mayo Maison: These two gardens in Hawker offer a rich array of late spring flowering plants, native and exotic, set in informal layouts that keep changing and provide opportunities for the visitor to relax. Amber’s Garden, 8 Andado Place, and Mayo Maison, 11 Kurundi Place, Hawker, 18-19 November 10am-4pm; opengardenscanberra.org.au

Come and Try Dragon Boating: Navmat Dragons invite you to experience dragon boating on Lake Burley Griffin on Saturdays 18 and 25 November 10am-12pm at Little Burley Markets. More info: revolutionise.com.au/navmatdb/home/

ARF Adoption Day: Meet some foster dogs who are searching for furever homes at ARF’s inaugural Adoption Day. ARF Park, Dixon Drive, Holder, 18 November 1-4pm; fosterdogs.org

Snapshot: The final installment in the Australian New Wave series, Simon Wincer’s debut feature film is a racy Ozploitation thriller about a model stalked by a man in a Mr Whippy ice cream van. National Film and Sound Archive, 18 November 1pm; nfsa.gov.au/events/snapshot

Pachanga: Raio de Sol celebrates 10 years with a free street fiesta featuring 7 local bands and dance groups, food and drink trucks, and dance and drumming workshops. Kambri, ANU, Saturday 18 November 4-11pm; humanitix.com

TAC Turns 25: Celebrate a quarter century of the southside arts space with a variety show, after party, bubbles, gelato and cake. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 18 November 6pm; tuggeranongarts.com

Sweet Sunday in the Garden: Enjoy a selection of homemade cakes and ice-cream in a beautiful garden, Braddon, Sunday 19 November 10.30am and 2.30pm. Bookings essential: gardenswithfleur.com.au

Spring Fair: The Orana Steiner School at Weston invites you to a day of thoughtful natural and fun activities, second-hand goods, delicious treats, market stalls, live entertainment and more. Sunday 19 November 11am-3pm; oranaschool.com

Cunard British Film Festival: Showcases the best of new and classic British films. Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra, until 29 November; britishfilmfestival.com.au

SpringOUT: Canberra’s Pride festival celebrates the diversity of our LGBTQIA+ community through events, exhibitions and performances, until 30 November. Full program: springout.com.au

LIVE PERFORMANCES

This Rough Magic: A marrying of the true with the classic as the story of Iranian refugees on Christmas Island receives a Shakespearean influence. The Street Theatre, until 19 November; thestreet.org.au

Canberra Cabaret Festival: A showcase of local performers and artists through the enchanting art of cabaret. ACT Hub, Kingston, 16-18 November; acthub.com.au

Canberra Rep: Present their final work for the season, a rollercoaster comedy of history and tragedy in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]. Canberra Rep Theatre, 17 November-2 December; canberrarep.org.au

Paul McDermott Plus One: The third collaboration between Paul McDermott and Glenn Moorhouse Blood Orange tackles big themes our society is facing with absurdity, humour and tunes. Canberra Theatre Centre, Friday 17 November 8pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Kate Ceberano: An intimate evening with one of Australia’s most beloved songstresses as she performs a collection of her extensive works. Tallagandra Hill Winery, 18-19 November (Saturday sold out); tallagandrahill.com.au

Dear August: Father and daughter duo, Darren and Olivia Coggan, perform tracks from their new EP along with a collection of their other works. The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, Saturday 18 November 8pm; theq.net.au

America Sings!: Art Song Canberra’s latest concert features AJ America and Roland Peelman performing works from composers who influenced 20th-century America. Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, Sunday 19 November 3pm; trybooking.com

MARKETS:

Night Markets: The community-run event runs every Friday 4-8pm at Anketell Street, Tuggeranong.

Capital Region Farmers Market: Fresh seasonal produce and gourmet goods at EPIC, Saturdays 7-11.30am; capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au

Kippax Marketplace: Indoor market at Kippax Uniting Church Community Centre on the 3rd Saturday of the month 8am-12pm; free entry.

Pedalling Wares Market: Join Dirty Janes stallholders in a vintage haven flea market offering unique goods at bargain prices not seen in store, or try the lampshade-making workshop. Dirty Janes Fyshwick, Saturday 18 November 9am-2pm;  hdirtyjanes.com

The Little Burley Market: Bringing gourmet food and artisan handicrafts lakeside each week. Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes, Saturday 9am-1.30pm; thelittleburleymarket.com.au

Trash and Treasure: Hunt for second-hand goods, fresh produce and homewares every Sunday at the Jamison Centre, 7am-12.30pm; trashandtreasuremarketjamison.com.au

The Queanbeyan Market: Find wonderful handmade and homegrown goods and gifts that are perfect for under the Christmas tree. Queanbeyan Showground, Sunday 19 November 9am-2pm.

Community Market: Monthly market at Calwell shopping centre on the 3rd Saturday of the month 9am-3pm, and Queanbeyan Park on the 3rd Sunday 9am-2pm.

Bric-a-Brac Rummage: Hunt for second-hand treasure in front of South.Point, Tuggeranong, Sundays 9am-3pm.

Old Bus Depot Markets: The much-loved markets continue at the Old Bus Depot in Kingston, Sundays 9.30am-2.30pm; obdm.com.au

EXHIBITIONS

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; naa.gov.au

Personal Mythology: A look into the past, current and future myths of the young artists in the Messengers non-clinical support program. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 18 November 2023 – 27 January 2024; tuggeranongarts.com

Rusten House Art Centre: The Queanbeyan arts centre presents three exhibitions: Creative Curiosities, Alison’s Wonderful Life by Alison Archbold, Trees and Other Treasures by Judith Tokley, and Belonging by Jo Parsons (continuing until 16 December). Until 18 November; qprc.nsw.gov.au

CCAS Manuka: Harijs Piekalns presents his first solo exhibition, Recent Works 2021- 2023, exploring the importance the wave symbol holds to Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples. Until 19 November; ccas.com.au

Beaver Galleries:  Hosts two exhibitions: Lucienne Rickard’s Threads, and Cathy Franzi’s Where the River Flows. Until 25 November; beavergalleries.com.au

Belconnen Arts Centre: Hosts five exhibitions: Kaleidoscope II, Shiver by Michelle Day, Remnants by Isobel Kennedy, The Future Unfolds by Faith Kerehona, and Zero Waste: Doing It Imperfectly by Nancy Lane. Until 26 November; belcoarts.com.au

Dark Matter 2023: A showcase of the works created throughout the 2023 Dark Matter Residency. PhotoAccess, until 2 December; photoaccess.org.au

Cox Gallery: Showcases selection from the C. Nikolakopoulos collection Derek F. Wrigley Furniture as functional art. Kingston, until 1 December; coxarchitecture.com.au

Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize: Nearly 100 works share the rich history of the competition as this exhibition lands at the final destination of its three-year tour. National Portrait Gallery, until 28 January 2024; portrait.gov.au

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