The first taste of autumn comes to Canberra this weekend, 3-5 March, with slightly cooler weather than last weekend.
The annual Enlighten Festival starts with the illuminations switching on this Friday night, and features a diverse program that continues for 17 days, to Sunday 19 March.
Live theatre and music are offered in abundance with shows for every taste. It’s the last weekend to catch the Queanbeyan Players’ musical celebration of the 1960s – Downtown at Belconnen Community Theatre. Meanwhile, prancing and leaping felines hit the stage in Canberra Philharmonic Society’s rendition of Cats The Musical at Erindale Theatre.
Friday is for the laughs with Sparrow Folk bringing their musical comedy routine to Canberra Theatre Centre, while across the border at the Bicentennial Hall in Queanbeyan, Arj Barker presents the best from his storied career.
Celebrate the start of autumn with Harvest Day Out at Lanyon Homestead on Saturday, where you can get a taste of sustainable living. Then on Sunday, keep up the wholesome homegrown vibes with a trip to the Hartley Hall Markets.
EVENTS
Enlighten Festival: Switches on Friday 3 March with the illuminations of national attractions in the National Triangle (3-13 March); before the Canberra Balloon Spectacular lifts off on 11-19 March. Check out the full program at enlightencanberra.com
Harvest Day Out: Celebrate harvest and autumn with workshops, demonstrations, tours, markets, music and food to inspire visitors to grow, preserve and sustain. Lanyon Homestead, Tharwa, 4 March 10am-4pm.
Jurassic Haig Park: A day of prehistoric fun with roving performances, workshops and games, try your hand at finding a dinosaur bone, or create your own dino puppet to take home. Haig Park, Braddon, 4 March 11am-3pm.
Queanbeyan Multicultural Festival: A great family day full of rich culture, delicious food, fun workshops and unique market stalls. Queanbeyan Park, 5 March 10am-4pm; www.qprc.nsw.gov.au
Hartley Hall Markets: The beloved homemade and homegrown good markets market the first Sunday of the month to Hall Showgrounds, 10am-3pm; hartley.org.au
LIVE PERFORMANCES
I Have No Enemies: Bare Witness Theatre Co. presents a play exploring the uncomfortable truths of living life through a lens. Gorman Arts Centre, until 11 March; ainslieandgorman.com.au
Sparrow Folk: The Musical Canberra mum comedy duo return to the stage with their new show Nice Pair. The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, 2-3 March; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Cats The Musical: Bask in the light of the Jellicle Moon at Canberra Philharmonic Society’s production of the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Erindale Theatre, 2-18 March; philo.org.au
Get Rhythm – The Johnny Cash and June Carter Show: Real-life husband and wife duo bring the tunes of country’s most loved people to the stage at The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 3 March 7.30pm; theq.net.au
Arj Barker: Brings 30 years of jokes remastered and sprinkled with new material to The B, Queanbeyan, 3 March 8pm; qprc.sales.ticketsearch.com
The Threshold: An immersive theatre and music experience looking at ageing and end of life from the view point of four women. Grab a cuppa and pull up a chair at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 4-5 March; trybooking.com
Mark Vincent: Performs a range of arias, ballads and theatre numbers from The Three Tenors’ body of work in this tribute. The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 4 March 2pm; theq.net.au
They’re Following Us: Artists are joined by data privacy experts to discuss the world of data surveillance in the 21st century. Gorman Arts Centre, 4 March 3pm; ainslieandgorman.com.au
Omega Ensemble: Present Time is a River, a poignant and deep program. Ainslie Arts Centre, 4 March 6.30pm; ainslieandgorman.com.au
The Garifuna Collective: The unique Afro-Caribbean band bring their energetic and positive vibes to The Street Theatre, City West, 4 March 7.30pm; thestreet.org.au
Downtown The Mod Musical: The Queanbeyan Players present a fun and upbeat celebration of the 1960s. Belconnen Community Theatre, until 5 March; trybooking.com
Canberra Symphony Orchestra: The CSO Chamber Ensemble presents a program of Debussy and Fauré with soprano Chloe Lankshear and featuring a world premiere from Connor D’Netto. Albert Hall, Yarralumla, 5 March 2pm; cso.org.au
Good Morning Vietnam, Volume 2: The band is back with more hit songs from the Vietnam War era. The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 5 March 2pm; theq.net.au
Mahalia Barnes and the Soul Mates: The blues and soul outfit bring their high energy and eccentric costumes back to Tallagandra Hill Winery, Gundaroo, 5 March 6.30pm; tallagandrahill.com.au
EXHIBITIONS
Haunting: Vic McEwan explores the difficult history of objects and place in his photographic exhibition at the National Museum of Australia, until 30 April; nma.gov.au
Beaver Galleries: Shows two new exhibitions – Peter Vandermark’s Bricolage, and Catherine Woo’s The Weight of Air. Beaver Galleries, 2-18 March; beavergalleries.com.au
Listening Back: An immersive audiovisual installation hopes to spark thoughts on the idea of being continually tracked while online. Gorman Arts Centre, until 5 March; ainslieandgorman.com.au
Moved to Print: A showcase of five Canberra artists who met weekly over several years to explore passion and things big and small through the medium of printmaking. Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 3-12 March; ccas.com.au
Jingo Was Born in The Slum: Matthew Thorne presents a powerful exhibition reflecting on Ned Kelly and his gang. Canberra Museum + Gallery, until 4 March; cmag.com.au
X Rainbow takeover: A patchwork of piece celebrating LGBTIQA+ pride and community, created by queer artists from around the country. Craft ACT, until 23 March; craftact.org.au
Disrupt, Persist, Invent: Discover the stories of the many ways Australians have achieved social change in this continuing exhibition at the National Archives of Australia, until 12 June; naa.gov.au
Feared and Revered: Explore feminine spiritual power through the ages in this exhibition on loan from the British Museum, National Museum of Australia, until 27 August; nma.gov.au
Canberra Daily is keen to hear from you about a story idea in the Canberra and surrounding region. Click here to submit a news tip.
