As we enter the final month of spring, the Canberra region is offering a host of events to get us outside this weekend, 3-5 November.
Explore beautiful gardens in neighbouring NSW at the Braidwood Open Gardens or the Crookwell Garden Festival.
The Vikings Sunday Funday invites the whole family to find a new favourite sport in time for summer.
Stay inside and catch some live theatre, with ACT Hub’s season of Speaking in Tongues wrapping up as does The Mill Theatre’s Rockspeare Henry VI Part I.
Catch iconic Aussie band The Wiggles or Australian Idol winner Damien Leith at Canberra Theatre Centre, or local band The Iconics performing The Australian Commitments Tribute Show in Kaleen.
EVENTS
British Film Festival: Showcases the best in of new and classic British films. Palace Electric Cinema, NewActon, 2-29 November; britishfilmfestival.com.au
Bollywood Film Festival: The best of Indian cinema from around the globe featuring a program of new and classic Bollywood films. Dendy Cinemas Canberra, 2-5 November; bollywoodfilmfestival.com.au
The Vinyl Lounge: Bring your favourite records, share your music stories and hear what’s spinning on the turntables. National Film and Sound Archive, 3 November 5.30pm; nfsa.gov.au
Crookwell Garden Festival: Eleven beautiful gardens are open for inspection, ranging from small intimate town gardens to larger rambling country gardens. On Saturday, a Garden Lover’s Market will be held at Crookwell Showground from 8.30am to 1pm. Various locations, Crookwell NSW, 4-5 November; crookwellgardenfestival.com
Braidwood Open Gardens: Take a stickybeak at six of the town’s best gardens, jump on a tour of a farm or catch a talk by author and gardener Jackie French. Braidwood, 4-5 November; braidwoodgardens.com.au
Meaningful Change: A free webinar talk on ‘Meaningful Change for Ourselves and the World’ by international speaker, Mark McCurties. First Church of Christ, Scientist, Canberra, Saturday 4 November 3pm; christiansciencecanberra.com
60th Anniversary Cocktail Party: An event for current and past members of the Rosary Primary School community with canapes, drinks and entertainment. QT Hotel, Saturday 4 November 6pm; trybooking.com
Vikings Sunday Funday: A free come-and-try day for the family, try one of the sports on show and hop on the jumping castle. Viking Park, 5 November 10am-2pm; vikings.com.au
SpringOUT: Canberra’s Pride festival celebrates the diversity of our LGBTQIA+ community with events, exhibitions and performances. Until 30 November; full program at springout.com.au
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Under the Influence: A bittersweet cabaret, based on Mikelangelo’s musical influences and lif alongside Bungendore’s Shortis & Simpson. The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 3-4 November; theq.net.au
Beyond Small Talk: Lightbulb Improv takes over the stage as you discover small blessings and the group transforms your small stories into something grand. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Friday 3 November 6pm; tuggeranongarts.com
Damien Leith: Performs with a 35-piece symphony orchestra in Roy Orbison Orchestrated. Canberra Theatre Centre, Friday 3 November 8pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Rockspeare Henry VI Part I: This is Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part I as you’ve never seen it or heard it before. Welcome to the Rockspeare universe where the history plays are recast as political plays and epic text is combined with an epic soundscape. Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, until 4 November; milltheatreatdairyroad.com
Speaking in Tongues: A study of love, marriage, infidelity and betrayal as nine lives interconnect and overlap. ACT Hub, Kingston, until 4 November; acthub.com.au
The Wiggles: The Aussie icons host a carnival of fun, dancing and music in The Wiggly Big Day Out! Tour. Canberra Theatre Centre, 4-5 November; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
The Iconics: The Australian Commitments Tribute Show – presented by The Iconics. All the soul-stealing, heart-thumping classics from the cult 1991 movie, The Commitments – authentic, passionate and live with The Iconics’ incredible 11-piece band. Clubhouse Kaleen, Saturday 4 November 8pm; trybooking.com/events/landing/1121455
Dark Side of the Moon: Run Like Hell celebrates 50 years of Pink Floyd’s defining album in this tribute show. Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, 4 November 8pm; bandsintown.com
Soweto Gospel Choir: The three-time Grammy-winning group performs new show, Hope, a celebration of the songs and anthems of the Freedom movement of Nelson Mandela’s South Africa and Civil Rights Movement of Martin Luther King’s 1950s America. Llewellyn Hall, ANU, 5 November 7pm; ticketek.com.au
EXHIBITIONS
Canberra Potters: Presents the Canberra Potters 2023 Members’ Exhibition. Watson, 3 November- 3 December; canberrapotters.com.au
Beaver Galleries: Presents two new exhibitions – Waratah Lahy’s Neighbourhood Watch, and Holly Grace’s Off Track…. Until 4 November; beavergalleries.com.au
BLAZE: The emerging artists showcase by the Canberra Contemporary Art Space with bold and challenging works as curated by Alexander Boynes. CCAS Parkes, 4 November-27 January; ccas.com.au
Interregnum – Afterimage: A collection of works from Robyn Veneer Sweeney whose paintings and sculptures transform expectations. CCAS Manuka, until 5 November; ccas.com.au
Rusten House Art Centre: The Queanbeyan arts centre presents three new 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
Belconnen Arts Centre: Welcomes five new exhibitions – Kaleidoscope II and 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
Madonna40: A Celebration: Experience this incredible homage to the Queen of Pop, as one Canberra fan shares their collection of Madonna memorabilia. Canberra Museum and Gallery, Civic Square, until 3 March 2024; cmag.com.au
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