Leisure

  • Poets and storytellers on show

    Poets and storytellers on show

    WORDSPOKEN is a local tradition in the making. The event series, which will return from a summer hiatus as part of the Castlemaine Fringe program, showcases local poets, musicians and storytellers in the shell of the old Melbourne tram at Lot19. WORDSPOKEN draws on this thread, providing a space for experimental and experiential artistic expression,…

  • It’s better to read blind

    It’s better to read blind

    Two bouts of sensory deprivation led Jahne Hope-Williams to pursue a life of spiritual practice. Jahne was born in England and spent the first years of her life living behind a Harrods’ department store. It was a troubled start to life; she was blind. The doctors could do nothing and on a whim, after advice…

  • Find the perfect gift

    Find the perfect gift

    Castlemaine Artists Market is lighting up the centre of town on Sunday March 23. Fossick through more than 50 stalls of fabulous, handmade artwork, and find the perfect gift for someone special. Enjoy delicious food and drink as well as live music on the grass. This month Castlemaine Artists Market welcomes back Ced le Meledo,…

  • St Patrick’s day is here!

    St Patrick’s day is here!

    Guinness, bagpipes and Irish dance will be part of St Patrick’s Day celebrations to be held on March 16 at Trentham East. The Sunday event kicks off at 11am at Sacred Heart Church, where attendees will hear stories from local Irish residents before setting off on an annual march, led by bagpipes, to the Pig…

  • Afternoon tea in an autumn garden

    Afternoon tea in an autumn garden

    On Saturday March 22, Coliban Springs will open its tranquil five-acre garden oasis to aid The Sisterhood Project, a charity making lifesaving skills accessible to everyone. The organisation’s founder Grace Larson lives locally in Mia Mia and was the 2024 Victorian winner of the Agrifutures Rural Woman of the Year award and runner up for…

  • Big turnout expected for Taradale Festival

    Big turnout expected for Taradale Festival

    Now in its 16th year, the Taradale Mineral Springs Festival is set to return this Sunday March 9. Awarded Mount Alexander Shire Community Event of the Year in 2024, the long-running festival is a major feature on the Central Victorian calendar for the Labour Day long weekend. The Mineral Springs Festival Committee is planning to…

  • Harcourt Applefest is on the move

    Harcourt Applefest is on the move

    Since its inception in 1991, the Harcourt Applefest has gone from strength to strength and is now bursting at the seams! Consequently, this year’s festival organisers have decided to relocate the iconic festival and art show from its original home at James Park and the Harcourt Heritage Centre to the Harcourt Recreation Reserve. Kicking off…

  • The circus is coming to town

    The circus is coming to town

    Circus Latino is a dynamic and exciting show that aims to thrill and captivate audiences of all ages. Featuring talented performers from South America and Australia, this show includes daring aerial acts, tricks performed with fire, hoops and a hilarious clown. Audience members may even become part of the show if they are confident to…

  • A diamond jubilee artist

    A diamond jubilee artist

    Artist Kevin Smith has been painting for 60 years. His studio, located in the hills of Little Hampton, displays his enduring output with hundreds of paintings laying about. “Some of these canvases are from the 1980s and I just paint over them,” he says. The 76-year-old reflects on his life while listening to jazz play…

  • Newstead Open Studios art trail

    Newstead Open Studios art trail

    Newstead Open Studios art trail is a locally inspired and crafted event, held annually since 2015 and based in and around Newstead, in the heart of Victoria’s goldfields region. Each year artists open their studios to visitors. There will be lots of beautiful and diverse art for sale at each of the studios, you might…

  • Flower Show returns

    Flower Show returns

    More than a century of horticultural history returns to Mount Macedon on Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16, with the annual Autumn Flower and Produce Show. The show is open to all residents in the Macedon Ranges, with no charge to submit exhibits. Entries from children are especially welcome, with separate categories available for…

  • Has your fave veg got the edge?

    Has your fave veg got the edge?

    The Edgy Veg Awards are set to return this April for the fourth year in the Macedon Ranges, and have now expanded to Mount Alexander Shire! Given only 13 per cent of the local population eat enough veg, the event couldn’t have come at a better time. Show your support for your favourite local (and…