Leisure
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Rebels, radical ideas and rock
The Castlemaine Documentary Festival is throwing one hell of an International Women’s Day party on Friday at the Theatre Royal with two films and a gig, celebrating the creative force of women. Kicking off at 5pm is Looking for Simone, a deep dive into the life and legacy of Simone de Beauvoir. Her seminal work,…
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Spanish summer memories
El Pintxo Melbourne is returning to Lyons Will Estate at Lancefield to celebrate the end of summer with a series of Spanish lunches. Iker and Shirin, from El Pintxo, dedicate so much of their lives to celebrating food and eating. They relish in the experience and are passionate about their Spanish heritage. In 2024, they…
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The freshest produce
The monthly Castlemaine Farmers Market is on this Sunday March 2. Go along to the 80-plus spread of local produce happening on the Western Reserve this Sunday from 9am to 1pm. BYO bags, baskets and trolleys. Friendly dogs welcome on a leash.