Leisure
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The dark and sweet side of chocolate
Such Sweet Sorrow: The Darker Side of Our Chocolatiers and Confectioners is coming to the Woodend Library in time for Library Lovers’ Day on Friday, February 14. Starting with an exploration of the dark and tragic stories of confectioners in the district using local archival records, the presentation draws on material from the Bendigo Regional…
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Toni Childs – a retrospective
Join the legendary Toni Childs for a special two-hour performance as she celebrates her life’s musical works. Toni will be performing hits and fan favourites from Union, House of Hope, the Woman’s Boat and Keep the Faith in the first hour of her show then the second hour will be an introduction to Toni’s new…
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A world-class cultural experience
Local flamenco enthusiasts are urged to get down to Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Sunday February 16 for a very special concert event headlined by acclaimed Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco Lara. Acknowledged as the most prominent flamenco guitarist living in Australia, Paco Lara and his troupe are a world-class musical and cultural experience not to be…
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Meander the market
If you are looking for a fun way to enjoy the long weekend, Castlemaine Artists Market is happening Sunday January 26! Meander through the stalls showcasing quality hand-crafted items and have a chat with the makers themselves. Delicious food and drink will be available with live music by Ced Le Meledo on the grass, demonstrations…
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Invest in your food producers
This Australia Day weekend you have the opportunity to stock up on great locally produced foods and in doing so, invest in the central Victorian farming and food-producing families who have been supplying quality foods to the Macedon Ranges and beyond for the past 21 years. Visits to the Lancefield and District Farmers Market commence…
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Chewton Film Society gears up for 2025
Chewton Film Society’s 2025 program is set to kick off on February 6 with the screening of 2012 film Blancanieves – a twist on the Snow White fairytale that is set in 1920s Seville and centred on a female bullfighter. This year the Chewton Film Society has invited some local film aficionados – Bev Orgill,…
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Ten years of Tom
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs with 10 Years of Tom is an homage to Tom Waits from 1977-1987. It will be performed in a huge weekend of performances from February 7-9 at the Theatre Royal Castlemaine, MEMO Music Hall in St Kilda and the Brunswick Ballroom. Tom Waits has captivated fans…
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Tales That Talk To You to launch
Castlemaine-based journalist, writer and community musician Valerie Colyer has released a new book Tales That Talk to You. Tales That Talk To You explores theme of identity, social justice, feminism, ageism, crime and political trends with down-to-earth humour. A special launch event to celebrate the new work will be held at the Albion Art Bar…
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Wine meets summertime fun
Summer’s finally here — and it’s time for a fling! In the naturally cool Macedon Ranges wine region, the winemakers have worked hard for their sunny days, and now they’re ready to bask in them. And they want you to join them! The Summertime Fling Festival returns this month for its sixth year to celebrate…
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Chefs offer rare fare
Chef friends Daniel Lusi and Eileen Hornell are coming together this month for some delicious food and wine under the summer sun at Boomtown Wine in Castlemaine. Expect five-ish courses (with extras available on the day) from the beautiful produce of the area, paired with delicious wine from the Boomtown crew. Daniel has spent the…
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Local artists shine brightly
A sparkling new exhibition, You Must Be My Lucky Star, was unveiled at Castlemaine’s lot19 artspace on January 11 to kick-start 2025. The exhibition features the work of 12 artists working from lot19 Castlemaine. Some are teachers, some are students. They are all teaching each other – genres and media bonded through shared studios and…


