The Long Weekend Edit
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Welcome to the essential guide to your weekend, Canberra. Thanks to Zango, Canberra’s locally owned listing site, we’re bringing you this weekend’s coolest events—and hottest Open Homes.
Every Monday for more than eight years, we’ve published This Week in The Can, our comprehensive guide to everything happening around the city this week—but sometimes it’s just too epic to get through!
That’s why each Friday we publish our Weekend Edit—a curated selection of events we think you’ll love!
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ENLIGHTEN FESTIVAL
Credit: Hcreations Photography for VisitCanberra.
Canberra will shine bright with culture and creativity as the Enlighten Festival, presented by Singapore Airlines, brings together the best autumn events.
Held over 17 days from 28 February to 15 March, the city will come alive with a range of free and ticketed events.
Kick off the festival at the 10th anniversary of Enlighten Illuminations (28 February to 9 March) as architectural projections light up the National Portrait Gallery, National Library of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, Australian Parliament House, Museum of Australian Democracy, Questacon and more.
Enjoy the roving artists, live bands and enchanting performances throughout the Enlighten precinct.
With programming commencing at 6 pm, and architectural projections lighting up your evening from 8 pm to 11 pm each night, there’s plenty of time to have your tastebuds tempted at the Canberra Night Noodle Markets (28 February-9 March), Bentspoke Beer Garden and Enlighten Alley.
After taking in the projections, be enlightened with a visit inside many iconic national attractions. With exclusive events on offer sure to entertain every member of your family.
Enhance your experience of Enlighten Illuminations by joining the Chef’s Degustation at Parliament House for a fine dining experience or book a private garden dining experience at Questacon’s Illuminated Igloo Garden.
Entertain the family at National Zoo and Aquarium’s Zoofest or receive exclusive night access to some of Canberra’s best exhibitions including Spy: Espionage in Australia at National Archives of Australia and Friday Late: Games Masters Exhibition at National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. View the full program at enlightencanberra.com.
Prepare to have your mornings brightened when the Canberra Balloon Spectacular returns from 7 to 15 March as hot air balloons fill the sky with a flurry of colour, sound and movement.
Celebrate local creativity as Lights! Canberra! Action! (6 March) shines a light on local film-makers and Symphony in the Park (8 March) provides the perfect soundtrack to your sunset picnic.
Top off the festival by celebrating the city’s birthday at Canberra Day (9 March) and enjoy a flourish of fireworks at Hit 104.7 Skyfire (14 March).
Cost: Prices vary, please check the website.
Happening 28 February to 15 March, times vary, please check the website. Parliamentary Triangle.
See enlightencanberra.com for more information.
CANBERRA BALLOON SPECTACULAR
Credit: EventsACT
Wake up to more than 25 hot air balloons drifting across Canberra skies as part of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular.
Head to the lawns of Old Parliament House to be part of the festival of colour, sound and movement. Be there as the pilots inflate and launch their balloons from 6.15am and enjoy hot drinks and breakfast as the balloons ascend into the sky. Or for a morning to remember, experience the thrill of hot air ballooning with a balloon ride.
Free for spectators, balloon flights are ticketed.
This event is weather dependent. Daily announcements if balloons will launch and fly are made at 6.15 am and published on the website and via the Enlighten Festival and EventsACT social channels.
Happening Saturday 7 March until Sunday 15 March 2020 from 6:15-10 am on the Lawns of Old Parliament House, Parkes.
See enlightencanberra.com for more information.
THE CANBERRA TIMES NIGHT NOODLE MARKETS
The Canberra Times Night Noodle Markets will return to Reconciliation Place for an extended duration of eleven nights, from 28 February until 9 March, transforming Reconciliation Place into a bustling Asian street food festival.
Kicking off on 28 February, the highly anticipated Night Noodle Markets will return for an extended stint due to popular demand, turning Reconciliation Place into a bustling Asian street food festival over eleven sizzling nights.
Canberrans can embark on a vibrant flavour journey through Asia, tasting new creations, dynamic flavours and signature dishes from hawker-style stalls from around the country served alongside live music, DJs, and lion dancing.
Local favourites Korbq, Donburi Station and Superbao will be joined by multicultural flavours from around Australia from Hoy Pinoy, Gelato Messina, May’s Malaysian Hawker, Wonderbao, Bangkok Street Food, Twistto, Flying Noodles, Teppanyaki Noodles, Shallot Thai, Satay Brothers, Chinese Dim Sum King, Mochi Donuts, Waffleland, The Pham Sisters, Raijin, Poklol x Puffle, Chur Burger, Wok Master and Bao Brothers.
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 5 pm–10.30 pm and Saturday – Sunday: 4 pm–10.30 pm.
Happening 28 February–9 March at Reconciliation Place, Canberra.
Free Entry. To view all stallholder menus visit: goodfoodmonth.com/canberra/canberra-night-noodle-markets
March Madness at Farrah’s Liquor Collective
It’s March Madness at Farrah’s Liquor Collective!
TASTE THE STORE and go in to the draw to win a case of wine valued at $150 each weekend in March!
Since opening the doors last year, Farrah’s Liquor Collective’s mission has been to bring a whole new range of wines, beers and spirits to the Canberra market—direct from the producer to you.
It has been a huge success and FLC customers have been delighted with the quality and prices of product on offer.
Matt and his team know it is important to know all there is about the products but there is nothing better than to try for yourselves and March is your chance to do just that.
Each weekend in March, FLC is hosting a massive tasting (80 plus products each Saturday and Sunday) so by the end of the month, you will have TASTED THE STORE.
On offer this weekend (7-8 March) they have the below on offer plus many more!
Wine
- Brach Vineyards – Margaret River
- Lou Miranda – Barossa Valley
- Murrumbateman Winery – Canberra
Beer
- Hairy Man brewing
- Wicked Elf brewing
- Akashi brewing
Spirits
- Cooke Swan white Belgian chocolate whiskey liqueur
- 36 S gin – South Australia
- Tiny Bear – Mornington Peninsula
Cost: Free
Every case sold on the weekend goes into the draw to wine a case of wine valued at $150
Happening every Saturday and Sunday of March (7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29 March) from 10 am–5 pm at Farrah’s Liquor Collective, Townsville Street, Fyshwick (The Old Good Guys Site).
See farrahsliquorcollective.com for more information.
The National Portrait Prizes – One ticket, two extraordinary exhibitions
Eileen Kramer by Hugh Stewart.
Experience the very best of Australian portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery this autumn.
The National Portrait Prizes – comprising the lustre of the inaugural Darling Portrait Prize, along with topical audience favourite the National Photographic Portrait Prize – will see vibrant, concurrent exhibitions in the mediums of painting and photography.
The Darling Portrait Prize is a new annual painting prize, honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG (1921-2015), who was instrumental in establishing the National Portrait Gallery.
Featuring a $75,000 winner’s prize, the Darling Portrait Prize will become one of the most prestigious portrait painting prize in the country. The winner of the Darling Portrait Prize 2020 will be announced on Thursday 5 March 2020.
The National Photographic Portrait Prize (NPPP)remains one of the highlights of the Australian arts calendar.
Now in its thirteenth year, it offers audiences an insight into the practice of some of Australia’s best professional and amateur portrait photographers, as well as providing an intriguing, reflective national ‘snapshot’. The NPPP offers the following four prizes: Winner; Highly Commended; the Art Handlers’ Award; and the People’s Choice Award, with all winners announced on Friday 13 March 2020.
Price: $15 for Adults; $12 for concession and $10 for members (one ticket, two exhibitions)
Happening from 10 am–5 pm daily from 6 March – 10 May at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.
See portrait.gov.au for tickets and more information.
Illuminated Mini Beasts at Canberra Centre
Credit: Ashley St George/ Pew Pew.
Be immersed and inspired by a collection of Australian insects as Canberra Centre debuts the ‘Mini Beasts’ – three giant interactive sculptures for Enlighten Canberra 2020.
These innovative handmade art installations utilise thousands of pixel mapped LED lights, and produce high quality sound based on your input. The Mini Beasts include a gesture-controlled humming Neon Cuckoo Bee, an enormous proximity-activated Swallowtail Butterfly, and a touch sensor triggered singing Cicada.
Despite their name, there is nothing ‘mini’ about the sculptures, with each standing up to four metres high. Built using state of the art technologies, combined with traditional handmade steel techniques, Mini Beasts were inspired by the truly spectacular nature of these tiny real-world creatures.
Happening 28 February–25 March at Canberra Centre.
See canberracentre.com.au for more information.
Summer Sounds 2020
Kicking off an epic event program to celebrate the Australian National Botanic Gardens’ 50th Anniversary, Summer Sounds 2020 is set to entertain the whole family.
With a great line-up of local musicians and dance talent spread across three weekend in March, Summer Sounds 2020 will get you moving and grooving to the sounds of your favourite top 40 hits through to the smooth sounds of jazz.
They’ll be heaps to entertain the kids too inside the Gumnut Hut with free face-painting, storytelling and craft activities.
Here’s a peek at the program:
PARTY WEEKEND – Top 40 hits of the 70s, 80s, 90s and today
Saturday 7 March – Purc Randall & Soultry Se-Lah with Canberra Swing Katz
Sunday 8 March – Sistas in Song with Jumptown Swing
Happening Saturdays and Sundays from 7–22 March from 5–7 pm at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Eucalypt Lawn.
Tickets available online or at the door.
For more info, or to pre-book your tickets visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens website: parksaustralia.gov.au/botanic-gardens
Canberra District Wine Week 2020 Tasting Event
Come and celebrate the launch of the Canberra District Wine Week 2020 with more than 60 wines on offer at its annual Wine Tasting event hosted in the beautiful courtyard in the NewActon Precinct.
From 2pm–5 pm, collect your Canberra Wines ‘Tasting Glass’ and embark on a taste of our Liquid Geography.
This years event will showcase the diversity of cool climate wine district which offers visitors and Canberrans a different experience across each unique area and calls out to be explored and enjoyed throughout the year come Autumn, Winter, Summer or Spring.
Experience around 16 local wineries, pouring their wines that encapsulate the terroir, winemaking skills and varietals that make the Canberra District the hottest cool climate wine region around.
Buy a glass of wine, or a bottle and share it with friends, grab some food from the food vendors, and sit back, relax and enjoy the cool stylings of the New Acton soul DJ’s all set amongst the leafy green canopy of the New Acton courtyard.
Grab your friends and make an afternoon of it.
Entry: $30 online presale or $35 at the door. Ticket price includes a reusable tasting glass to take home.
Happening Saturday 7 March from 2–5 pm at NewActon Precinct.
See Facebook and Eventbrite for more information.
THIS WEEK’S OPEN HOMES
If you’re hunting for your dream home, weekends are the perfect time to browse. We’ve rounded up six of this week’s hottest Open Homes from across Canberra, thanks to Zango, Canberra’s locally owned listing site.
32 Carolyn Jackson Drive, Jerrabomberra
Architecturally Unique Haven
A rare opportunity to purchase this incredibly unique and secluded property means committing to an amazing lifestyle of natural wonder.
OPEN HOME: Saturday 7 March | 9.30-10 am | 32 Carolyn Jackson Drive Jerrabomberra
See it here.
17 O’Rourke Street, Weetangera
Dream. Home.
“It’s a dream to live in” are the words used by the owners to describe their family home of 14 years, and it’s easy to understand why.
OPEN HOME: Saturday 7 March | 10.30-11 am | 17 O’Rourke Street Weetangera
See it here.
3 Hayball Place, Evatt
Architectural Bliss
Embracing the architect’s vision of blending passive solar principles with eye-catching design, this four-bedroom, one bathroom, two ensuite executive residence epitomises luxurious living and provides a visual display that exhilarates both the head and the heart
OPEN HOME: Saturday 7 March | 11.30-12.15 pm | 3 Hayball Place, Evatt
See it here.
11 Hibiscus Crescent, Rivett
We love this home and think you will too!
If you are looking for a beautiful home that also has an amazing story behind it then this just might be the one for you.
OPEN HOME: Saturday 7 March | 10-10.45 am | 11 Hibiscus Crescent, Rivett
See it here.
28/181 McBryde Crescent, Wanniassa
Great location and very affordable
This neat as a pin, two-bedroom, upstairs unit could be just what you’re looking for.
OPEN HOME: Saturday 7 March | 11.30-12.15 pm | 28/181 McBryde Crescent, Wanniassa
See it here.
Feature image: EventsACT
This editorial was brought to you in partnership with Zango. Find more information on sponsored partnerships here.
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