What’s on in Melbourne this weekend
From festivals and fashion to art, exhibitions and family-friendly activities, we have your essential guide to all the events happening across Melbourne this weekend.
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From festivals and fashion to art, exhibitions and family-friendly activities, we have your essential guide to all the events happening across Melbourne this weekend.
BEST FREE THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY
FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES IN VICTORIA
WHERE TO EAT IN VICTORIA THIS WEEKEND
Boomers FIBA World Cup Qualifiers
Rod Laver Arena — Friday and December 3, 7.35pm $12.25 to $61.10.
Our Australian Boomers basketballers have plenty of goodwill right now — partly due to our sympathy for them after the biffo in Bulacan, where a brawl broke out with the Philippines national team and they were attacked by players, fans and officials. The FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers are imminent and we have rising stars Kyle Adnam (Sydney Kings), Harry Froling (Adelaide 36ers), stalwarts David Barlow (Melbourne United), graceful scorers Nathan Sobey (Adelaide 36ers) and big-game specialists Chris Goulding (Melbourne United) and Nate Jawai (Cairns Taipans). Australia takes on Iran on Friday before facing Qatar on December 3.
Coburg Night Market
Bridges Reserve — Friday, 5-10pm
Buy cool local stuff, eat food from Crepes for Change, Potato Land, Flamin Skewers and Gourmet Stalls. The music will be amazing too. Aarght Records’ stage takeover features Parsnip, J. McFarlane’s Reality Guest and U-Bahn with Hope St’s DJs Bayu and Moopie. /. More information
Open Gardens Victoria
Creek Estate, East Keilor — Sunday, 10am, 2pm $45. Includes tasting plate.
Kat Lavers will present a workshop on keeping backyard quails at The Plummery, Northcote, next Sat, 10am, $30. Karen Sutherland will present two sessions of Let’s Talk Tomato at Rose More information
Concert: Babba
MEMO Music Hall, 88 Acland St, St Kilda — Friday, 7.30pm $32.70/$40.20.
This is a very accurate tribute to ABBA and its very Zeitgeist to be singing Mamma Mia in the shower. BABBA has been at it since 1994 and still sing the Swedish band’s songs with vivacity.
Paris to Provence Festival
Williams Rd & Lechlade Ave, South Yarra — Friday, 12pm-9pm, Next Saturday, 10am-6pm $7/$40.
Francophiles flock. Go in escargot-eating races and croissant-tossing competitions. Watch the pop-up French cinema running continuously over the weekend, choose from 70 market stalls. Cheer at the course de garcons de cafe waiters’ race. Vite, vite. No spillage.
Sovereign Hill
2 Bradshaw St, Ballarat — Friday, 6-8.30pm. FREE
This Friday it’s the annual Christmas Shopping Night where lucky ducks (read: humans) can get personalised raspberry drops. There’s also delicious fudge, Turkish delight, a kids choir will sing and you’ll never guess who will pop by.
Jingle Balls Day Out
Marina Reserve, St Kilda — Saturday, 11am-2pm. FREE
Look! It’s Lara Shannon from Channel 10’s Pooches At Play. 4Legs invites you to join her for a fun day out with your dog for the #FeedItForward campaign supporting pets of the homeless. Food vans, musical entertainment, photo booths.
Pup-Up Picnic
Edinburgh Gardens Fitzroy — Saturday 10am-2pm
RACV is hosting a Pup-Up Picnic and Paw-trait Session. There’s roaming pupperazzi, an agility course, activities.
Exhibition: Escher X nendo
NGV International — Open until April 7, Daily 10am-5pm $10 to $28.
Imagine slithering around the mind of Maurits Cornelis Escher. The Dutch graphic artist made this woodcut print in 1969, three years before his death. In an Aussie first, his trippy work is being celebrated through a collaboration with Japanese studio nendo in Escher X nendo: Between Two Worlds, which opens to the public tomorrow. Nendo founder Oki Sato says, “This is not just an exhibition for Escher fans. It’s also for small kids and people who aren’t interested in art. Maybe it’s a starting point for them.”
Myer Christmas Window
Myer Windows Bourke Street Mall — Daily 7.30am-1am. FREE.
It’s gratifying to see so many Victorians heading in to see the Myer Christmas Windows. This year’s theme is Alice in Wonderland and Emma Hawkins (Geelong Cats spearhead Tom’s other half) and daughter Arabella achieved the impossible and got a sneak preview (above). You can see Arabella whispering, “Curiouser and curiouser” just like Alice.
An evening the The Church
The Palais — Saturday 7pm $69.90 to 199.90
The Church is a beguiling act. Steve Kilbey’s ongoing concern is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Starfish album and playing two sets for An Evening with The Church. The band’ll tear through Starfish in full, then roll out its other hits. Fun fact: The Church received $20,000 for the use of Under The Milky Way in the movie Donnie Darko. “I felt cool for 10 minutes,” Kilbey quipped. Amen to that.
Basement Comedy December
European Bier Cafe — 120 Exhibition St, City. Every Saturday, 8pm $20.
Before the silly season gets really silly, laugh off the year that was. Tonight, see Cal Wilson, Nick Capper and Dan Rath. Next Saturday, it’s old roadtripping buddies Joel Creasey, Rhys Nicholson, Ben Lomas and more, then on December 15, Luke McGregor, Anne Edmonds and Kirsty Webeck. See Wilson try out new bits from her show Gifted Underachiever. She is consistently funny on her Twitter handle, @calbo: “Flatpack furniture should come with a swearing estimate.”
Dogs in the Park
Princes Park, 200-590 Royal Pde, Carlton North. Sunday, 10am, 11.30am. FREE
Bring your pooch, no barking, sorry, booking required. The Lost Dogs Home’s behaviour team will take you through a one-hour interactive session, where you will learn more about understanding your dog.
Concert: With One Big Voice
Melbourne Town Hall — Sunday, 3-6pm $15/$25.
Approximately 400 voices join Tania de Jong AM, Alan Fletcher and Lydia Griffiths to sing the house down. NB: No ceilings will collapse during the gig.
Moonlight Cinema
Birdwood Ave, City. Open until March 31. Nightly, 7PM (screening 8.45pm). $15 to $35.
It’s back. The best boozy, bourgeois way to watch a movie in Melbourne. See A Star Is Born (tonight), Ladies in Black (tomorrow), Book Club (Tue), Second Act (Wed), Instant Family (Thursday) and Halloween (Friday). Try the Gold Grass or Connoisseur Lounge for proper style.
GATE D, Central Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens,
Polo in the City
Lakeside Drive, Albert Park — Saturday 1pm $107 to $355
To be clear, competitors are not driving Land Rovers while playing polo. Each ticket delivers a different level of glamour.
Markets
Macleod
Aberdeen Road — Saturday, 10am-3pm
Kris Kringle market with heaps of great options: Wright Angles earrings, Mosaic Maker, Sugar Shack Confectionery. What a rush.
Maryborough
Cnr Nolan & Alma Street — Sunday 8am-1pm
60 stalls. Historic signs, handmade creations from Fae Folk Jewellery, wooden toys from Nailed It.
Makers Market
99 Leinster Grove, Thornbury — Saturday, 10am-2pm.
Artisans unite. Discover handmade artwork, pottery, toys, greeting cards, homewares and jewellery.
Red Hill
Arthurs Seat Road — Saturday 8am-1pm
Tranquil Blooms Florist, Taylors Orchard Tyabb peaches, apples, pears, Ceramic Nameplates, Stephen’s Fine Foods.
Kallista
Church Street — Saturday 9am-1pm
Artisan handmade and homegrown produce. Fabulous vegan food from three different vendors, Nicole Cleary aromatherapy.
Things to do with the kids
Museum of the Moon
Scienceworks — Open now until April 28, Daily 10am-4.30pm
Sculpture of the moon, 7m in diameter, by Luke Jerram.
Narmbool Open Garden Day
Horsehill North Rd, Elaine — Sunday 10am-4pm $6/$10. Under 5s FREE
Garden Treasure Trail activity for kids, plus birds of prey demonstration.
Air Canada Ice Rink
C Shed, Peel St Queen Victoria Market — Until December 29. Various Times. $8 to $15.
Outdoor summer ice rink with maple syrup ice cream, poutine.
Tunzafun Xtreme
Knox Ozone — 425 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South. Various times/prices.
34 climbing challenges for ages four and up; huge slide, massive vertical drop, dodgems. hop.
A very Koorie Krismas
Fed Square — Saturday 11am-4pm. FREE
Weaving workshops, live music, Koorie Klaus. Everyone welcome.
Things to do this week
Music: Instant rock star
The Channel, the Arts Centre — Sunday, 10.30am $24.
It’s time for collaboration. Kids will compose their own music using a library of nifty samples and cook up a new jazz, house, rock jam. Then you get to shoot a music video for your song. Adults are free. Cool.
Comedy: Local Laughs
184 Carlisle St, St Kilda East. $12/$15.
Your reliable Monday night LOLs destination has a hot bill. See MC Kirsty Webeck, Michael Shafar, The Travelling Sisters, Ivan Aristeguieta, Christian O’Connell, Gillian English. Come in, go hard, then (probably not) go home. Aristeguieta is in hot form, he’s super “juithy”. / More information
Theatre: Grace for Race
The Bowery Theatre, 1 Princess St, St Albans. Next Saturday, 7pm. Free.
This is great stuff. Western Edge Youth Arts (WEYA) presents an explosive, nuanced new adaptation of Romeo and Juliet created and performed by the newly formed St Albans Edge. Don’t be fooled by their school uniforms, these thespians know their Bard from their Coward. Catch the show for free next weekend.
Exhibition: Cleverman
ACMI, Fed Square. Until April 22. Starts Thursday. Daily, 10am-5pm. Free.
Recently name-checked in The Simpsons, this dystopian Aussie sci-fi series has a 90 per cent indigenous cast and crew. The show deals with political nuance touching on themes of class, racism and power. This smart exhibition will ask audiences to listen first.
Theatre: Tex Perkins — The Man in Black
The Palms, Crown, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank — Thursday-Friday, 7.30pm. $91.61.
Tex completely becomes deceased country music hero Johnny Cash in this remarkably well-told piece of musical theatre (without the cringe factor). Perkins nails songs such as A Boy Named Sue.
Circus: Qu’est-ce
39-59 Green St, Prahran — Wed-Friday, 7.30pm, Saturday, 1.30pm, 7.30pm. $23/$30
Que C’est? Whodunit? You’ll have to watch Qu’est-ce Que C’est? to find out. NICA (National Institute of Circus Arts) presents a show of eccentricity with acrobatics, adagio (above), aerials and handstands, Cyr and more.
Music: Mako Road
The Penny Black, 420 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Friday, 8pm. FREE
If you fancy Bootleg Rascal and Ocean Alley, then get your headphones wrapped around your melon and crank up Kiwi quartet Mako Road. The Local Safari EP is a good jump-off point and this week they jump off a plane to play for us.
Theatre: Evita
State Theatre — Starts Wednesday until February 16. Various Times.
If Madonna can do it, then Tina Arena can definitely do it. Arena will take the title role of Eva Peron (Jemma Rix is her understudy) and bring her sass and power to transport us to Argentina. No crying for Argy, please.
Theatre: Unfortunately Not Quite Yet Decided
La Mama Courthouse Carlton — Starts Wednesday until December 9. Various times. $20/$30.
The opposite of Victorian voters, then. This is a play about the male gender’s animalistic desire for total control of all he presides over, both real and fictional.
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