Ten things to do in Canberra this week (5 - 11 March)

It’s a big week in Canberra, but if you’re missing the Canberra Show, hit the highway for a day trip to the Goulburn Show, with sideshow alley and showbags, and all the agricultural equipment and displays which make it a real family fun day! Enlighten is in full swing across the Territory, and the highly anticipated Masterpieces from the London Gallery: Botticelli to Van Gogh starts this week too.

Have a great week, Canberra!

All week/end

Enlighten Festival

When: Illuminations run daily, 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm at various times
Where: Various locations
Cost: Illuminations free to watch; events run at various costs.

Canberra’s Enlighten Festival is in full swing this week, with Symbiosis – A Unique Sensory Experience at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Late Night Treats serving up some post-event snacks, Canberra Zoo and Aquarium hosting Wild Yoga, and, of course, the Enlighten: Illuminations are continuing to light up our national institutions. You might also like to see the work of budding filmmakers at Lights! Canberra! Action!, and hear artist Scott Chaseling speak about his exhibition The Redemption of Colour. If you’re looking to make your own Enlighten, head to the Canberra Glassworks to make your own Colour Redemption, or the Neon Bending Session.

Meet the Press Tour at Old Parliament House

When: Daily from 1 March 2021, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
Where: Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, Parkes
Cost: Free, book your free ticket here.

Don’t miss the brand new tour at the Museum of Australian Democracy offering fascinating insights into the media’s operations at Old Parliament House between 1928 and 1988, and its continuing role in a healthy democracy. The 20-minute tour Meet the Press explores the former Press Gallery, which recently reopened to the public, the Parliamentary Broadcasting Studio and the contemporary Truth, Power and a Free Press exhibition.

Friday

Botticelli to Van Gogh

When: Daily from Friday 5 March, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
Cost: $28 general admission, $25 concessions and students, members $22, children $10. Tickets available through the National Gallery of Australia website.

Spanning 450 years, Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London presents 60 paintings by some of Europe’s most revered artists, including Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Goya, Turner, Renoir, Cézanne and Gauguin. Exclusive to Canberra, it comprises the largest group of works to travel outside the United Kingdom in the history of the National Gallery, London.

Saturday

John Sharkey III Album Launch

When: Saturday 6 March, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Where: Ralph Wilson Theatre at Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Ave, Braddon
Cost: $10-$15 + BF, tickets at Humanitix.

Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres is pleased to present John Sharkey III live at the Ralph Wilson Theatre. This intimate event will showcase his new album Shoot Out The Cameras, released by Mistletone. Accompanied by fellow Canberran musician Nick Craft, the evening promises to deliver the goods.

The Goulburn Pastoral and Horticultural Society Show

When: Saturday 6 March to Sunday 7 March, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Goulburn Recreation Area Showground, Braidwood Road, Goulburn
Cost: $30/day for a family, $15/day adults, $5/day concession, $5/day children under 17, preschool-age kids free. Tickets for sale at the gate.

Missing the opportunity to take the kids to the Canberra Show? Help is here! The Goulburn Show is one of the largest community events in the region, offering a low cost, family fun weekend! Running since 1880, in 2021, the Society will be celebrating its 141st year and there’s some great entertainment! Come and see Saturday’s Junior Showgirl and Show Master Showman Competition, and the Young Farmer’s Challenge, Noah’s Racing Pigs, Reptile Kingdom, Goldie the Clown, Fletcher’s Ark Animal Nursery – always a favourite for big and little kids!

Sunday

Symphony in the Park

When: Sunday 7 March 2021, 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: Stage 88, Commonwealth Park, Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra
Cost: Free, registrations required via Ticketek.

Back by popular demand, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will once again be taking to the stage with BABBA, to perform ABBA’s greatest hits. Framed by the landscape of the iconic Commonwealth Park, sit back and relax as the Canberra Symphony Orchestra fills the air with music.

Canberra Miniature Railway night event

When: Sunday 7 March, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Jerrabomberra Avenue, Symonston
Cost: $10 entry fee with FREE rides all night!

Join Canberra Miniature Railway on Sunday, 7 March at 5:00 pm for a special event!

The trains will run under lights so come along and enjoy a twilight train ride with the kids at this family-friendly event (which means no alcohol is permitted). Canberra Miniature Railway has a COVID-Safe Plan, and all rules in force in the ACT apply.

Patrons must wear enclosed shoes to ride the trains.

Tuesday

Ocean Film Festival World Tour 2021 Canberra

When: Tuesday 9 March, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Where: National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Cct, Acton
Cost: $22.50 – $30.50 bookings through Humanitix.

Designed to mesmerise and enthral, the Ocean Film Festival World Tour showcases a 3-hour celebration of our oceans comprised of sublime footage taken above and below the water’s surface. This unique collection of short films from around the globe document the beauty and power of the ocean and celebrate the divers, surfers, swimmers, and oceanographers who live for the sea’s salt spray, who chase the crests of waves and who marvel at the mysteries of the big blue.

Wednesday

Ideathon

When: Wednesday 10 March, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Where: Canberra Innovation Network – Level 5, 1 Moore St, Canberra
Cost: Free, registrations essential, register here.

The Canberra Innovation Network is inviting all innovators, entrepreneurs and ideas-people to a fun, collaborative and interactive ideation session. Meet like-minded, enthusiastic people and work together to learn how to come up with new ideas and engage with what to do next. Even if you already have an idea or project that you’re working on, this is an opportunity to look at something familiar through a new lens, train your creative muscle, and leave inspired and energised.

Thursday

This Is Us: A musical reflection of Australia

When: Thursday 11 March, 7:00 pm
Where: National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton
Cost: $53.84 – $74.94, bookings via Eventbrite.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the National Museum of Australia, classical guitarists Slava and Leonard Grigoryan have been inspired by 18 historical objects for which they have composed deeply personal responses. Join us for an intimate concert experience to hear each original composition alongside insights into the objects that inspired them.

Original Article published by Sharon Kelley on The RiotACT.