Newsletter | #207 | What's On this Week |
Welcome to this week's Melbourne events, exhibitions, sports and community guide for Tuesday to Monday, December 21 to 27, 2010.
This week... things are a little more busy with a few festivals defiantly stepping out from the shadows of Christmas and all its hype with the Port Fairy Moyneyana Festival making it's return with an enormous program of events running all the way through to Australia Day - perfect for all those suffering from shopper's fatigue and wanting to take things in stride.
There's also the Australian Latvian Arts Festival showcasing a wide variety of events that include music, dance and art. There's also the debut of the Indian Melbourne Film Festival, held at India Talkies, which was formerly known as Chinatown Cinema.
Aside from that, things remain fairly quiet this week, so we've decided to jump the gun and pop the cork as it were by offering a sneak peak at the many events you'll find next week for New Year's Eve (that thing that's kind of like Christmas, but for grown-ups).
Major Events
Port Fairy Moyneyana Festival, Victoria's longest running festival, is a community event that offers fun for the whole family with daily entertainment that includes historic tours, concerts and film screenings, camel rides, workshops and much more with many attractions and special events free.
When: December 22 to January 27
Australian Latvian Arts Festival, now in its 53rd year, takes place at various venues in Melbourne with a program that includes art exhibitions, theatre performances, folk dancing, choral concerts and Letts Celebrate! - a free and festive day for all ages at Elwood's Melbourne Latvian House.
When: December 26 to 31
Letts Celebrate: Monday December 27
Spirit of the Square presents a range of fabulous Christmas activities for the whole family at Federation Square. Mixing much-loved Christmas traditions with contemporary and often cheeky surprises, attractions include over 100 animal stencils, celebrations and a giant wishing penguin.
When: December 1 to 30
Film Festivals
Indian Melbourne Film Festival, held for the first time at the recently revamped cinema of India Talkies in Bourke Street, celebrates the best of Indian films with a program that goes beyond the Bollywood hype with movies that aim to bring people from various backgrounds together.
When: December 27 to January 2
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is just around the corner, sneaking up faster than a Christmas Elf (and we all know how quick those little scamps are this year) so plan ahead by checking the MANY New Year's events we have listed, with more shindigs than you could poke a broken resolution at!
New Year's Eve Events
School Holiday Guide
Check out our School Holiday Guide for all the latest on what to do with the kids during the Summer Holidays running until Sunday February 6. The holiday guide offers some of the best things to do over the holiday period for the young and young at heart, with events, tours and holiday care programs.. all in marvelous Melbourne!
View School Holiday Guide
Melbourne Playgrounds is an online guide to thousands of Melbourne activities and playgrounds for the entire family. With extensive information about play centres, playgrounds, sports parks and more, you'll also find many free activities to entertain the kids over the holidays.
More about Melbourne Playgrounds
Creepy Crawlies, Frankston's annual Sand Sculpting Australia Exhibition, brings together the best sculptors from around the world and Australia to create enormous yet finely detailed sculptures that show wonderful world of Creepy Crawlies with beetles, bugs, butterflies, spiders and more.
When: December 26 to April 26
Christmas Guides
Melbourne's BEST Christmas Lights
Our guide to Melbourne Christmas Lights has reached its 10th anniversary and to celebrate (and make life easier for all), we've launched a brand new web site called Christmas Lights Melbourne where you can list your own lights or any others you know of in your area for FREE!!
Christmas Carols Guide - With Christmas approaching, you'll find many events held across Victoria that include not only the traditional Carols by Candlelight, but also plenty of fun and attractions for the children before the big sing-a-long, with most Carol events also free to attend.
View OnlyMelboure's Christmas Carols Guide
Exhibitions - Art | Festival | Show
Joseph Kosuth will be exhibiting at Southbank's Australian Centre for Contemporary Art with installations inspired by Samuel Beckett's writings. Fabricated in blacked out warm white neon against a matte black space, the installations will feature alongside three other historic installations by Kosuth.
When: Until February 27 - Closed Mondays
The Crooked Staffe: Cricket in Print, presented by the Melbourne Cricket Club library, offers a rare insight into the way cricket has been portrayed in print over the last four centuries with novel items that include the first printed rules of cricket, written on a handkerchief from 1744.
When: Until February 4
Luminous Cities, presented by NGV International, features photographs from the NGV collection, which display how photographers past and present have viewed cities as historical sites and architectural utopias with the way they present the cities ever changing like the cities themselves.
When: Until March 13
Look! The Art of Australian Picture Books Today, held at the State Library of Victoria, is a free exhibition that will delight people of all ages. Celebrating the worlds and stories in picture books, it features original artwork, sketches and drawings by more than 40 Australian illustrators.
When: Until May 29
Summer Salon Show, held at Armadale's Firestation Print Studio, showcasing the work of the art studio's members. Fostering creativity and innovation through printmaking, the Summer Salon exhibition features a diverse range of prints on display with works available to purchase.
When: December 8 to January 14
Siemens RMIT Fine Art Scholarship Awards will be exhibiting works by this year's entrants at Swanston Street's RMIT Gallery. Celebrating its 10th year, the exhibition will feature works by 46 short listed artists with ceramics, drawing, fine art, photography, jewellery and other media.
When: November 26 to January 8
Dreams Come True, held at ACMI in Federation Square, showcases over 70 years of Disney animation with an exhibition that features over 600 original artworks, maquettes and animation cells from films such as Cinderella and the upcoming film Tangled, based on Rapunzel.
When: November 18 to April 26
Crime Scene, showing at the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne, is a special exhibition presented by Victoria Police Historical Services. A collection of photographs taken at Victorian crime scenes during the 1920s to 1950s, it features criminal prosecution documents of Squizzy Taylor.
When: Until January 30 - Weekdays
View More Exhibitions
Expos, Launches & Open Days
Restoration of the B-24 Liberator Bomber, Australia's last B-24 Liberator long range heavy bomber and one of only eight remaining in the world, is available for public viewing with people invited to watch the restoration taking place in a World War II hangars on the old Werribee airfield.
When: Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
View More Expos & Launches | View More Open Days
Performances & Theatre
Hairspray, the ultimate feel good musical based on the cult movie by John Waters, will hit the stage in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre. Set in the USA town of 1960s Baltimore, the production follows the life of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger passion to dance.
When: Until January 30 | Book Now
Mary Poppins The Musical, held at Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre, brings the classic books and beloved Disney film to the stage with a spectacular production that includes all of the best loved songs from the film including Chim Chim Cheer-ee and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
When: Until February 13 | Book Now
Christmas Carols
La Trobe's Cottage Candlelit Carols features the renowned Trinity College Choir in a performance that celebrates Melbourne's first Christmas tree, introduced by the La Trobe family. The evening will see the Cottage illuminated and decorated in the traditional way that kids will love.
When: Tuesday December 21 - 7pm
Carols by Candlelight held at Sidney Myer Music Bowl is one of Melbourne's most celebrated events with performers and guests to delight and entertain the whole family. With all proceeds going to Vision Australia, the event will also be screened live on the Big Screen at Federation Square.
When: Friday December 24 - Gates Open 4:30pm
Burlesque, Cabaret & Dance
Dancot Gribu! is a performance held at St Kilda's National Theatre as part of the Australian Latvian Arts Festival. Narrated both in English and in Latvian, the production features colourful folk costumes and traditional folk music as it tells the tale of a girl born into a Latvian family.
When: Wednesday December 29 - 6pm
Salty Clams, presented by Kaye Sera, an award winning drag identity best known for her quirky cabaret shows and media work on Channel 31, is an intelligently naughty examination of the porn industry. Regular performances are held at the Lobster Lounge in St Kilda.
When: Fridays Until December 24
View More Performances & Concerts
Entertainment & Nightlife
The Eagles, often hailed as one of the all time greatest bands with hits such as 'Hotel California' and 'Lyin Eyes', will be appearing at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena when Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit will reunite for an epic showcase of their classic songs.
When: Tuesday & Wednesday, December 21 & 22
Urgent Blood will be playing regularly at the Blue Tile Lounge in Fitzroy, with weekly performances that feature special guests. In a mix that echoes Black Flag, Zeke and The Bronx, blood, sprained ankles, mangled mic stands and agressive soundguys are the norm for their shows.
When: Thursday December 23
Christmas Eve at The Tote, one of Melbourne's most iconic rock venues in Collingwood, features Sons of the Ionian Sea launching their LP. With a free BBQ, there'll also be CD giveaways and $5 discounts on the vinyl to anyone with a beard. Support includes Firewitch and Ancient Man.
When: Friday December 24 - 8:30pm
The Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra will perform at The Apartment in Little Bourke Street where they'll launch their new CD, Scallywag. With an 18-piece orchestra, Daryl McKenzie proves why he's one of Australia's best musicians with legends like Tom Jones using his arrangements.
When: Monday December 27 - 8pm to 11pm
View More Live Gigs
Cinema
Rooftop Cinema flickers into action with film screenings of everything from cult favourites to new releases and documentaries, literally offering the height of entertainment with screenings held on the rooftop of Swanston Street's Curtin House along with the rooftop bar.
When: Until March - Tuesdays to Sundays
St Kilda Openair Cinema offers an eclectic mix of live music and entertainment provided by local and national artists. Held on the rooftop of St Kilda Sea Baths, the cinema features a diverse program that includes retro classics, family films, documentaries and shorts from selected film festivals.
When: Until February 26
Moonlight Cinema, held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, is Melbourne's picturesque open-air cinema with a program including latest releases, contemporary films and cult classic. A great way to spend a night out with friends and family, you can bring your own picnic or buy food there.
When: Until March 20
View More Cinema Events
Comedy & Magic
The Wrong Night Christmas Special, held at The Order of Melbourne in Swanston Street, features a line-up of Melbourne's top comedians performing material that is risque, naughty and a whole lot of Christmas wrong with the evening hosted by the multi-award winning Wes Snelling.
When: Tuesday December 21 - Doors Open 7:30pm
View More Comedy & Magic
Melbourne For Kids
Play Futsal, which operates 5-a-Side Futsal competitions in Box Hill, Macleod, Heidelberg, Keysborough and Ivanhoe, will be holding new event programs in 2011 for Junior boys and girls 8-12 years, offering a professional, safe, organised and above all, enjoyable place to experience Futsal.
Play Futsal - Registrations Open Now
Santa in City Square - Stop by the City Square where children can have the chance to meet Santa himself, when he'll be appearing for two hours each day (he's a very busy chap) when children can have their photo taken for free when you bring along your own camera.
When: Until Dec 24 - 10am to 12pm & 1pm to 3pm
Harbour Town's Christmas on Ice sees the Medibank Icehouse transformed into the North Pole of Melbourne this Christmas with General Skating under the gleaming lights of the North Pole, a brand new Christmas Spectacular ice show and plenty of FREE kids activities in December.
When: December 2 to 24
Crown's Christmas Spectacular transforms the grand Atrium into a magical Christmas carnival. Presented each year to entertain children, a cavalcade of Christmas characters perform regularly, with this year's display also including a new 'Big Top' animatronic feature.
When: November 21 to January 2
Myer Christmas Windows are an iconic part of Melbourne Christmas with each year offering a specially selected theme - chosen from a story book, nursery rhyme, a film or even the theatre - brought to life in an animation spectacular that ignites the imagination and Christmas spirit in all.
When: On Display Until January
View More Children's Events
Markets, Fetes and Fairs
St Andrews Christmas Twilight Festival, held at St Andrews Community Market, one of Melbourne's most unique markets, features more live entertainment than ever before along with a roaming clown, a light show, food and gift stalls and a visit from Santa arriving on a CFA fire truck.
When: Tuesday December 21
Melbourne Market Guide
View MARKETS calendar to make the most of the rare sunny days (it's a coin toss, isn't it!) and head to one of Melbourne's many excellent markets, fetes and fairs for a bargain!
A growing number of food, produce and even wine markets are always popping up around the suburbs. And don't forget garage sales!
Fetes Fairs & Shows
Art & Craft Markets
Food & Produce Markets
Swap Meets
Garage Sales This Weekend
Sporting Events
Cricket
Boxing Day Test, the biggest event on Australia's cricketing calendar begins this week when the Boxing Day Test match sees Australia takes on England.
Australia vs England
December 26 to December 30
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Soccer
Hyundai A-League - Week 20
Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets
Monday December 27 - 6pm
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Motor Sports
Christmas Challenge held at Heathcote Park Raceway, 135km from Melbourne's city centre, offers fast-fuelled excitement with public drag racing competitions safely held on the track. Attracting some of the hottest cars, the Christmas Challenge also includes burnout competitions.
When: Sunday December 26 - 11am to Late
The Trots
Country Racing Victoria represents racing clubs in outer metropolitan areas like Werribee and Mornington along with small clubs in rural areas such as Edenhope and Towong.
Highlights
December 26 - Geelong - Boxing Day Kids Day Out
Race Dates: December 21, 23, 24, 26 & 27
WIN! WIN! WIN!
Mulan Acrobatic Show Ticket Giveaway
Mulan Acrobatic Show, the internationally acclaimed production from China, will be performed at the Arts Centre. The swift and entertaining fusion of famous myths, music and movement features thirty five performers, incredible displays of Shadow Puppet Play, Silk Trapeze and more.
When: February 3 to 5, 2011
Win Tickets!!!
OnlyMelbourne has FREE Tickets to give away for performances of Mulan Acrobatic Show. To go into the draw to win a chance to see the impressive production, email your name, address and contact details with "Mulan Tickets Giveaway" as the subject line, and tell us your most imaginative use for acrobatics!
To email your entry --->
Note: Tickets are only valid for the opening night of February 3, 2011.
Only Winners will be notified.
Cyndi Lauper CD Giveaway
Cyndi Lauper will be appearing in Melbourne with performances held at St Kilda's Palais Theatre. Well known for hits such as Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper has recently released a new album, Memphis Blues, a collection of blues covers, which has risen to the top of blues charts.
When: April 8 & 9, 2011
Win a CD!!!
OnlyMelbourne has a copy of Memphis Blues by Cyndi Lauper to give away just to get you in the mood for her upcoming tour. To go into the draw to win the CD, email your name, address and contact details with "Memphis Blue CD Giveaway" as the subject line.
To email your entry ---> Click Here to Enter Competition
Only Winners will be notified.
Typically Topical Melbourne
Westin's Modern High Tea Review
It's refreshing to attend a high tea service that focuses on the contemporary in terms of style and the foods and beverages on offer. Situated in the refined Lobby Lounge of the Westin Hotel Melbourne, a contemporary high tea is served daily.
Read the Full Review by Monica Buch
Shaggy Dog
Shaggy Dog by Deej - Click Here to find what happens!
Let Melbourne Know...
Advertise Your School Fete, Fair or Carnival FREE!
Everyone wants to support their local school by going to their annual fundraiser. Last year we promoted a whopping 1,200 school events. So, make sure you let your school organizers know they can list their fete, fair or carnival for FREE @ OnlyMelbourne!
Add Your Event for FREE Today!!
OnlyMelbourne Welcomes..
Each week we highlight some of the new business listings in the OnlyMelbourne Business and Services directory.
American Express have a wide range of services in place to ensure that your credit card is protected from unwanted spending or criminal abuse. With the Christmas season one of the busiest with online spending, learn more about how American Express can help you shop safely.
Learn More About American Express
Living Cuisine's Japanese Cooking Classes are set in a comfortable and friendly environment where participants get to learn from the basics. From fundamentals like items in the Japanese pantry, preparation of the basic stock to specific cooking technique, clear instruction and explanation are given so that all dishes can be reproduced at home easily.
This week we also suggest the following:
Vodafone Ashes Live Site - The best seats in St Kilda...
Chinatown Market - Melbourne's unique Mirabella-lit market...
Top Tours Travel - Experts in Egyptian Holidays...
View More of the Latest Listings at OnlyMelbourne!
Advertise your Business for FREE!!
Advertising your business with OnlyMelbourne is easy to do by following a few simple steps, and best of all, it's FREE! By advertising your business you can easily reach thousands of people on Melbourne's most comprehensive guide.
Advertise your Business for FREE!!
You Can Help
There are many social causes that are relevant to people from all walks of life, many of which rely on public support to better the community or assist those who are less fortunate or to benefit others. This week we ask you to consider the following..
The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal, Australia's largest Christmas gift appeal, supports some of the largest welfare organisations and has given more than 4.9 million gifts over the past 22 years. Trees can be found nationally in Kmart stores, with gifts collected up until Christmas Eve.
When: Until December 24
Trivia
Yellow, I Must Be Going..
Vault (otherwise cruelly known as Yellow Peril) was a controversial public sculpture by Ron Robertson-Swann commissioned by the Melbourne City Council in 1978 for the newly built Melbourne City Square.
Installed in the City Square in May 1980, it was moved to Batman Park in 1981 and finally to its current location outside the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Southbank.
Find What Happened To..? | Read Melbourne Trivia...
WHAT'S ON CALENDAR
Speaking of what's on, our new calendar allows you to select any day of the year to view everything (everything!!!) on that day in an easy to read, printable display.
-:- View What's On Calendar
-:- View Markets Only Calendar
OnlyMelbourne is already iPad friendly, we know, we have one (chuckle) says he with bragging rights! The Age iPad App
WHAT'S ON RSS FEEDS
We have a range of RSS Feeds.
NEWSLETTER
What's On this Week is an email overview and reminder of the (too many to mention) events happening this week in Melbourne.
Get your copy of What's On this Week!
FREE ADVERTISING
Advertising your EVENT at OnlyMelbourne is not only easy, it's FREE!! - Apply Online.. for inclusion in the What's On calendar and newsletter!
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