What to do
On Patrick White Lawns, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, the Canberra Balloon Spectacular will take to the skies on Saturday, March 9 from about 6.15am. See the skies come alive with a kaleidoscope of colour and movement as the balloons gracefully ascend. Canberra Balloon Spectacular returns March 9-17.
Indulge yourself with delicious treats and beverages available on-site until 9:30am. The Canberra Balloon Spectacular is on until March 17. You can still have some other Enlighten experiences like the Enlighten Illuminations and the Festival Hub before it finishes for 2024. See: enlightencanberra.com
What to watch
The Academy Awards are on Monday, March 11 and it might be a good time to catch up on this year's nominees and revisit some past winners. Many will be found on streaming services but if you'd like to see a classic on the big screen, at Dendy Canberra on Sunday, March 10 at 1pm is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). This was the second of only three films to win the top five Oscars: best picture, director, actor, actress and (adapted) screenplay: the first was It Happened One Night (1934), the third was The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Based on Ken Kesey's novel, it centres on Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a convict who pretends to be mentally ill so as to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital which he hopes will get him early release. But he comes up against the rigid regimen of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), who dislikes his disruptive - though he'd say liberating - effect on the ward. See: dendy.com.au
What to listen to
At Commonwealth Park on Sunday, March 10 at 6.30pm, the free Symphony in the Park sees the Hoodoo Gurus join the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, with the band's hits accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra. Indulge in gastronomic delights from a range of food stalls, or explore the offerings of the makers market. See: enlightencanberra.com. And on Monday March 11 are the Canberra Day events with entertainment in Commonwealth Park from 10am to 5pm including Budjerah, winner of multiple ARIA awards.
What to drink
Until March 11, Monster Kitchen and Bar is celebrating Canberra's Enlighten, offering guests a daily Happy Hour between 5 and 7pm with $20 cocktails from its new signature menu in the spirit of collaboration and experimentation that marks the festival. You might try a Starlight (sparkling wine, elderflower, edible glitter) or a Neon Margs (tequila, lime, agave, black and white glitter salt rim, luminous cube) or a Cosmic (vodka, curacao, cranberry, charcoal glow), to name a few of the concoctions on offer.
What to see
ACT Speedway promises an action-packed night on Saturday, March 9 with the Mad Harrys Steel Sprintcar Shoot Out and Production Sedan Tyrepower Capital Cup. The spectator gate opens at 2.30pm and racing is on from 5pm. Bring a chair or picnic rug. It's on Pialligo Avenue, Fairbairn. Buy tickets online to save time. Tickets: eventbrite.com
Cabrini (M, 145 minutes):
Directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde (Sound of Freedom), this film is set in New York City in 1889. Nun Francesca Cabrini (Cristiana Dell'Anna), a new Italian immigrant, is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children.
Facing sexism and anti-Italianism, she sets out to convince the hostile mayor (John Lithgow) to provide housing and healthcare for hundreds of orphaned children (and she didn't stop there).
The Great Escaper (M, 96 minutes):
In 2014, Bernard (Michael Caine), a navy veteran, stages a "great escape" from the coastal retirement home where he lives with his wife Irene (Glenda Jackson) to join fellow World War II veterans on a beach in Normandy for the D-Day landings' 70th anniversary.
This was Jackson's final film before her death in 2023 and Caine, now 90, has said it's the last film for him. Based on a true story.
How to Have Sex (MA15+, 91 minutes):
In director Molly Manning Walker's feature debut, teenagers Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Skye (Lara Peake), and Em (Enva Lewis) go to the Greek party resort of Malia for a post-exams period of partying.
Tara is the remaining virgin of her group and, encouraged by her friends, is on a mission to change that. They meet a couple of boys who are staying nearby - does this mean a chance for more fun or a big risk?
Imaginary (M, 104 minutes):
When Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement and things begin to turn sinister.
Jessica finds out the imaginary friend she left behind is very real and he is very unhappy that she abandoned him. Directed by Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare).
