This weekend is Easter 2024 and many venues around Newcastle and the Hunter Region are hosting special events.
Some are for the adults, most accommodate the kids too. Here's a snapshot of what's happening and where and, as always, bookings are recommended.
Hunter Wetlands Centre
Hop along to the Hunter Wetlands Centre on Saturday for some Easter fun. There will be a jumping castle, dip-netting, craft, a Bunny Trail, face painting, reptile encounters and a sausage sizzle. Kids, you can meet the Easter Bunny at 10am, 11am or noon.
Chateau Elan
Chateau Elan has three days of family fun planned over the Easter long weekend. On Good Friday and Easter Sunday, from 2pm to 5pm, children can enjoy a free petting zoo with Sweet Valley Baby Animals, and there's a Seafood and Semillon Sunday Lunch from 12.30pm on Sunday. Visit chateauelan.com.au/whatson for details and bookings.
Twine Restaurant
Easter Sunday kicks off with an Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt, sittings at 7.30am or 9am, where each child will receive a chocolate gift and meet the Easter Bunny. The Easter Long Lunch Low & Slow Buffet kicks off at 12.30pm, with hot and cold seafood as well as slow-cooked meats.
Baume at Ben Ean
Baume has a new menu featuring soft-shell crab, confit duck leg and burrata, which is as good a reason as any for booking a table, however for the Easter weekend they will also have seafood towers and buckets of prawns on offer. Bookings are essential if you would like to order a seafood tower. The terrace garden will open, and there will be cookie and cupcake decorating activities for the kids. Email baume@benean.com.au or phone 4993 3700. Closed Good Friday.
Restaurant Botanica
Enjoy a three-course share-style Easter Banquet Lunch ($120 per person) from Good Friday through to Easter Sunday. Book by emailing reception.vineyards@spicersretreats.com or phoning 1300 192 868.
Easter Bunny Morning Tea, Marketown West
Head to the food court opposite Bakers Delight at 10.30am on Saturday to enjoy some tasty Easter treats and get a photo taken with the Easter Bunny. A free event suitable for children 12 and under, bookings essential.
Easter Saturday Fun Day at Club Lambton
Live music, face painting and a petting zoo on the green from 3pm.
The Convent Hunter Valley
A choice of three Easter High Tea packages on March 30 and 31, noon to 2.30pm, as well as an Easter Sunday egg hunt for the kids (7am to 10am). Bookings are essential. Email reservations@convent.com.au or phone 4998 4999.
Cupcake Espresso
Their Easter range includes personalised sugar cookies, DIY Easter Cookie Boxes, and Mini Easter Bunny Rainbow Cookie Boxes, as well as cute bunny cupcakes. Details at cupcakeespresso.com.au.
Gigi & Chix Bonbon Patisserie
Pre-order stunning Easter treats from Angela (gigichix.com.au) or drop in over the long weekend. Her French patisserie is open daily from 9am at the Hunter Valley Gardens Shopping Village.
Cocoa Nib
Always thinking outside the square when it comes to chocolate, Cocoa Nib's Easter range is a thing of beauty. Order now.
Wandin Estate
An Easter Garden Party is taking place all long weekend with fun activities for the kids, daily Easter Bunny visits and seafood specials.
Club Charlestown
Head to the club's green from noon on Sunday for live music, a petting zoo and face painting.
Harrigan's Hunter Valley
There's plenty to do all weekend, including seafood specials on Good Friday, live music on Saturday, and activities for the kids on Sunday (plus they're open Monday from 7am until late).
Shoal Bay Country Club
Sunday will be jam-packed with activities including an Easter egg hunt, a visit from the Easter Bunny, a jumping castle, a kids' disco, and games and activities from noon to 2pm.
Caves Coastal Bar & Bungalows, Caves Beach
Saturday is all about families. From 4pm to 8pm there will be a petting zoo, dual slides and bungee runs, plaster painting plus a visit from the Easter Bunny.
NINETEEN Hunter Valley
A three-day, family-friendly Easter Festival featuring seafood, a dumpling bar, live music, Easter activities for the kids, and lots of chocolate. Details at nineteenhuntervalley.com.au.
Tatler Wines
On Saturday there will be pony rides and a petting zoo, face painting and an Easter egg hunt. For the parents, there will be Easter wine specials to consider. At Courtyard Eclectic there will be seafood specials on offer on Good Friday (including curry battered prawns with salt and pepper squid, fish croquette, chips, prawn crackers and dill caper sauce; and smoked salmon spaghettini with lemon butter sauce). There is plenty of grass for the kids to run around on, too.
Peibri Place, Wickham
Good Friday features a Seafood Extravaganza with harbour views, plus Easter eggs for the kids. Brunch and lunch on Saturday.
Rydges Resort Hunter Valley
This Lovedale resort is always a fun place to take the kids, with this weekend promising to be extra special: an Easter egg hunt, activities, a reptile show, and an Easter Sunday seafood buffet lunch at Redsalt Restaurant.
Stonehurst Cedar Creek
Easter Picnic in the Grove features a wine sale as well as a petting zoo on Saturday (11am to 2pm), an Easter egg hunt on Sunday (11am) plus live music, cheese platters, lawn games and a gelato van.
Hunter Valley Gardens
Egg hunts, rides and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
Argenton Hotel
Sunday is Easter Funday with an egg hunt at 10am, a jumping castle (10am to 4pm), face painting and balloon twisting (noon to 3pm), live music and all-day dining.
Museum of Art and Culture
The Great Mac Easter Egg Hunt takes place on Sunday as well as art-making activities and the talents of The Pretty Amazing Jono.
Hotel Elermore
On Sunday there will be Easter-themed cocktails, an Easter egg guessing competition, face painting, live music, a colouring-in competition and more.
3 Sicilians Ristorante
Specials will include seafood arancini, mussels in white wine marinara sauce, and spaghetti with a chilli garlic crab sauce.
Holmesville Hotel
The hotel's new playground is now open, plus from 11am to 2pm there will be face painting, games and fun activities for the kids.
Warners Bay Sports Club
On Sunday from noon to 7.30pm the club is hosting an Easter Family Fun Day with an Easter egg hunt, petting zoo and live music.
Homegrown Markets
On Friday night head to The Junction's Rowland Park (4pm to 8pm) for street food, artisan goods, music and the Easter bunny. On Sunday, it's all happening again at Lake Mac's Easter Market (10am to 2pm, Speers Point Park).
