1 - Sydney WorldPride 2023 in Newcastle
Newcastle is celebrating Sydney WorldPride 2023 this week.
On Friday, 5pm to 8pm, the City of Newcastle's Night Galleries presents Inside/Out, an outdoor arts party hosted by Newcastle Art Gallery and curator Jasmine Fletcher, founder of local community organisation Queer and Now. It's being held at Kuwumi Place, 666 Hunter Street, and it's a free event with no bookings required. There will be live performances, Vietnamese food and drinks from Yen's Yumm Banhs plus fun activities for all ages.
At 8.30pm on Friday The Playhouse is screening the cult classic film Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. Tickets $25.
On Saturday there's the Newcastle Pride & Queer & Now Parade along the Newcastle foreshore. Meet at 10am at the car park next to 42 Honeysuckle Drive, Wickham, and dress in your brightest rainbow colours. The event is free but you must register at events.humanitix.com/newcastle-s-2023-world-pride-parade.
There's also Pink Salt at The Station, Newcastle, on Saturday, 6pm to 10pm, featuring entertainment, music and a long-table feast prepared by three celebrity chefs (Reece Hignell, Christine Manfield and Nornie Bero). Tickets at Ticketmaster.
2 - 2023 Maitland Show
The Maitland Show returns to Maitland Showground this Friday through to Sunday. This year's theme is "Celebrating Our Multicultural Community" and there will be a rodeo, fireworks, horticultural displays, wood chopping, animal nursery and reptile displays, rides, exhibitions and more. For details go online to maitlandshowground.com.au.
3 - PRESS PLAY! Kids take over MAP Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima
The Multi-Arts Pavilion (MAP mima) Lake Macquarie has a fun weekend in store for kids, with three days of creature-inspired feel-good festivities. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday (1pm to 8pm) there will be an exhibition in The Cube (1pm to 8pm), WildLife by James Price, and in The Foyer, Feeling Objects by Holly Macdonald.
On Friday a pop-up artspace called Creative Creatures headboppers (3.30pm to 7.30pm) will enable kids to make their own creature-inspired headboppers using pipe cleaners, transparent film, textas and other fun materials. Then there's a free Kids Disco (4pm to 8pm; bookings essential) as well as Friday Night Foodies (5pm to 8pm).
On Saturday there will be free Curious Creatures Mask-Making Workshops (4pm to 6pm, bookings essential) plus a Curious Creatures Performance Workshop every 30 minutes from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, and a Curious Creatures Party (7pm to 8pm) in Speers Point Park with giant illuminated puppets dancing to the beat.
On Sunday the Creative Creatures headboppers artspace is on 10am to 11am. Details at lakemac.com.au.
4 - Newcastle Beer Fest 2023
Join Luke Tilse and Taiyo Namba at King Edward Park on Saturday for Newcastle Beer Fest 2023. It's a celebration of Australia's independent breweries and features live entertainment, food and, of course, beer. Details at newcastlebeerfest.com.au. Gates open at 11am.
5 - Sting at Bimbadgen
Tickets are still available to Saturday's My Songs a day on the green concert at Bimbadgen featuring Grammy Award winner Sting, James Reyne and Joe Sumner. Gates open at 3.30pm. Joe Sumner on at 5.20pm; James Reyne 6.20pm; Sting 7.50pm. Approximate finish time 9.30pm. Tickets at Ticketmaster.
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