Look to the skies, sample a brew, view some art or drop a line, there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes.
RAAF Newcastle Williamtown Air Show 2023
- Where: Nobbys Beach/Foreshore Park, RAAF Base Williamtown
- When: Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November
- Cost: Free (Saturday), $10 (Sunday)
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in partnership with City of Newcastle and Port Stephens Council, will host the two-day extravaganza on the weekend of 18 and 19 November.
While Saturday is a free event with displays over the water at Newcastle’s Nobbys Beach and Foreshore Park, it’s a different story for the non-flying Open Day at the RAAF Base Williamtown 24 hours later.
Tickets, $10 per person, must be purchased via the Ticketmaster website.
Two sessions of the Newcastle Williamtown Air Show 2023 – featuring heritage and vintage aircraft such as the Harvard, Winjeel, Spitfire, Mustang and Canberra – will take to the sky on 18 November between 10am and 12.30pm and again between 1.30pm and 4pm.
Family-friendly activities, to create a festival atmosphere, have been planned, too.
Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival
- Where: Maitland Goal
- When: Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 November
- Cost: From $50 (18 years+ Saturday), from $40 (all-ages Sunday)
The Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival celebrates beer, music and food in the grounds of Maitland Gaol on the weekend of 4 and 5 November.
One of the flagship events on Maitland’s annual calendar, it attracts 5,000 visitors each year.
In 2023, Melbourne Ska Orchestra is the headline act on Saturday from 4.30pm to 5.40pm, with Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson taking to the stage on Sunday between 3pm and 4pm.
Bitter & Twisted features beer stalls, offering tastings from more than 80 of the best craft brews from around the country, food outlets selling gourmet cuisine from across the globe, and markets showcasing quality arts, crafts and local produce.
Topping off the atmosphere is Maitland Gaol, a former maximum security prison and an iconic destination for both tourists and locals alike.
Artefact
- Where: Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC)
- When: Until 26 November
- Cost: Free
Artefact is set to enthral locals and visitors alike at Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC).
The collection, which celebrates the indelible artistic legacy of renowned Indigenous artist Uncle Les Elvin, also doubles as the centre’s inaugural exhibition.
He achieved great success and recognition, with works represented in public and private displays nationally and internationally.
In 2008, Uncle Les was named NAIDOC Aboriginal Artist of the Year at the prestigious NAIDOC Week Awards, acknowledging his outstanding contributions to improving the lives of Aboriginal people in his community and excellence in Aboriginal art.
Artefact brings together the works of the four creatives – including Lesley Salem (nee Elvin), Saretta Fielding and Ryan Andrew Lee, each with their own deep ties to the Wonnarua Nation and surrounding Country.
Let’s Fish Lake Mac
- Where: Lake Macquarie
- When: Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November
- Cost: $25
The much-loved catch and release competition returns to Lake Macquarie on 18 and 19 November, with more than $33,000 in prizes on the line.
So, the hunt’s on to bag the biggest and best of the lake’s famed flathead, bream, whiting and tailor.
Participants can fish from the shore, the jetty or from boats, canoes and kayaks, anywhere you feel “lucky”.
Even former Australian Test cricket captain Mark “Tubby” Taylor went into bat for the fishing destination after filming a Lake Macquarie-based episode of the TV series Reel Action.
“We’ve seen a huge uptake in families holidaying in Lake Mac just to take part in Let’s Fish,” mayor Kay Fraser said.
So, catch your fish, take a photo, then release it and try and capture a bigger one.
For more entertainment stories:
- GALLERY: Bandfest Newcastle another hit for local students
- Newcastle Toy Run revved up for 2023 extravaganza
- The eagle has landed: Monarchs reaches Morpeth
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