From ballet to fishing, art to eating, we’ve compiled a list of things to do this weekend that should hopefully tick at least one of your boxes. With sunshine set to stay until late Sunday, and temperatures finally nudging 30 degrees, there’s no reason not to get outdoors and explore our beautiful patch of the planet.

ART

Back to Back Galleries in Cooks Hill is hosting the opening of a new exhibition this Friday night 11 November from 6pm to 8pm. ‘Decade’ marks the 10th anniversary of Painters Ink and will run until 27 November featuring locals artists and ceramicists, many of whom have exhibited in various forms over the past ten years. In this exhibition the artists are showcasing mixed media, oil painting and printmaking coupled with beautiful ceramics.

FOOD

Wind down after a busy week with dinner by the lake when Lake Macquarie hosts its second Friday Night Foodies event at the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima (MAP mima) from 4pm to 8pm. Enjoy the wares from a selection of local food vans, art, as well as a local wine or beer with a cheeseboard in the outdoor licensed area. This week’s treat is Tibetan Little Stove dishing up traditional and innovative Tibetan fare.

The first of the 2022 Street Eats also kicks off this Friday night from 5pm to 8pm at Joseph Maxwell Reserve in Gillieston Heights. The Maitland City Council initiative welcomes mobile food vans and live music into public places, gathering an assortment of cuisines each month until July 2023.

BALLET

A new ballet inspired by the life and work of one of Australia’s most extraordinary artists, will bring together art and dance before a backdrop of Lake Macquarie at the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, this Friday from 7pm. Drinkwater’s Dobell Ballet: Storm Approaching Wangi and Other Desires is perhaps one of artist James Drinkwater’s most ambitious collaborative projects to date. Using interdisciplinary contemporary ballet work he explores Sir William Dobell’s history and relationship to Lake Macquarie through the lens of the master’s epic landscape painting, Storm approaching Wangi. The performance will feature an original score by Victorian-based composer and experimental musician Joseph Franklin and will feature a plethora of local talent. Bus services and champagne packages are available.

FISHING

Lake Macquarie’s annual Let’s Fish catch-and-release style competition is back for its third year, spanning over two days on Saturday and Sunday 12 and 13 November. The rules are simple- choose when on the weekend you, your mates or the family can get together to fish, then take to the lake and enjoy the fun. Entrants can fish for bream, flathead, tailor and whiting across any of the tidal waters and public beaches of the Lake Macquarie LGA. There’s up to $32,000 in prizes to be won for both kids and grown-ups.

CHALKING

Local artists will have a chance to showcase their talents on the streets of Newcastle on Saturday when Zest Events hosts Chalk the Walk Local Artist Competition. New artists looking for a break will get the opportunity to meet the Chalk the Walk team and build their professional network, share skills with other artists and artisans and be in the running for first prize of $500. Those interested should meet at the Headphones Courtyard on Darby Street Cooks Hill before 9am. There are only 10 places available. The free event runs until 4pm.

CYCLING

The Harbour2Vine Cycle Classic is on Sunday 13 November from 6.30am to 1pm. The family-friendly event gives cyclists of all experience levels the opportunity to ride the 64 kilometres from Newcastle Harbour to the Hunter Valley’s vineyards to raise funds for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. Attracting both competitive cyclists and weekend leisure riders, the Cycle Classic involves a relatively gently climb to the vineyards of the Hunter Valley. The ride will start with a light breakfast on the Sunday morning at Rydges Newcastle, and finish at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley with a lunch for participants and their families. A bus will be available to transport riders and their bikes back to Rydges Newcastle.

MARKETS

Sunday 13 November: Homegrown Markets is hosting Made & Found at Webb Park Redhead, from 10am to 2pm. This is a beachside market where handmade meets pre-loved. Wander the many pre-loved and vintage clothing and accessories stalls, and stock up on upcycled goods like hand-painted denim, tie-dyed clothes, homewares, ceramics, and skincare. There are also photography stalls, plenty of food and coffee offerings and hand-crafted homewares and pet accessories. Check out our complete guide to markets in the region here: https://newcastleweekly.com.au/newcastle-markets/

For more stories like this:

• New map details 120km of cycle paths in Lake Mac
• Christmas Lights Spectacular
• Carols in the Park returns

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