It’s a lucky dip as to what the weather will bring this weekend but that shouldn’t stop you getting out and about.
Eat, drink, learn, watch, and shop your way around the region with a number of events that are on offer.
Want to know what we’d suggest? – here’s our top seven
HISTORY
Newcastle historian Dr Julie McIntyre will be providing insights into the local temperance movement and wine industry as featured in the current exhibition ‘Publicans, Brewers, Winemakers and Teetotallers: stories from the Newcastle Libraries Collection’.
The free talk will take place in the Lovett Gallery of the Newcastle Library from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on Friday 16 September and is expected to reveal the region’s wine drinking culture from the 1910s and how the tide of wine industry fortunes changed in the 1950s.
MORPETH
This weekend the Morpeth Museum will host Now and Then, an exhibition celebrating the historic town in all its glory.
As the major river port of the Hunter Valley and surrounding districts between 1832 and 1920, Morpeth played an important role in trade, cultural, commercial, and religious matters of the time, bustling with soldiers, salesmen, convicts, settlers, farmers and railway men.
Explore the stories that created the picturesque town, and home of Arnott’s biscuits and OAK milkshakes.
The exhibition will run from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 September, 11am to 2pm.
WALK
Dixon Park is set to become a sea of purple this Sunday as Pankind (The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation) hosts its inaugural Put Your Foot Down Newcastle walk from 9am to 12.30pm.
The 4km walk will see participants take a Sunday stroll along Merewether Beach to raise funds and awareness for those living with pancreatic cancer in our community.
Family, friends, and four-legged pals are asked to come dressed in purple and help raise critical funds for pancreatic cancer research.
SCULPTURE
The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival is on this weekend.
The free, all-ages community event features an array of works, from large to small and serious to whimsical, from local and international sculptors, with pieces displayed across six indoor galleries, two vineyards, as well as in the townships of Wollombi and neighbouring Laguna.
The festival is not-for-profit and run entirely by volunteers, with this year’s best sculptures taking home a share of $32,000 prize money.
FOOD and WINE
Celebrate spring in the Hunter Valley at this year’s End2End festival on Saturday 17 September.
Featuring more than 20 wineries and boasting events at four different venues, this one-day spectacle is set to showcase some of the region’s best food and wine.
Tastings will be on offer at some of the country’s most delectable wineries, including big names such as Tulloch wines, Peppertree, Tamburlaine, Lisa McGuigan, and Hanging Tree.
There will be opportunities to sample the latest spring releases and attend masterclasses with the experts.
If wine isn’t your thing, you might prefer boutique beers from The Parched Crow Brewing Co, Ironbark Hill Brewery, or cider from Cider House.
Hosted by Ben Ean, Blaxland’s Inn, Cypress Lakes and Drayton’s Family Wines, the event will run from 10am to 5pm.
Start at any venue and taste your way across all four sites with the End2End shuttle bus.
Gourmet food will feature on the day’s itinerary along with an array of live music.
SHOP
The Wallsend Library will host Op-Shop Emporium this weekend from 10am to 1.30pm.
In a bid to encourage the community to say no to fast fashion, a number of activities will be on offer throughout the Nelson Street precinct including an Op-Shop walking trail, Rag upcycle workshop, bargain showcasing session and get-to-know a volunteer moment. Prizes will be on offer at the event, as well as the opportunity to deck out your wardrobe in stylish pre-loved fashions.
MARKETS
The Warners Bay Foreshore is set to be filled with activity this Saturday 17 September, as the popular waterfront location hosts the Warners Bay Markets’ September Market from 9am to 2pm. Food, fresh produce, fashion, and homewares will be on offer along the path edging the café strip.
Then on Sunday 18 September, Speers Point Park will be home to Homegrown Markets from 10am to 2pm, with organisers promising a large array of regular stalls as well as some incredible debuts. Everything from dog treats, preloved clothing, hand-made accessories, and pot plants, will share the grassed area with live music, coffee and hot food.
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