Steampunk is coming back to Nimmitabel for another year. Photo: Vee Jay.
The temperature is dropping, but that doesn’t mean it is time to hibernate under the blankets (at least, not yet). There’s still much to enjoy – the Narooma Oyster Festival, Celtic music in Queanbeyan, stories from Tathra, Irish song and dance – and more.
Multiple days
The ladies showing their shucking skills in front of the crowd. Photo: David Rogers Photography.
Narooma Oyster Festival
When: 3 and 4 May
Where: Various locations around Narooma; see program
Cost: Friday general admission tickets cost $25 and Saturday general admission tickets cost $35 (children under 16 have free entry), and are available via the festival’s website.
Escape the everyday and head to Narooma for a two-day oyster festival! All things oyster growing, cooking, eating and judging will be on the cards – including Australia’s Oyster Shucking Championships (or ‘Shuckella’), where farmers compete for the chance to represent the country at the World Oyster Opening Championships in Ireland. Attendees can also try deeper water oyster species, learn from South Coast and visiting chefs how best to cook oysters, partake in dining experiences, browse stalls from local producers and listen to live music.
Sanjex Seratti at Nimmitabel’s Steampunk festival in 2022. Photo: KyloFoto Images.
Steampunk @ Altitude Festival
When: 4 May, 9 am to late; 5 May, 9 am to 3 pm
Where: Various locations in Nimmitabel; see program
Cost: Free entry.
Take a tour of a time that never was in this two-day festival. This year, the festival will see Nimmitabel transformed into a steampunk wonderland – that is, a sub-genre of science fiction that brings together advanced technology and an aesthetic inspired by 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery. Wear your best steampunk-inspired costume (or pick up some items at the festival), compete in the grand teapot race, watch a dance troupe and try your luck at the scavenger hunt.
This two-day pop-up will give you a chance to snap up some new ceramics – or even a gift for Mother’s Day. Photo: Emily Kerr/Facebook.
Potters Popup!
When: 5 May and 12 May, 10 am to 3 pm
Where: 24 Cork Street, Gundaroo
Cost: Free entry.
As Mother’s Day approaches, we’re all searching high and low for a gift for the special women in our lives. At this pop-up, seven artists – Emily Kerr, Leanne McKenzie, Paul Dorman, Sandie Johnston, Shelley Schreiner, Sam Foster and Colette Steindl – will present their works. Under the mentorship of Ian Jones and Moraig McKenna, each potter has developed their own style, ranging from cups and bowls to more decorative items. All items will be for sale, by cash or card.
Saturday
Ever wondered what storytelling and puppies have in common? Head along to this talk from two of Australia’s most well known journalists to find out. Photo: Wagga Wagga City Library/Facebook.
From Politicians to Pups: The Art of Storytelling
When: 4 May, from 7:30 to 8:30 pm (no interval)
Where: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way (off Tarcutta Street), Wagga Wagga
Cost: Tickets cost between $40 and $45 and are available via the Civic Theatre’s website.
Two of Australia’s best-known journalists are sitting down for a chat about storytelling, writing and cute puppies in this session presented by Wagga Wagga City Library. Leigh Sales and Lisa Millar will be stopping by Wagga Wagga to chat about their books – Storytellers: Questions, Answers and the Craft of Journalism and Muster Dogs: From Pups To Pros – and how they tell a great yarn.
Sunday
Celtic music will find a home in Queanbeyan for this gig. Image: The Queanbeyan Hive/Facebook.
Humbug with Dave O’Neill and Jo Cresswell
When: 5 May, 1 to 4 pm
Where: The Queanbeyan Hive, 27 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan
Cost: Tickets cost between $10 and $20 (plus booking fee) and are available via Humanitix.
Keen on finishing your weekend with a concert of Celtic music? Humbug will take to the stage on Sunday, with members Simone Dawson (vocals, flute and whistles), Rachel Antone (vocals and percussion) and Mal Bennett (vocals and guitar). The trio will be joined by David O’Neill and Jo Creswell, who will bring elements of French music and jazz. The licensed bar will be open for patrons to enjoy as they listen to this treat for their ears.
Canberra women Barbie Robinson and Barb Baikie have organised this fundraising lunch for a Gaza family that has just arrived in Canberra. Photo: Richard Scherer.
Fundraising Lunch at Terroux
When: 5 May, noon to 4 pm
Where: Terroux Peace Garden, 88 Rochford Road, Wallaroo
Cost: Tickets costs $100 per person and are available via Trybooking.
This fundraising lunch has been organised to support a family from Gaza, now living in Canberra. The family is believed to be one of the first families from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip to make it to Canberra. Dancer Peng Hsiao-yin of Dancecology from Taiwan and local musicians will provide entertainment, and you’ll have the chance to stroll in the beautiful Peace Gardens and support the family as they establish themselves in Australia. Attendees are invited to wear white for peace and yellow for light.
Tuesday
Travel to Ireland without leaving your seat! Photo: A Taste of Ireland Company/Facebook.
A Taste of Ireland
When: 7 May, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
Where: Goulburn Performing Arts Centre, 163 Auburn Street, Goulburn
Cost: Tickets cost between $74.90 and $79.90 (plus booking fee) and are available via the Performing Arts Centre’s website.
Traditional and modern Irish culture comes together in this show that takes audiences through Ireland’s long history – the good and the bad. Featuring revamped classics such as Danny Boy and Tell Me Ma, the show combines folk music and acapella tap battles with dancers from Lord of the Dance and Riverdance to bring the past to life. This performance uses haze effects, strobe lighting and smoke.
Thursday
Find out the secrets held by Tathra at this talk on local history. Image: Sapphire Stories/Facebook.
Tales of Tathra and Beyond
When: 9 May, 11 am to noon
Where: Tura Marrang Meeting Rooms One and Two, Tura Marrang Library, 15 Tura Beach Drive, Tura Beach
Cost: Free entry, though registration by contacting the library on (02) 6499 2340 or by emailing [email protected] is necessary.
This talk is about the history of Tathra – and what you learn may surprise you. Special guests Betty and Susie Koellner will join Lisa Herbert to draw the curtain back on the history of the coastal town. They will take the audiences through historical images from the Betty Koellner photographic collection and go through the good and bad of decades past.
Each part of this performance focuses on an element of the body. Photo: Luminescence Chamber Singers/Facebook.
Of the Body
When: 9 May, 6:30 to 7:45 pm
Where: Hume Conservatorium, 160 Bourke Street, Goulburn
Cost: Tickets cost between $20 and $45 (plus booking fee) and are available via Humanitix.
The Luminescence Chamber Singers are on a tour with Of the Body, a show that explores our physical forms by taking audiences under the skin. Each moment of Dan Walker’s new song cycle focuses on the body – the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the feet, the blood, and finally, the heart.
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