Important Diary Notes
Want to know what arts festivals, sporting events, live music, theatre shows, exhibitions, and other happenings are taking place in Melbourne and regional Victoria in March? Check out this section for an overview. Images are available upon request.
Regional Victoria
Overview of major festivals, sporting events, food and wine events in regional Victoria taking place in March 2009
Montalto Sculpture Prize and Exhibition, Red Hill, 15 February to 26 April
Explore diverse sculptures from different artists at the Montalto sculpture prize and exhibition at the Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove in the Mornington Peninsula. Now in its seventh year, this highly regarded prize is a must-see for all art lovers and visitors alike. Sculptures are located along a walking trail taking in vines, olive groves, lakes, wetlands and gardens.
For more information: call 03 5989 8412 or visit www.montalto.com.au
Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival, 27 February to 15 March
The Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival offers a rich and vibrant three week program of visual and performing arts, theatre, outdoor cinema, classical music and opera, contemporary music, parades and comedy - all in a diverse range of venues that showcase the natural beauty and rich heritage of the district. The festival incorporates popular community performances and events including a Mardi Gras parade and street festival.
For more information: visit www.artsmildura.com.au
International Cool Climate Wine Show, Red Hill, 3 to 4 March
The Red Hill Agricultural and Horticultural Society’s Cool Climate Wine Show was established in 2000 to raise the profile of high quality cool climate wines. The show now attracts more than 700 entries from cool climate regions in Australasia including the Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Tasmania and New Zealand. Judging will take place at the Red Hill Showgrounds on 3 and 4 March and will be followed by a public tasting.
For more information: visit www.coolclimatewineshow.org.au or call (03) 5983 2400
Victorians on Vacation, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, 4 March to 13 April
Victorians on Vacation traces the ways in which Victorians have enjoyed holidays and leisure since the mid 19th century through to today. The exhibition includes a diverse range of material including photographs, paintings, maps, posters, guide books, diaries, letters, tickets, souvenirs, menus and objects such as cameras and suitcases and showcases the rich collections of object and stories to be found in the State Library of Victoria.
For further information: visit mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au
Media contact: Sharon Wells, Ph: (03) 9417 4665
2009 SheppARTon Festival, Shepparton, 5 to 15 March
The 2009 SheppARTon Festival features 10 days of music, arts, theatre, culinary explosion and community involvement. The program comprises all the old favourites such as the Literary Lunch, Art on a Plate, Opera in the Orchards, Moonlight Cinema, a Day at Dookie and the Poet's Breakfast. Some new events have been added to the mix including a farmers market at Longleat Winery, a jazz event at the Connection, and a gospel show at Friar's Café.
For more information: visit www.sheppartonfestival.net.au
Wodonga Carnivale Bizarre, 6 – 8 March
Wodonga’s annual Carnivale is going ‘Bizarre’! Bound to bamboozle and delight you at every turn, the street festival will feature two fabulous music stages, a performance stage with all things bizarre, along with impromptu performances, stilt walkers, fire-eaters and circus acts. They will be teamed with street vendors selling tempestuous fare, fine food and outrageous art for all ages.
For further information: visit (02) 6022 9300 or visit www.wodonga.vic.gov.au.
Chill Out, Daylesford, 6 to 9 March
Held annually in Daylesford over the Victorian Labour Day weekend in March, Chill Out celebrates gay and lesbian arts and culture. Highlights include a colourful street parade, a carnival day and a dog show. The theme for 2009 is ‘Disco Stampede’ and organisers are promising a weekend of big hair, big flares and big glitter balls.
For further information: visit www.chilloutfestival.com.au
Media contact: Doug Pollard, Ph: 0488 171 513 or email: journobear@gmail.com
Port Fairy Folk Festival, 6 to 9 March
The Port Fairy Folk Festival presents international and Australian artists over four days of folk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, Celtic, country, jazz, rock, contemporary and other world roots music with more than 120 acts and 500 artists. There is also a children's folk circus and a street festival. Performances will be presented at the festival arena and at venues throughout Port Fairy.
For more information: visit www.portfairyfolkfestival.com
Media contact: Daniella Rocca on 03 5225 1232
Opera by the Lock, Mildura, 7 March
Staged at Lock 11 in Mildura, against a spectacular backdrop of the Murray River and majestic red gums, Opera by the Lock offers patrons a chance to indulge their senses in glorious music and fine regional food and wine. A full chorus and orchestra will be led by Australia's exciting conductor Benjamin Northey. The evening will also showcase one of the three young talented finalists for Australian Vocal Scholar of the Year.
For more information: visit www.australianmusicevents.com.au
Echuca Cup Carnival, 7 to 8 March
Echuca Cup Day featuring the Deniliquin RSL Echuca Cup is a great day out with live bands, fashions on the field, free children's activities and great local food and wine for all to enjoy.
For more information: visit www.countryracing.com.au or call (03) 5482 2487
Media contact: Brendan Kneebone Ph: (03) 5482 2487
Australian International Airshow, Avalon Airport, 10 to 15 March
Visit the Australian International Airshow at Avalon Airport and feel the earth tremble as the latest and greatest aeroplanes are put through their paces. Get up close and personal with a vast array of aircraft, watch the world’s most powerful jets perform rapid rolls, reversals and gravity-defying manoeuvres and be spellbound as aerobic pilots execute impossible twists and tumbles through the skies.
For more information: visit www.airshow.net.au
Media contact: Laureen Deale Ph: (03) 5282 0503 or email: ldeale@amda.com.au
Ararat Jailhouse Rock Festival, 13 to 15 March
The Ararat Jailhouse Rock Festival is Victoria’s premier rock ‘n’ roll festival - a three-day celebration of 50s and 60s music incorporating live music, rock ‘n’ roll dancing, classic cars, hot rods, trucks and motorcycles.
For more information: visit www.ararat.vic.gov.au or call 1800 657 158
Harvest to Table Festival, Mornington Peninsula, 13 to 22 March
Discover everything that’s delectable about the Mornington Peninsula at more than 20 events and workshops during the fifth annual Harvest to Table Festival. Beer buffs can learn the art of making real ale, kids can bake bread at Red Hill Baker @ Flinders, budding chefs can indulge at the Festival of Olives, while ‘Vegans, Vegetarians and Vino’ will balance the food pyramid over a glass of wine.
For more information: visit www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org
Mossvale Music Festival (Gippsland), 14 March
The Mossvale Music Festival is a blues, roots and world music festival, featuring a line-up of high-profile international, national and local musicians including Paul Kelly, Ash Grunwald and Old Crow Medicine Show. The festival is set in the beautiful Mossvale Park, with local wines & food available all day.
For further information: visit www.lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au or call (03) 5664 9239
World Superbike Championships, Phillip Island, 27 Feb – 1 March
Get your motors running for all the Phillip Island Superbike action. Victoria’s prestigious and challenging Phillip Island Circuit is hosting the 2008 Yamaha World Superbike Championship. The Superbike World Championship provides the best competition racing in the world. Gathered together for this unique event, are major motorcycle manufacturers and high-profile international riders. Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit offers up-close viewing from all points of the Circuit. Catch all the action from your favorite spot with all amenities conveniently accessible. This is sure to be three days of non stop thrills.
For further information: visit www.phillipislandcircuit.com
HiArts Art Exhibition and Family Festival, Highlands, 28 February - 1 March
Regional art exhibition and auction plus hands on activities including art demonstrations, bocce, chess, ball games, plus excellent food and wine.
For further information: visit www.hiarts.org or call (03) 5796 9358
Gippsland Inspired!, throughout January to April
Gippsland Inspired! is an indulgent opportunity to stop, slow down and discover the joys and delights of what Gippsland has to offer in food and wine. There will be a host of gourmet events including the Jindi Harvest of Gippsland, the Palate of Passions, the Inverloch Food and Wine Festival, the Gippsland Wine Show and Feast on East, plus hundreds of workshops, tastings, picnics, and markets for you to enjoy. Gippsland Inspired! Food and Wine is a veritable feast for the senses!
For more information: visit www.inspiredbygippsland.com.au
Food and Wine events at Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne will be presenting several delicious food events for the 2009 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Set in Melbourne Observatory in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Sparkling Stars (sun 15 March) invites visitors to map the night sky with expert astronomers through powerful telescopes whilst indulging in sparkling wine and delectable canapés including spiced quail, aromatic wild mushroom arancini balls, and exquisite sweet tartlets created by Andrew Blake. Royal Botanic Gardens in Crabourne will present Wine, Cheese and Trees, featuring discussion by Frank Udovicic, the Manage of Plant Sciences about the quest to classify Australia’s iconic trees, and Local wine and cheese especially designed to complement his amazing stories of obsession, passion and discovery.
NAB Cup, 7 February to 14 March
All the AFL action begins when the 16 teams go head-to-head in the 2009 NAB Cup. Witness all the spectacle of Australian Football and the new line-ups as the battles heat up in this knock-out style competition. The 16 teams will play across Australia with the Melbourne matches played at Telstra Dome. Don’t miss out on seeing your teams in action for the first time for the year!
For further information: visit www.afl.com.au
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne and Regional Victoria, 7 to 23 March
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival commenced in 1993 with a simple program of 12 events. The 2009 Festival presents more than 200 events over 16 eventful days attracting food and wine experts from around the world, including world-renowned chefs and winemakers, growers, purveyors, authors, food and wine commentators and critics to present alongside some of Australia's best food experts.
For more information: visit www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, Docklands, 15 to 22 March
Held annually at Docklands, the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival heralds the launch of Australia's autumn/winter collections to the public, the fashion industry and the media. The festival includes runway shows, business forums, performances, art exhibitions, film screenings, retail events and plenty of glamorous parties.
For further information: visit www.lmff.com.au
2009 FORMULA 1 ING Australian Grand Prix, 26 to 29 March
Melbourne celebrates motor sports with four days of Formula 1 excitement, fans, fashion, food and festivities at Albert Park Lake, located a few minutes drive from the city. Watch the great names of Formula 1 including 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton and Australia’s Mark Webber vie for the first chequered flag of the season.
For further information: call the GP hotline on 131 931 or visit www.grandprix.com.au
Media contact: Emma Tierney Ph: (03) 9258 7111
Earth Quest - From Outer Space to Inner Earth, Scienceworks (Spotswood), until 19 April
Take off on an intergalactic journey from the outer limits of the solar system all the way to the very centre of the Earth. Learn about our fascinating planet through more than 30 interactive exhibits ranging from astronomy, geology, geography, environmental science to biology. This exciting exhibition includes the Cranbourne Meteorite Number 13, free Earth Quest Experiment Zone workshops and a special mineral specimen display.
For further information: call (03) 9392 4800 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks
Media contact: Amanda Linardon Ph: (03) 8341 7136 or email: alinardon@museum.vic.gov.au
JCVD, ACMI Cinemas (Federation Square), 5 to 18 March
The biopic that has wowed critics around the world and revived the career of one of the world’s most notable action stars, JCVD (short for Jean-Claude Van Damme) is coming to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) for an Australian premiere season in March. A household name, box office hit, heartthrob and action film icon of the 1980s and 90s, Van Damme’s career has not reached quite the same heights since, with many of his more recent releases going straight to DVD. In JCVD, Van Damme pokes fun at his waning fame, playing himself, a fading action star whose life and career are imploding.
For further information: visit www.acmi.net.au
Media contact: Claire Butler Ph: (03) 8663 2415 or Claire.butler@acmi.net.au
Natacha Atlas, Hamer Hall (Southbank), 10 March
Acclaimed Anglo-Egyptian singer Natacha Atlas will visit Melbourne with her eight piece band of international musicians performing on a wonderfully diverse range of instruments including baroque guitar, oud, ukulele and North African percussion. Famed for her theatrical stage presence, Altlas describes herself as a ‘human Gaza Strip’ and is fluent in French, Arabic, Spanish and English. Her wide musical repertoire ranges from classical Eastern ballads to intense Egyptian dance music and Arab rap.
For further information: visit theartscentre.com.au
Media contact: Miranda Brown Publicity Ph: (03) 9410 0931 or email: info@mbpublicity.com.au
Step Back in Time at the Prahran Market, Melbourne, 14 March
Part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, ‘Step Back in Time at Prahran Market’ sees Australia’s longest continuously operating market celebrating its amazing history with a showcase of stories, smells and the noises of yesteryear, including a fascinating display of dinner tables set up from 1900 through to 1980 that will illustrate the changes in the food Melbournians have eaten in the last century.
For further information: visit www.prahranmarket.com.au
Media contact: Henrietta Morgan Ph: (03) 8290 8220 or email: henrietta.morgan@prahranmarket.com.au
Modern Times: The Untold Story Of Modernism In Australia, Heidi Museum of Modern Art (Bulleen), 21 March to 12 July
The exhibition Modern times: the untold story of modernism in Australia reveals the transformations in art and life across a period of five decades – 1917 to 1967, a tumultuous period in Australian history, marked by global wars, economic depression, a technological revolution, major social changes and the shaping of a modern cosmopolitan culture. Including over 300 objects across art, animation, fashion, design, film, photography and architecture, Modern times includes the work of major artists such as Sidney Nolan, Margaret Preston, Albert Tucker, Sam Atyeo, and Clement Meadmore, alongside key architects Robin Boyd, Roy Grounds and Harry Seidler, designers such as Fred Ward and Grant and Mary Featherston.
For further information: visit www.heidi.com.au
Media contact: Magda Petkoff, 0409 436 473 or email magda@purplemedia.com.au
Shane Warne the Musical, Athenaeum Theatre, from December 10
In a country that routinely lops its tall poppies, Shane Warne the Musical sets out to celebrate and understand the life of cricket’s most maligned and celebrated identity as he battles fame, failure, fidelity and the ferocious attention of the Australian media. Shane’s ups and downs will be brought to life by the multi-talented composer and comedian Eddie Perfect with editorial assistance from Casey Bennetto (creator of Keating!), Neil Armfield (Keating!, Stuff Happens, Exit The King, Candy) and set design by Tony Award winner Brian Thomson (Priscilla, Keating!, Boy From Oz – Arena).
For further information: visit www.shanewarnethemusical.com.au
Media contact: Tatia Sloley Ph: (03) 9419 8837 or email: tatia@tspublicity.com.au
Billy Elliot the Musical, Her Majesty’s Theatre, from December 13
Billy Elliot the Musical, based on the acclaimed heart-warming film, is now playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Featuring songs by Elton John, Billy Elliot the Musical is set in 1984 and tells the story of a pre-teen boy from a mining village in northern England who tries to escape his background by becoming a ballet dancer. Billy Elliott is a gritty, funny and heart-warming tale of a young boy with a dream and a celebration of his triumph against the odds.
For more information: visit www.billyelliotthemusical.com.au or to purchase tickets call Ticketek on 1300 795 012 or visit www.ticketek.com.au
Media contact: JP Bolton Ph: (02) 9264 7750 or email: jp@jppr.com.au
Twilights at Melbourne Zoo, until 15 March
Enjoy one of Melbourne’s best-loved summer events, Twilights at Melbourne Zoo. The popular twilight festival features great entertainment including big bands, rock, jazz, tribute bands, swing ensembles, show and Latin bands. The festival is held on weekends from 6.30pm until 9.30pm.
For further information: visit www.zoo.org.au or call (03) 9285 9300
Media contact: Judith Henke, email: jhenke@zoo.org.au