Diary Notes
May 2007
Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, 1 – 3 May
Over 35,000 spectators will join in the excitement at one of Australia’s most unique racing carnivals, located in Warrnambool on the Great Ocean Road. Warrnambool Racing Club will be buzzing with horse racing action, trackside fashion and activities for the whole family. The highlight of the meet is the Grand Annual Steeplechase, covering over 5500m and 33 jumps, more than any other steeplechase in the world.
Inquiries: call 03 5562 2211 or visit www.warrnamboolracing.com.au
Crown Melbourne Jazz, 3 – 13 May
Melbourne’s river precinct will become the jazz heart of the city with a spectacular array of ticketed and free concerts by many fine international and Australian artists. Enjoy a wide selection of styles from jazz to latin and blues to gospel.
Inquiries: call 03 9820 3699 or visit www.melbournejazz.com
Kellybrook Cider Festival, 5 – 6 May
Fancy a real cider? Don’t miss the 19th annual Kellybrook Cider Festival, celebrating cider and all things west of England. Enjoy live music, storytellers, Morris dancing and cider making demonstrations. Have a traditional ploughman’s or squire’s lunch followed by some tempting apple based desserts. To whet the palate, try a refreshing sparkling draught cider, fresh apple juice and Kellybrook Winery’s full range of wine and apple brandy. Come and enjoy the festival from 11am to 5pm each day.
Inquiries: call 03 9722 1304
Puffing Billy Steam Railway Great Train Race, 6 May
Now in its 26th year, the annual Great Train Race is one of Australia’s most unusual and challenging fun runs. Each year, thousands of runners race against Puffing Billy to see if they can beat Australia’s world famous historic steam train. The colourful course is 13.2 kilometres long and competitors run through the picturesque Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave to Emerald Lake.
Inquiries: call 03 9757 0775 or visit www.puffingbilly.com.au/info/specials
Bright Autumn Festival, 28 April – 13 May
This two-week annual festival is held in the Alpine Shire in Bright and uses the autumn colours of the region as a central theme. The 2007 festival will feature the Gala Day Parade on Saturday 5 May, open gardens, winery tours, arts, crafts and antiques, art exhibition and a fun family day five kilometre bike ride with free barbecue lunch.
Inquiries: visit www.brightautumnfestival.org.au
Grampians Grape Escape, 5 - 6 May
Now in its 16th year, the Grampians Grape Escape is an exciting weekend getaway for wine lovers and foodies to sample the flavours of this delicious region. Tobie Puttock, celebrity chef from Fifteen Melbourne, will be the special guest chef at the festival. Visitors can drink and graze around the temporary village set up with views of the Grampians National Park as a backdrop. Regional producers from all over western Victoria will showcase their products alongside 30 local wineries. A lively mix of live entertainment will add colour to the event.
Inquiries: visit www.grampiansgrapeescape.com.au
Beechworth Harvest Celebration, 19 – 20 May
Showcasing the diversity and quality of local produce, the Beechworth Harvest Celebration is held annually on the third weekend in May. It brings together local food and wine producers under a marquee in the main street in town, with lots to taste and buy. From 11am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday celebrate the try the many activities on offer such as wine workshops, street entertainment, cooking displays, competitions and food art. Beechworth is in north-east Victoria, approximately 3.5 hour’s drive from Melbourne.
Inquiries: visit www.beechworth.com/harvest
The Great Ocean Go Road International Marathon, 19 – 20 May
The GO Marathon will be staged for the third time this year. The Great Ocean Road provides the most spectacular and challenging course of any marathon in the world and the event is aimed at runners and walkers of all abilities. Residents of the Greater City of Geelong are eligible for the major prize, a trip to Japan Senshu.
Inquiries: call 03 5334 2466 or visit www.greatoceanroadmarathon.com.au
Buddha’s Day and Multicultural Festival, 19 – 20 May
Buddha’s Day and Multicultural Festival is a unique annual event which celebrates Melbourne’s religious diversity and multicultural society. Running over two days, the colourful festival is held at Federation Square and commemorates the birth of Buddha and promotes cooperation, community understanding and harmony in the community. Ceremonies include ‘Bathing of the Buddha’, daily Dharma ceremonies, the Wishing Bell, a vegetarian culinary tour along the River Terrace, dance performances and children’s games.
Inquiries: call 03 9314 5147 or visit www.bliav.org.au/festival
31st Historic Winton, 26 - 27 May
Australia’s largest and most popular all-historic motor race meeting presents two action-packed days of non-stop racing featuring over 400 historic racing cars and motorbikes from the 1920s to the 1980s. Entry fees - Saturday $15, Sunday $25, children 14 and under - free admission. Held at Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, Victoria
Further Information: www.historicwinton.org
Media Inquiries: Noel Wilcox ph 03 5428 2689
Grumpy Old Women Live, Melbourne Princess Theatre, 8 – 20 May
Grumpy Old Women Livesees three of Britain’s best female performers deliver a critically acclaimed comedy that is guaranteed to see Australian audiences clutching their sides and rolling in the aisles. Grumpy Old Women Liveis a celebration of life and change from the perspective of middle aged women. Be it the curse of catalogues, or the onset of ‘invisible woman’ syndrome (basically anything that makes you want to shake your rolling pin rather than your booty), then join them for a live grump fest.
Further information: www.showbiz.com.au
Media Inquiries: Lana Galvin (direct) on 02 8289 8531 or (switch) on 02 8289 8500
Beyond the Smoke Festival, The Grampians Region, 30 March – 6 May
As part of the Beyond the Smoke Festival, 29 artists from the Grampians region have contributed more than 70 pieces of art inspired by last summer’s bushfires and nature’s recovery to a travelling art exhibition. The Festival stems from the creation of a book of the same title featuring personal stories and striking images from the bushfires and some artworks.
Further Information: www.beyondthesmoke.org
Media Inquiries: Beth Gibson, Punch PR, 0408 505 880
Making Space, 21 Artist-run spaces, 50 Exhibitions, 27 April – 15 June
Making Space is a new art event celebrating Melbourne’s vibrant network of Artist-Run Spaces and Initiatives (ARIs). Twenty-one artist-run spaces and 50 exhibitions will run across a six-week period, showing the work of over 80 independent artists. The works of both emerging and established artists, from Victoria, around Australia and internationally, will be exhibited at a number of intriguing art spaces across the city and regional Victoria.
Further Information: www.via-n.org
Media Inquiries: Miranda Brown Publicity on 9419 0931 or miranda@mbpublicity.com.au
Nagambie Lakes After Vintage Celebrations, 5 – 6 May
We’ve picked, we’ve crushed, we’ve fermented and we’ve racked … now it’s time to kick back, relax and celebrate the end of vintage 2007! Join us for a weekend of fun, music, tasty treats and of course, great wines, as the wine-makers, growers and producers of the Nagambie Lakes region come together to celebrate the end of another successful season.
Further Information: www.nagambielakeswine.com
Media Inquiries: Call on 5794 2555 or info@nagambielakeswine.com
Miss Saigon, until 15 July 2007
Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Miss Saigon is enchanting audiences at Her Majesty's Theatre. Set in 1975 during the final days leading up to the American evacuation of Saigon, Miss Saigon is a love story about the relationship between an American GI and a young Vietnamese woman. Kim is working in a sleazy Saigon nightclub owned by a notorious wheeler-dealer known as 'The Engineer'. John, an American GI, buys his friend Chris the services of Kim for the evening. That night will change their lives forever.
For tickets and information: visit www.ticketek.com.au or www.miss-saigonaustralia.com.au
June 2007
Good Food and Wine Show, 1 - 3 June
The Good Food and Wine Show is Australia's largest consumer food and wine exhibition. Held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, the event showcases every aspect of cooking and entertaining, from food and wine to homewares and white goods and features some of the biggest name celebrity chefs from Australia and abroad. Visitors can participate in cooking demonstrations and tasting sessions in the Wine
Theatre featuring Australia's top winemakers and brewers. Tickets are available at the door. To purchase a ticket in advance and for general inquiries: Ticketmaster 13 61 00 or visit www.goodfoodshow.com.au
Media inquiries: James Lang on 03 9261 4526 or email memery@austexhibit.com.au
Woodend Winter Arts Festival, 8 – 11 June
The Woodend Winter Arts Festival is a celebration of the arts showcasing music, literature and the visual arts. Jazz maestro Don Burrows joins Kevin Hunt for the opening night concert. There will be African percussion and song workshops for the young at heart and a piano marathon. Lovers of the written word can enjoy workshops and discussions on memoirs and biographies and there will be a free children’s literary event. Local artists will open their studios to visitors. The event will be held at St Ambrose Church and Hall and various venues around town. Local restaurants will celebrate with special menus.
General inquiries: www.woodendwinterartsfestival.org.au
Media inquiries: Shirley Hardy-Rix on (03) 9842 9740 or 0412 057 288
National Celtic Festival, 8 - 11 June
Celts from around Australia will converge on Portarlington during the June long weekend for Australia's largest and most diverse celebration of Celtic culture. The National Celtic Festival celebrates and promotes Celtic culture through a vibrant and progressive festival incorporating music, dance, literature and drama. The three-day program is structured around a series of concerts, small acoustic performances, workshops including language workshops, a community stage, community dance, singing performances, dramatic performances, displays and street performances.
For more festival information and ticketing call Geelong Performing Arts Centre on 03 5225 1200 or contact the festival office on 03 5241 2499 or visit: www.nationalcelticfestival.com
The Australian Landmark Kelpie Muster, 8 - 11 June
Held annually over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, The Australian Kelpie Muster, incorporating the Casterton Kelpie Festival and Casterton Working Dog Auction, is a celebration of Casterton as the birthplace of the Kelpie. The festival takes a light-hearted look at the Kelpie’s vital role in rural life in Australia. On Sunday, the nationally-renowned Working Dog Auction is held, attracting a crowd of over 1,500.
Inquiries: Casterton Visitor Information Centre on 03 5581 2070
Media inquiries: David Leavy on 03 5582 0270
Brown Brothers Winter Festival, 9 - 11 June
The Brown Brothers Winter Festival will be a fun-filled three days of great wine and food. Visitors will be entertained by live music and tempted by delicious gourmet food. The Epicurean Centre will be open daily for lunch between 11am and 3pm, cooking up some great wine and food matches from its new winter menu. The cellar door is open from 9am to 5pm.
General inquiries: 1800 001 515 or visit www.brown-brothers.com.au
Media inquiries: Michelle Nicholas on 03 5720 5434
Snow Season Opening Weekend, 9 – 11 June
Over the opening snow season weekend, Victoria’s ski resorts celebrate with a wide variety of fun activities at Mt Buller, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain.
General inquiries: www.skivic.com
Mt Buller Opening Weekend Celebrations, 9 - 11 June
Mt Buller celebrates the start of the 2007 snow season with a memorable winter festival, featuring a wide array of entertainment, music and celebrities. The festivities kick off on Saturday 9 June and continue throughout the weekend. Sip a hot chocolate or Glühwein (traditional mulled wine) and enjoy a range of musical performances, photographic exhibitions and a fashion parade. As the sun goes down, be dazzled by the fireworks that light up the Mt Buller sky.
General inquiries: call (03) 5777 6077 or visit the Mt Buller website: www.mtbuller.com.au
Pixar: 20 Years of Animation, 28 June – 14 October
First shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, this unique exhibition explores the method behind the magic of some of the most loved movies of our time, including Toy Story, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. This will be the only opportunity in Australia to see the original drawings and paintings that created many popular animated features.
For more information visit www.acmi.net.au
Guggenheim Collection: 1940s to now New York-Venice-Bilboa-Berlin, 30 June – 7 October
Iconic art works from New York’s famous Guggenheim Museum will come to the National Gallery of Victoria this winter, as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Works by modern masters such as Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein and Jeff Koons will be the centrepieces of the exhibition.
For more information visit www.ngv.vic.gov.au/guggenheim