Thirteen things to do around Canberra this weekend (14–16 February)

A weekend of art and culture awaits with Canberra’s own Shakespeare by the Lake returning for another season of free Shakespeare performances in public spaces, a public art treasure hunt on Saturday afternoon, and a slow afternoon of drawing at the National Portrait Gallery on Sunday afternoon. This year, Shakespeare by the Lake is performing A Midsummer’s Night Dream. See the play in Tuggeranong Town Park on Friday and Saturday, and at the ANU on Sunday. Friday night’s performance would be the perfect Valentine’s Day date, so too would a dinner under the moon at Questacon. On Saturday afternoon join performance artists Claire Granata and Pablo Latona outside the Dickson Library as they search for the artistic aesthetic in everyday objects with their Public Art Treasure Hunt. Then on Sunday afternoon, the National Portrait Gallery is inviting you to slow down, look art directly in the eye and draw it. For something more active, the Royal Life Saving Society is hosting a Day at the Lake this Sunday and the Super W Rugby competition starts this Saturday afternoon at the GIO Stadium with the Brumbies Women taking on the Rugby WA. It is also the last weekend of the American Express Openair Cinema in front of the National Library.

All weekend

Shakespeare by the Lake

Where: Tuggeranong Town Park & Kambri at ANU
When: Friday & Saturday 6:30 pm, Sunday 4:30 pm
Local theatre company Shakespeare by the Lake is returning for another season of free Shakespeare performances over the next two weeks. This year the company is performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On Friday and Saturday, Lakespeare will be performing at Tuggeranong Town Park with both performances starting at 6:30 pm, then on Sunday, it will move to Kambri at ANU with the performance starting at 4:30 pm. All performances are free. Register your interest or make a donation here. Complementing these free performances will be ticketed shows, Shakespeare by the Vines in a couple of weeks and Shakespeare Down the Pub next Wednesday, 19 February. Pack a picnic, buy food from the on-site food vans or pre-order a picnic when registering for the event.

American Express Openair Cinema

Where: Patrick White Lawns
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 pm
It’s the final weekend of the American Express Openair Cinema and on Friday night – Valentine’s Day – it is showing the classic 90s rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. On Saturday night see Jumanji: The Next Level. The season finishes on Sunday with Guy Ritchie’s gangster romp The Gentleman, starring Matthew McConaughey, Michelle Dockery and Hugh Grant. Gates open at 6:00 pm and the films start at around 8:30 pm. Bring your own picnic and picnic rug, or buy food and drinks from the on-site vendors. If you’re after a more luxurious experience try the American Express or Prime Video Lounges where you’ll get a lounger, blanket, glass of wine and additional food and drink delivered to your spot! General admission tickets are $20 or $17 for concessions (discounted if tickets are bought with an AMEX card). Entry to the Prime Video Lounge is $42 (less if bought with an AMEX card) and entry to the American Express Lounge is $35 (but can only be purchased with an AMEX card). Check out the cinema’s Facebook page for updates about cancellations or weather events.

Canberra’s Home Design Build & Lifestyle Show

Where: Exhibition Park
When: Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am–4:00 pm
The ShowRoom is a home design, build and lifestyle expo. It will feature over 100 exhibitors, talks and demonstrations and bring together builders, architects, interior designers, artists and furniture designers under one roof. Whether you’re after ideas for a renovation or new build; or looking for ideas, products or furniture to brighten up your home, this expo will have something to inspire you. Entry is free, register to visit here and check out the line-up of speakers.

Friday

Valentine’s Day under the Moon

Where: Questacon
When: 7:00–10:30 pm
Questacon’s Atomic Cafe is hosting a romantic dinner under the full moon of Gallery 8. The dinner will include three courses of local seasonal produce. Tickets are $90 + bf and $130 +bf with matched wines, book here.

Valentine’s Day at the Estate

Where: Pialligo Estate
When: Lunch at 12:30 pm or 2 pm, Dinner at 6 pm or 8:30 pm
Spoil your loved one this Valentine’s Day with Pialligo Estate. Bringing you a delicious four-course menu, with sparkling on arrival, gorgeous views and live acoustic music, the team at Pialligo really know how to set a romantic scene. Tickets are $199 per person. Book here.

Saturday

Canberra BeerFest

Where: Commonwealth Place (next to Questacon)
When: 1:00–8:00 pm
BeerFest will be taking over the Parliamentary Triangle this Saturday with over 300 small-batch, craft beers, ciders, cocktails and wines to try, as well as delicious street food to line your stomach and a huge line-up of live music, including Australian electronic dance group Art vs Science, and comedy to keep you entertained. Check out the music and comedy line-up. There will also be a program of masterclasses presented by brewers and industry leaders to teach you about brewing beer and matching it with food. Check out the program for details. Tickets are $40 + bf or $25 + bf for groups of five or more. Book here. Local brewery BentSpoke is also running a Cheesesmith Session pairing cheese and beer. Tickets are $60 and include admission to the festival. This session will be a collaboration between Mike Smith of The Cheesesmith, based in the Blue Mountains, and head brewer at BentSpoke, Richard Watkins.

Public Art Treasure Hunt

Where: Outside Dickson Library
When: 11:00 am–3:00 pm
Performance artists Claire Granata and Pablo Latona from PeopleLab will be turning everyday objects into pieces of art this Saturday with your help. Head to the Dickson Libary between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm where Claire and Pablo will give you a treasure map and a white art gallery label. Use the treasure map to find the ‘piece of art’ that matches your label and attach the label to it! Return to the library to claim a prize.

Round 3: Super Rugby + First Game Super W Rugby at GIO Stadium

Where: GIO Stadium
When: The Women’s game kicks off at 4:35 pm; the Men’s game kicks off at 7:15 pm.
The 2020 Super W season gets underway this weekend with the Brumbies Women taking on Rugby WA. Then, stick around to watch your Brumbies take on Highlanders from 7:15 pm. Tickets from $12, book here.

Magic Rob Universe

Where: Smith’s Alternative
When: 7:00 pm
Magic Rob has been performing around Canberra for years, but his latest concert will transport you into the “unpredictable and divine”. See it for yourself! Tickets are $15 or $10 for concession. Book here.

Sunday

Classics at Kambri

Where: Carpark at the end of North Road, by Sullivan’s Creek, Kambri at ANU
When: 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Kambri is holding its inaugural ‘Classics at Kambri’ – a show of classic cars and bikes. This is automotive heaven for visitors of all ages and there’ll also be plenty of shops, cafes and eateries to fuel your stomach. This is a free event with optional gold coin donation to Givits Bushfire Appeal.

A Day at the Lake

Where: Black Mountain Peninsula
When: 10:00 am–1:00 pm
The Royal Life Saving Society is hosting a Day at Lake Burley Griffin this Sunday to teach us about all the things we can do to stay safe around inland waterways. This event was started to highlight the reality that most drowning deaths in Australia occur in rivers, lakes and dams. The Royal Life Saving Society believes we can all be lifesavers and wants to show us how. The day will include lots of water activities, including an opportunity to try kayaking with Paddle Hub and supervised swimming, live entertainment, face painting, jumping castles and a super slide, arts and craft activities, CPR demonstrations and a lucky duck dip! Food and drink will be available to purchase and you can even make your own pedal-powered smoothie. Also, the Canberra Aqua Park will be offering a 50 per cent discount for the first 100 tickets booked for sessions between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm this Sunday. Use the code “daylake50” to redeem the offer.

Slow Afternoon

Where: National Portrait Gallery
When: 2:00–3:00pm
The National Portrait Gallery is hosting a slow afternoon within its Eye to Eye exhibition this Sunday, which closes this weekend. In keeping with the curatorial design of the exhibition, facilitators will be encouraging participants to slow down, spend time looking and then draw. Book here.

Westfield W-League R12: Canberra United vs Adelaide United

When: 4:00-6:00 pm
Where: McKellar Park
In their last home game for the season, Canberra United face Adelaide United. While game kicks off at 4:00 pm, there’s plenty to do beforehand, so come along early and check out the entertainment and food trucks and get ready to support your girls! Tickets from $9, book here.