Ten things to do in Canberra this week (5 - 11 November)

There’s a sombre start to this week’s Ten Things to Do. Canberra will fall silent this Thursday (11 November) at 11 am for one minute for Remembrance Day.

Tickets to attend the Remembrance Day National Ceremony are free but must be booked in advance.

Elsewhere, at the Jurassic Creatures Circus, the dinosaurs have roared back to life.

Fit-out your house like a jungle with a massive indoor plant sale, while another exhibition at EPIC will be feature vegetation of a very different sort.

It’s also November, so it’s officially okay to start talking about Christmas. Buy all your baubles from a Christmas-themed marketplace in Wamboin.

Top off the week with art, music, food, and high tea.

As ever, all events will be run in accordance with the latest COVID-19 guidelines.

All week

Jurassic Creatures

When: Friday 5 to Sunday 28 November
Where: Outside Majura Park shopping centre, 18/26 Spitfire Avenue, Majura Park
Cost: $28.50-$65. Tickets available at Ticketmaster or call 0422 840 004.

Jurassic Creatures promises to be a realistic animatronics exhibition like no other, capturing the imagination of children and parents alike with over 30 dinosaurs and activities that immerse viewers in a prehistoric time.

There will be fossil displays, dinosaur arts and crafts, a giant world bug display, dinosaur jumping castles, Jurassic ball pit and block village, dinosaur egg photo opportunities and walking dinosaurs.

All weekend

Indoor Plant Warehouse Sale

When: 8 am to 4 pm, Saturday 6 and 10 am to 2 pm, Sunday 7 November
Where: The Jungle Collective, Suite 7 / 82 Parramatta Street, Phillip
Cost: Free; register online.

The Jungle Collective in Phillip is excited to be back with a real-life Indoor Plant Sale at a brand new spacious warehouse. There’ll be all the indoor plant favourites and as many rare ones as possible. Look forward to funky tunes, horticulturalists available for advice and much more.

Friday

Hemp and Cannabis Expo

When: 10 am to 5 pm, Friday 5 and Sunday 7 November
Where: EPIC (Exhibition Park in Canberra), Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue, Mitchell
Cost: Free to $85; buy tickets online.

With over 40,000 attendees over the last four years, the Hemp Health and Innovation (HHI) Expo is the only event in Australia for anyone seeking information and greater awareness around the benefits the hemp and cannabis plant has already unlocked, and its sustainable solutions for the future.

Saturday

Grand opening of Tenkomori Ramen House

When: 10:30 am, Saturday 6 November
Where: Tenkomori Ramen House, Constitution Place, 220 London Circuit, Canberra
Cost: Varies; menu and more information available online.

One of Sydney’s favourite restaurants is coming to Canberra, bringing authentic Japanese Ramen and other tasty delights to the public for the first time on Saturday. All customers will get 20 per cent off their bill for the entire first week of service (6 November to 13 November).

2021 Christmas Emporium

When: 11 am, Saturday 6 November to Sunday 19 December
Where: Contentious Character Winery, 810 Norton Road, Wamboin, NSW
Cost: Free entry; book dining online.

The Christmas Emporium at the Contentious Character Winery in Wamboin promises to make your holiday shopping easy, local, delicious and fun. Every Thursday to Monday from 6 November to 19 December, expect to see rare and handmade ornaments and collectibles, as well as plenty of food and wine to go around.

Sky High Tea

When: 11 am, Saturday 6 November
Where: QT Canberra, 1 London Circuit, Canberra
Cost: $38.01 to $59.11; book tickets online.

Confused by High Tea etiquette? Crust or no crust? How do you hold your teacup? QT isn’t as traditional as you might think.

Executive Chef Josh Smith-Thirkell and his team will be behind savoury treats such as king salmon roe and crème fraiche blinis, mini pollies pies and pretzel Rubens with wagyu pastrami. When it comes to sweet, you’ll want to save room for delicacies such as forbidden forest apple, tiramisu cannoli, white chocolate scones and more.

Children (5-12 years) can join for $35; adults ($55) will receive a glass of G.H. Mumm on arrival.

Sunday

The Originals Show

When: 3 pm, Sunday 7 November
Where: The Basement, 2 Cohen Street, Belconnen
Cost: $30; book tickets online.

Funnell Entertainment presents a huge Sunday afternoon of musical magic with the Originals mini-festival, with six acts from some of Canberra’s finest original rock, blues, folk and pop bands. This will feature Escapado, Carnival Road, Divine Devilles, Sunset Palominos, Johnny Reynolds Band and Killwater.

Monday

Belco Arts Cosmos and Critters Youth Art Prize

When: Entries close midnight Monday, 8 November
Where: Online
Cost: Free; tickets available here.

The Belconnen Arts Centre is calling everyone to submit their favourite otherworldly images from the work of famed children’s author and illustrator Graeme Base. These will play a part in a new online ‘Cosmos and Critters’ exhibition.

You should submit images of 2D artworks only, be they drawing, painting, printmaking or digital.

Thursday

Remembrance Day

When: 10:45 am, Thursday, 11 November
Where: Australian War Memorial, Treloar Crescent, Campbell
Cost: Free; book online.

The 11th of November 2021 marks the 103rd anniversary of the Armistice which ended the First World War (1914–18). Each year on this day, Australians observe one minute’s silence at 11 am in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.

Art Talk in the Sculpture Garden

When: 12:30 to 1 pm, Thursday, 11 November
Where: Sculpture Garden, National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes
Cost: Free; book online.

Join National Gallery staff every Thursday as they share works of art that carry value in their lives and inspire new ways of thinking about the world we live in. On 11 November, Lucina Ward, Curator, International Painting and Sculpture, discusses Aristide Maillol’s La Montagne (‘The Mountain’, 1937) on display in the Sculpture Garden.