10 November 2022

Things to do in Canberra this week (11 - 17 November)

| Evelyn Karatzas
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The Jetty

The Jetty is back open from 10 November. Photo: The Jetty Facebook.

As we enter the final weeks of spring, the action is heating up with plenty of events to entice you out and about.

If you’re looking for some outdoor entertainment, want to check out free community events, or would like to see live performances, we’ve got you covered with our top picks for the week.

Cavs pitcher Steve Kent in action against Brisbane at Narrabundah Ballpark.

Cavs pitcher Steve Kent in action against Brisbane at Narrabundah Ballpark. The season kicks off tonight. Photo: Peter Norton.

Canberra Cavalry vs Sydney Blue Sox

When: Thursday 10 – Sunday, 13 November
Where: MIT Narrabundah Ballpark, Kyeema St, Narrabundah
How much: Tickets from $15, and can be purchased here

Are you a fan of baseball? If so, head to the Narrabundah Ballpark to watch the capital’s own Canberra Cavalry go head-to-head against the Sydney Blue Sox in the season-opener.

Goanna tour poster

Goanna – Celebrating 40 Years of Spirit of Place is on 11 November at the Canberra Theatre Centre. Image: Canberra Theatre Centre.

Goanna

When: Friday, 11 November, 7:30 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square London Circuit, Canberra
How much: $59 – $132.50 plus transaction fee. Tickets at Canberra Theatre Centre

Forty years on, and with their messages of positive engagement in Indigenous rights and environmental protection more relevant than ever, Australian icons Goanna return to celebrate their multi-platinum, game-changing debut album ”Spirit of Place”.

In the early ’80s, in the midst of Aussie rock’s golden age, Goanna helped forge a new Australian identity. Before Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly addressed similar issues, the iconic Solid Rock stoked a fire for Indigenous rights that hasn’t gone out, while the anthem of Let The Franklin Flow was a call to arms for the emerging environmental movement. Soulful, lyrical, and brimming with musicality and creative volatility, Goanna mixed classic folk song craft with spirited roots rock, helping to establish a musical thread that remains vital and ubiquitous in Australian music today.

In 2022, Shane Howard, Rose Bygrave, Marcia Howard and Graham Davidge, with special guests, embark on a new journey, reigniting the Goanna spirit once more and paying homage to their classic songs.

People at festival

SouthFest launched in 2018, and this year returns in a bigger and better form – SouthFest in the Suburbs. Photo: SouthFest, Facebook.

SouthFest in the Suburbs: Battle of the Bands

When: Friday, 11 November, 4 – 7 pm
Where: Laneways, Tuggeranong Town Centre (between Cowlishaw and Anketell streets), Greenway
How much: Free entry

As part of Tuggeranong’s annual community festival, SouthFest in the Suburbs, a Battle of the Bands competition is taking the stage.

It will feature some of the best talent from various bands across the Tuggeranong Valley.

The Canberra Frontrunners’ bridge-to-bridge walk followed by brunch is this Saturday. Photo: Canberra Frontrunners.

Canberra Frontrunners SpringOut Pride Run/Walk

When: Saturday 12 November, 9 am to 12 pm
Where: Lake Burley Griffin, Commonwealth Place, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes
How much: Free

As part of the SpringOut Festival taking place in Canberra until the end of November, the Canberra Frontrunners are holding a special SpringOut Pride run/walk to get the community running or walking in the sunshine.

Aiming to unite people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures (while keeping them fit), this event will span five kilometres from bridge-to-bridge around Lake Burley Griffin. A brunch will follow the run at The Jetty at Queen Elizabeth Terrace in Parkes.

Senator David Pocock, Emma Pocock, Jonathan Davis MLA and Andrew Leigh MP will also be making an appearance.

Music concert

The Canberra Southern Cross Club in Woden presents Queen Forever on Saturday 12 November. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Queen Forever

When: Saturday, 12 November, dinner at 6 pm, show at 8 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden, 92-96 Corinna Street, Phillip
How much: Dinner and show $84.75, show-only $47.75, plus booking fee, book online.

The essence of Queen is captured perfectly by Queen Forever, fronted by a stunning portrayal of Freddie Mercury by the popular Gareth Hill.

Combined with Brian May’s unique guitar solos performed superbly by Scott Bastian, rich-sounding rock harmonies and authentic costumes, this highly entertaining stage show with state-of-the-art sound and lighting production promises to blow you away.

Queen Forever, who were established in Melbourne in 2006, will perform Queen’s biggest hits, including Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Radio GaGa, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions and of course, Bohemian Rhapsody.

This event claims to be the closest you’ll get to Queen, and will include a two-course meal before the show.

Man with guitar

Josh Pyke is performing at The Jetty. Photo: Josh Pyke.

Josh Pyke @ The Jetty

When: Saturday, 12 November, 4 pm
Where: The Jetty, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes
How much: Tickets are $44.90, and can be purchased here

The Jetty is back lakeside with all the summer favorites of fried chicken, tacos, beer wine and cocktails. With The Jetty back, it is also time for live music to return Thursdays to Sundays each week and the opener is sure to get music fans out again.

Australian musician Josh Pyke is performing live at The Jetty this weekend as part of his national tour ”To Find Happiness”.

After releasing his first album, ”Memories and Dust”, in 2007, the ARIA Award winner has become one of the most loved and respected Australian singer-songwriters in Australia over the past 10 years. He’s successfully released six albums, and looks forward to playing some of his best hits from his latest album, including The Hummingbird (Ft. Gordi), Your Heart Won’t Always Weigh a Tonne and Circle of Lightshows, this weekend in Canberra.

The Invisible

Book Launch: The Invisible. Photo: National Library of Australia.

Book Launch: The Invisible

When: Saturday, 12 November, 3:30 pm to 5 pm
Where: Bookplate Cafe, National Library of Australia
How much: Free, registrations essential

Join Peter Papathanasiou in conversation with Dr Andrew Pippos for an outdoor afternoon book launch at Bookplate Cafe. They will be discussing Papathanasiou’s newest book, The Invisible.

Described as ‘first-rate crime fiction’, The Invisible sees the return of Detective Sergeant George Manolis, this time reluctantly lured into investigating a missing man in Greece.

poster for food event

The Spring Salad Spectacular takes place this weekend. Image: Southern Harvest Association, Facebook.

Spring Salad Spectacular Long Lunch

When: Sunday, 13 November, 12 pm
Where: Canberra City Farm, Dairy Road, Fyshwick
How much: Tickets are $45 for members, $57 for non-members, and can be purchased here

Are you looking for somewhere to relax and un-wine this weekend? Look no further than Canberra City Farm at Dairy Road, as it hosts a special spring-time lunch.

Hosted by the Southern Harvest Association, the seasonal long lunch will feature fresh produce and ingredients from Southern Harvest region producers, with their menu showcasing the best in-season produce. Chef Lucy Ridge will be leading the day with multiple courses of ”veggie-licious” foods, combining local ingredients and wines from around the region.

a lady sitting on a piano and a lady sitting in front of the piano holding a guitar

Smith & Jones are performing at National Portrait Gallery, and you can draw them while they play! Photo: Smith & Jones.

Drawn In: Smith & Jones

When: Sunday, 13 November, 1 pm to 3 pm
Where: National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Cost: Free.

Draw while listening to Smith & Jones, made up of keyboard player and vocalist Abby Smith, and guitarist and vocalist Sophie Jones. Playing an undefinable mix of original country and folk music. Be swept away in the moment, with colour your instrument and line your melody as you create your own visual composition.

All materials provided; for all ages and abilities.

people walking through bushland near water

Waterways Country explores our relationships with local waterways, as part of Design Canberra. Photo: Catchment Studio.

Waterways Country Symposium

When: Monday 14, November to Wednesday, 16 November, 10 am to 3 pm daily
Where: National Museum of Australia (Peninsula Room and Visions Theatre)
Cost: By donation. Register at Eventbrite.

As part of the Design Canberra Festival, the Waterways Country symposium brings together people from across the ACT community to consider our relationships with water systems. We’ll learn about and consider how we can centre Indigenous perspectives, think about how scientific inquiry contributes to our understanding and explore how the arts help us creatively re-imagine ourselves as part of waterway communities.

Hala Batainah

CBRIN chair Hala Batainah. Photo: Liv Cameron.

Female Founders: Hala Batainah

When: Tuesday, 15 November, 12:15 pm to 1:30 pm
Where: Canberra Innovation Network, Level 5, 1 Moore Street Canberra City
Cost: $16.42, tickets at CBRIN.

For the last Female Founders of the year, Hala Batainah will be sitting down with the Canberra Innovation Network’s CEO, Petr Adamek, to discuss her experiences as a woman in technology, business and innovation.

Hala Batainah is an experienced Founder, CEO, Chair and Innovator. She came to Canberra from Jordan in the 1990s and fell in love with the potential of the city. Hala has dedicated her career to helping Canberra evolve through innovation, tech and business. Hala has a background in computer science and an MBA, both of which came in handy in her role as the Federal Director of the Canberran branch of Microsoft before founding her consulting business GIG Enterprises and becoming the Chair at CBRIN.

Colin Hay

Colin Hay is at Canberra Theatre on 16 November. Photo: Supplied.

Colin Hay

When: Wednesday, 16 November, 8 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre, Civic Square, London Cct, Canberra
How much: Tickets are from $95, and can be purchased here

Considered by critics as one of the most revered storytellers on the live-music scene, Colin Hay is set to grace Australia in November with a highly anticipated solo jaunt (the first solo tour Down Under in years) to promote his new album.

Described by American Songwriter as “an album for the ages”, Hay’s latest body of work, ”Now And The Evermore”, has been praised by reviewers for embodying all the elements of good storytelling and artistry.

Few performers can hold an audience hostage with a relatable yarn like Colin Hay can. These intermissions between songs are the comic relief that offsets the brilliance of his musicality. There’s a sense of reckoning and realisation in each track that cuts deeply but leaves audiences feeling strangely optimistic.

The former frontman of seminal 1980s outfit Men at Work has released 15 albums during a successful solo career that spans more than three decades and has recently been touring the US with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Hay looks forward to giving Australia a taste of his latest work.

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