Things to do in Canberra this week (6 December - 12 December)

There’s a heap on this week, and there really is something for everyone.

If you’re sporty or artistic, love live theatre or classic film, or want to step back in time to discover a great artist or relive one of the most incredible nights in jazz, it’s all here, and you don’t even have to leave the capital (OK, we have an event in Yass, but apart from that …)

Multiple days

Ethel Carrick at the NGA

When: 7 December to 12 December
Where: The National Gallery, Canberra
Cost: Free.

Ethel Carrick (1872-1952) was an international artist who forged new paths in the early twentieth century with bold and vibrant post-impressionist work, often focusing on crowds in scenes of leisure or play.

This unique show comprises 140 works from the artist’s globe-trotting career across France, Australia, India and North Africa.

Join Deborah Hart (head curator of Australian art) on Saturday, 7 December, at 11:30 am at Gallery 12, Temporary Exhibition Gallery (Level 1) for a talk on the artist, with a particular emphasis on her travels, her commitment to the war effort and her impressive talent for colour. Registrations required.

Jack Maggs

When: 5 to 7 December, 7:30 pm. Extra show on 7 December at 2 pm with audio description and live captions
Where: Canberra Theatre Company
Cost: Prices from $35 to $119.

Samuel Adamson’s adaptation of Peter Carey’s best-selling, Miles Franklin award-winning book of the same name is an intriguing mystery – a reimagining of the Dickens’ novel Great Expectations.

In the retelling, Jack Maggs, an ex-convict from Australia, returns to the sultry world of 19th-century London in order to find his son, Phipps, who has disappeared. In the search, he enters into a strange deal with a novelist and mesmerist named Tobias Oates.

Enter this world of ambitious plots and strange alliances with a cast of beloved and talented Australian actors that excel in this innovative page-to-stage adaptation of an English literary classic.

Summer films at the NFSA

When: 6 to 12 December
Where: Arc Cinema
Cost: Tickets range from $5 to $20.

There’s some serious variety at Arc Cinema this week: a zany classic of Hong Kong/Chinese action cinema in Kung-Fu Hustle, rom-com icons When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle and the animated comedy classic Kung-Fu Panda. Last, but not least, a showing of 2020’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma by director Autumn de Wilde features a discussion of both novel and film by Australian National University English lecturer Dr Amelia Dale, an expert in the field of romantic literature and culture. If you want thrills, romance, comedy or no-holds-barred action, NFSA has something for you.

Single Days

Friday

Tipsy Tea at Snapper & Co

When: 6 December, 3 pm
Where: Yacht Club Balcony, Mariner Pl, Yarralumla

You may not yet be on your summer break but you can always escape the grind without leaving the city. Why not grab some friends and enjoy a relaxed afternoon by the lake with bottomless prosecco and three signature cocktails paired with a grazing station of traditional finger sandwiches and a selection of desserts?

Give it a go, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas

When: 6 December 7:30 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre
Cost: Tickets from $54.90 to $59.90.

There’s no better way to get into the festive spirit than to share some laughs. The Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas show is here to give you just that, so bring some mates and laugh along to this two-hour comedy event, overflowing with the best acts and talent from the line-up of the upcoming festival. Don’t miss out on getting your comedy fix before the holiday break.

XACTO Christmas Party

When: 6 December at 8 pm
Where: Shadows Night Club, Canberra
Cost: Free.

Shadows Night Club in East Row is buzzing and ready to host XACTO’s unique guitar-pop sound. Joined by the twangy pop of Positive Feedback, it’s a real celebration of local tunes. It’s Shadow’s end-of-year party, so have your last hurrah before the turkey and Christmas ham with local bands. It’s pretty hard to be in a bad mood with live music and a drink in your hand, so let some Canberra talent serenade you this Friday.

Saturday

Holiday Card-Making Workshop

When: 7 December at 12 pm to 1 pm, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm or 3 pm to 4 pm
Where: Canberra Museum + Gallery
Cost: $10 + booking fee. You can purchase tickets via Humanitix.

In the olden days (before email), people would write Christmas cards to their loved ones and send them through snail mail (with $5 from Nana), and you’d put them either on your mantlepiece (if you were fancy and had one) or slot them through your blinds (like everyone else).

Make this holiday season extra special and relive those simpler times with handmade cards for your loved ones!

Bring the whole family to a fun-filled, all-ages workshop and craft the most amazing cards ever (and then explain to the young ones what ‘snail mail’ is).

Battle of the Big Bands at the Christmas Ball at Albert Hall!

When: 7 December 7:30 pm to 11 pm
Where: Albert Hall, Canberra
Cost: Single Ticket– $45. Table of 10 – $410. Price at the door – $50.

Get ready for a dazzling Savoy-style battle of the big bands, with the best of swing-style music from Connexion Big Band and Blamey St Big Band vying for your ears.

Wear your best and bring some festive dishes for an evening of great music from another era that still hangs to our collective conscience. This homage to the famous 1937 Battle of the Big Bands between the legendary Count Basie and the indefatigible Chick Webb is a faithful and passionate ode to the big sound and frenetic energy of the pre-war musical renaissance.

Swap out the Savoy Ballroom for Canberra’s Albert Hall and you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’ve stepped back in time.

Sunday

Jackie Fairweather Memorial Triathlon – ACT Sprint Championships

When: 8 December 2024, 6am – 11am
Where: Black Mountain Peninsula
Cost: From $70, register now.

The ACT Sprint Championships is an all-inclusive event that welcomes amateurs and seasoned runners, swimmers and cyclists to the beautiful, scenic Black Mountain peninsula. Cheer on a loved one at the finish line, volunteer to help out the athletes, or if you feel that your day-to-day doesn’t have enough excitement, sign up yourself and see if you hack it. Take it slow or go the distance.

Abilities Unlimited Australia Community Day

When: 8 December, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Evatt Primary School
Cost: Free.

The Abilities Unlimited Australia Empowering All Abilities Day and All Abilities bike precinct launch is an initiative by the AUA for inclusion, aiming to empower children with disabilities to partake in sports and activities that may be difficult for them to do.

Through events like Cyclabilities (cycling), Shredabilities (skateboarding), Teamabilities (team sports), Defendabilities (self-defence and boxing) and Waterabilities (water safety and swimming), the AUA brings the joy of sport to children for a variety of purposes, from recreation to fitness and community.

Working alongside sports charity Every Chance, the AUA is proud to provide come-and-try sessions, allowing kids of all abilities to try out sports like cricket, rugby, football, hockey, netball, touch, basketball, and other adaptive sports.

If you have a child or know a child with disabilities, this is a special opportunity to get them involved in a welcoming and encouraging environment that caters to their needs and lets them enjoy themselves in activities made especially for them.

Thursday

Yass Valley Community Christmas on Comur Street

When: 12 December from 5 pm
Where: Comur Street, Yass
Cost: Free, for more details visit Yass Valley.

Get into the festive spirit, support the community and thank the frontline workers this Christmas!

Enjoy late-night shopping, markets, live music, a petting zoo and the Christmas parade, with a special visit from Santa.

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