Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, April 18, to Sunday, April 24.
🍄 It’s mushroom season. If you’d like to know where to go and what to look for, check out an event in Macedon on Saturday. Expert forager Richard Ford will be sharing more than 30 years of foraging experience in two workshops. The focus will be on identifying and collecting edible pine mushrooms and slippery jacks. Other sessions will be held until early June.
🌷 Mount Macedon Horticultural Society is 100 this year. Four events this week are part of its centenary celebrations: the Dreaming Gardens panel discussion and garden visit on Wednesday and three workshops: propagating with Stephen Ryan (Thursday), flower arrangement (Friday), and making beautiful things from garden off-cuts (Saturday).
🎆 Get ready for fireworks! Woodend Winter Arts Festival will be lighting up the night sky for the first time since 2019. The fireworks display will take place on Friday, June 10, at the Buffalo Stadium in Forest St to mark the start of the three-day festival. The full program of events will be announced soon.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Monday, April 18
Art Easter Art Market: Artworks old and new, framed and unframed. Ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, glass works, cards and more. Woodend. 10am-4pm. Gold coin donation.
Tuesday, April 19
Kids Sing 2: Film, Rated PG. Can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza. Trentham. 1pm-3pm. $10.
Wednesday, April 20
Gardening Dreaming Gardens: Hear from local master gardeners Stephen Ryan, Simon Rickard and Michael McCoy. Followed by a garden visit. Includes morning tea and lunch. Mount Macedon. 10am-4pm. $295.
Kids Peter Rabbit 2: Film, Rated G. When Peter’s family risks everything to come looking for him, he must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be. Gisborne. 11am-12.30pm. Free.
Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 7.30pm. $12.
Thursday, April 21
Workshop Propagating: With Stephan Ryan. Covers seed propagation and vegetative propagation. Includes morning tea and light lunch. Mount Macedon. 10am-4pm. $75.
Kids Uncommon Phascogale: Art and nature workshop. Join environmental artist Jo Mott to make a glow-in-the-dark brush-tailed phascogale artwork and learn about this vulnerable nocturnal marsupial. Kyneton. 11am-12pm. $15.
Drink Pups and Pints: Catch up with friends and bring your dog along too. In an enclosed area where dogs can be off-leash. Woodend. 5pm-8pm.
Craft A Curious Circle: Create things in a friendly and inclusive setting. Different activity each month. Romsey. 7pm-8.30pm. Free.
Art Journey: An interactive light and sound experience around the botanic gardens and lake. Malmsbury. 7.30pm-10pm.
Friday, April 22
Workshop Flower Arrangement: With Alan Randell-Smith. Includes morning tea and light lunch. Mount Macedon. 10am-4pm. $75.
Music Park Pop-up – Funkateers: Nine-piece New Orleans-style street band. Romsey Skate Park, Main St & White Ave. 4pm-6pm. Free.
Film The Diplomat: The story of Jose Ramos-Horta, from the time of the 1975 Indonesian invasion of East Timor to the arrival of international peacekeeping forces in 1999. Woodend. 7.30pm-10pm. $20.
Saturday, April 23
Exercise Campaspe Parkrun: 5km fun run along the Five Mile Creek path. Campaspe Park, Campaspe Dr, Woodend. 8am. Free (registration required).
Exercise Lancefield Parkrun: 5km fun run around Lancefield Park. Lancefield Park, Chauncey St, Lancefield. 8am. Free (registration required).
Market Lancefield Farmers’ Market: High St & Park St, Lancefield. 9am-1pm.
Market Little Treasures Market: Tasty treats, handmade goods, plants, jewellery, hats and scarves, and more. Mechanics Institute, Main St, Lancefield. 9am-1pm.
Market Daylesford Farmers’ Market: Daylesford Primary School, Vincent St. 9am-1pm.
Food Mushroom Foraging: Go foraging in the forest with Richard Ford and other professional foragers. Smith St, Macedon. 10am-1pm, 2pm-4pm. $30-$368.
Workshop How to Make Beautiful Things from Garden Off-cuts: With floral designer Greg Block. Two sessions. Includes morning tea or afternoon tea. Mount Macedon Horticultural Hall, 583 Mount Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm. $75.
Art Open Studios: Nine artists in Macedon will be opening their studios and discussing their work. Macedon. Saturday and Sunday. 10am-4pm. Free.
Open Garden Viewfield: Majestic trees, stunning views, a fruit forest, a children’s fairy garden, perennial gardens and a sparkling stream through shady fern glades. Viewfield, 651 Mount Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. 10am-4pm. Adult $10, Under-16 free.
Open Garden Bringalbit: Explore the historic homestead’s 4ha garden, including a 60m Quince Walk. Bringalbit, 512 Sidonia Rd, Sidonia. 10am-5pm. $5.
Food & Drink Grazing Box, Wine, and Music: Enjoy live music, wine tasting and a gourmet lunch grazing box. Double Oaks Estate, 104 Ashworths Rd, Lancefield. From 12pm. $20.
Food & Drink American Barbecue Pies, Wines and Tunes: Four gourmet pies with wines. Plus live music. Double Oaks Estate, 104 Ashworths Rd, Lancefield. From 12pm. $60.
Food & Music Cider, Pork Pies and Tunes: Blues and roots music from Bill Barber and Nick Charles. DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-5pm.
Music Park Pop-up – Ranges Little Big Band: The classic big band sound mixed with rock, soul, and jazz. Plus special guests. Gisborne Adventure Playground, Brantome St. 1pm-3pm. Free.
Illustration Anzac Drawing Workshop: With award-winning author/illustrator Mark Wilson. Dromkeen, 1012 Kilmore Rd, Riddells Creek. 1pm-3pm. Adult $30, Child (4-12) $10.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Music The Smith Street Band: Rock band whose most recent album hit No.1 on the ARIA chart. Supported by Money Boys. Macedon Railway Hotel, Smith St, Macedon. 7pm. $50.
Music Yeah Nah: Macedon Ranges-based cover band Yeah Nah celebrate three years since their first gig. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7pm-11.30pm. $25.
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Sunday, April 24
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Plants Bonsai Exhibition: Exhibition by Bendigo Bonsai Club. Bonsai demonstrations in the courtyard. Malmsbury Bakery, Mollison St. 9am-4pm.
Wellness Outdoor Sound Bowl Meditation: Experience a sacred sound bath meditation in the botanic gardens. The Rotunda, Kyneton Botanic Gardens, Mollison St. 10am-10.30am.
Art Open Studios: Nine artists in Macedon will be opening their studios and discussing their work. Macedon. Saturday and Sunday. 10am-4pm. Free.
Open Garden Viewfield: Majestic trees, stunning views, a fruit forest, a children’s fairy garden, perennial gardens and a sparkling stream through shady fern glades. Viewfield, 651 Mount Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. 10am-4pm. Adult $10, Under-16 free.
Open Garden Bringalbit: Explore the historic homestead’s 4ha garden, including a 60m Quince Walk. Bringalbit, 512 Sidonia Rd, Sidonia. 10am-5pm. $5.
Pottery Wine and Clay Day: Pottery lesson with Sue Chehab. Plus wine tasting and meats/cheeseboard. Double Oaks Estate, 104 Ashworths Rd, Lancefield. 10.30am-1.30pm. $65.
Kids Ana’s Big Adventure: Puppet show. Join Ana as she journeys around the Macedon Ranges meeting animal friends along the way. Kyneton Museum, 67 Piper St. 12pm-2pm. Adult $5, Concession $3, Student $3, Child (under 5) $2.50, Family $10.
Wellness Meditation and Mindfulness with Horses: Mindfulness and meditation accompanied by a homemade hot chai. You will love these sessions if you are curious about how healing with horses works. Heart of the Horse, 275 Zig Zag Rd, Drummond North. 1pm-3.30pm. $55.
Music Music on the Village Green: Performances by Lucy Wise, the SoSaxy Band and Jali Buba Kuyateh. Malmsbury Village Green, Mollison St. 1pm-5pm.
Wine A Celebration of Harvest: Enjoy wines from eight local wineries. Picnic boxes can be pre-ordered. Mechanics Institute, Mollison St, Kyneton. 1.30pm-5pm and 6pm-9.30pm. Adult $34, Child (2-17) $10.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Sport & Food Zaharakis, Maxwell, Bellchambers and Ball: Join the former Essendon and Collingwood stars at a two-course meal on the eve of the Anzac Day match between the two teams. Gisborne Golf Club, Daly St. 4.30pm. $15.
Exhibitions
Online Magnificent Macedon Ranges: Photographs inspired by local people and scenery. Macedon Ranges Photographic Society online exhibition.
Carlsruhe Julie Chandler: Works in acrylics, oils, graphite and charcoal by portraiture specialist Julie Chandler. April 23-24. Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm. Free.
Kyneton The Old Auction House Artists: Exhibitions: Life Through a Kaleidoscope and Before the Fall. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom Artists: Michael Needham, Greg Wood, Talitha Kennedy, Vanessa Lucas. Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper Artists: Showcasing work by local artists. Current exhibition: Autumn Blaze. Wed-Mon 10am-4pm.
Kyneton A Biodiversity Crisis – Animals and Plants of the Macedon Ranges: Interactive exhibition. Contains taxidermy. Fri-Sun 11am-4pm. Guided presentations on April 21-22. Adult $5, Concession/student $3, Child under 5 free, Family $10.
Lancefield Community Art Gallery: Paintings, sculptures, glass jewellery by local artists. 34a High St, Lancefield. Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 10am-1pm.
Mount Macedon Portraits on the Mount: Exhibition of portraiture by local artists. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Mount Macedon Colours of Autumn: Paintings, photography, pottery, glass, textiles and more. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Art in the Vines – AV4: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. Every day 10am-5pm.
Trentham Little Gallery Members: Artwork by Rose Wilson, Helen Cottle, Kim Haughie, Ri Van Veen, Larissa Gray, Llael McDonald, Frances Harkin, Liz Archer, Ruby Wilson-Peirce, Sam Bloomfield. Thu-Mon 10am-4pm.
Coming up
Opera Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas: Featuring internationally acclaimed mezzo soprano Kristen Leich. The Gisborne Singers present a story of triumph, tragedy, romance and hilarity. Kyneton. May 1 & 8.
Workshop Grow Your Own Spring Flowers: Mother’s Day workshop with Aga Jones. Learn how to grow spring bulbs and care for your flowers. Tulips, mini daffodils, ranunculus, anemones and other seasonal flowers. Riddells Creek. May 1.
Comedy Game Boys Cinematic Universe: Sketch show that focuses on the TV and film industries. Kyneton. May 13.
Motoring Cavalcade of Transport: Display of veteran, vintage, classic and collector vehicles. Trentham. May 15.
Have a great week!
Richard
P.S. I’ve tried my best to ensure accuracy, but please follow the links above to confirm details before attending events.
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In the news
🏡 SOUTH GISBORNE: Work on The Block finally gets under way: “Everybody knew what they were in for before they got here, so they can’t turn up and complain.”
🏀 NEW GISBORNE: A funding promise means the $46.8m Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct will go ahead.
🥬 MACEDON RANGES: Nine days left to vote for the most delicious plant-based food in the Macedon Ranges, in the Edgy Veg Awards.
🏞️ MALMSBURY: The region’s vulnerable platypus population will be given a boost with a freshening flow down the Coliban River.
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