Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, December 19, to Sunday, January 1.
🎅 Before jumping on his sleigh, Santa will be hopping on board local CFA trucks on Christmas Eve to tour some of our towns and villages. If you’d like to meet him, here’s where to find the routes:
🐎 The races at Hanging Rock are a popular way to spend New Year’s Day, but Glenlyon offers a sporting alternative. The village has been holding its New Year’s Day sports day since the 1850s. Events include woodchopping, horse racing, bull-boar sausage eating, mineral-water drinking and gumboot throwing.
🍷 Summertime Fling, the Macedon Ranges’ festival of “everything wine, food and fun”, will be taking place next month. Cellar doors will be holding special events from January 7-29. Tickets are on sale. Click here for the list of events.
🎆 This is the last edition of Your Macedon Ranges for this year. I’d like to wish you a very happy and safe Christmas. See you again on January 1, 2023!
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges in the next two weeks:
Click the links for more info 👇
Tuesday, December 20
Community School’s Out For Summer Picnic Bash: Live music from local young bands and school-age performers, plus special guests. Face-painting, sausage sizzle, popcorn and drinks. Macedon & Mount Macedon Community House, Victoria St, Macedon. 1.30pm-8.30pm.
Thursday, December 22
Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. Gisborne Golf Club, Daly St. 7pm. Free.
Friday, December 23
Market Macedon Christmas Twilight Market: Artisan marketplace. Music from Rhiannon Winchester and The SoSaxy Trio. Sausage sizzle and food outlets. Macedon & Mount Macedon Community House, Victoria St, Macedon. 4pm-8pm.
Market Daylesford Twilight Market: Food vans and stalls, a bar, and produce stalls. Christmas carols and Santa visit. Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 4pm-8pm.
Christmas Woodend Warblers Christmas Carols: Listen or sing along to some carols at this special time of year. Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 6.30pm. Free.
Christmas Woodend Lions Club Christmas Carols: Free sausage sizzle. Santa visit. Bring a picnic blanket or a chair. Woodend Community Centre, Forest St. 7pm. Free.
Saturday, December 24
Exercise Campaspe Parkrun: 5km fun run along the Five Mile Creek path. Campaspe Park, Campaspe Dr, Woodend. 8am. Free.
🎄 Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 28
Environment Sanatorium Eco-Trail Walk: Join Parks Victoria volunteers on a 3km moderate-level walk. Learn about plants and animals as well as the history of the Macedon Regional Park. Days Picnic Ground, Lions Head Rd, Mount Macedon. 9.30am-11.30am. Free.
Friday, December 30
Ghost Hunt Lancefield Mechanics Institute Paranormal Investigation: Who is the stage spirit who enjoys hearing people sing? And what’s special about the number four? Lancefield Mechanics Institute, The Crescent. 8pm-10pm. $35.
Saturday, December 31
Music Countdown to 2023 Party: Blast from the Past event featuring dance hits from the ’70s and ’80s. Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 8pm-11.59pm. $42.
Sunday, January 1
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Market Gisborne Olde Time Market: Aitken St/Hamilton St. 9am-2pm.
Community Glenlyon New Year’s Sports Day: Old-time sports including woodchopping, horse racing, spinning wheel, bull-boar sausage eating, mineral-water drinking, nail drive, and gumboot throwing. Bar and food. Glenlyon Recreation Reserve, Dysart St. Gates open 10am. Competitions start 12pm. $10.
Sport New Year’s Day Racing at Hanging Rock: Celebrate the start of 2022 with an afternoon of racing, family activities and live music. Hanging Rock Racecourse, South Rock Rd, Newham. Gates open 11am. General admission $25.
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Exhibitions
Kyneton The Old Auction House Artists: Exhibitions: Sharyn Frantz, Fran Pidgeon, Jenn Spencer-Stewart (group exhibition), and Adam De Vos. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm (closed Dec 25-Jan 1).
Kyneton Stockroom Artists: Exhibitions: Tom Borgas, Rhett D’Costa, Angela Hayes. Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper Artists: Showcasing work by local artists. Exhibitions: Merry Rarer Christmas (window and exhibition), Macedon Ranges. Wed-Mon 10am-4pm.
Lancefield Community Art Gallery: Paintings, sculptures, glass jewellery by local artists. 34a High St, Lancefield. Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-3pm, Sun 10am-1pm.
Mount Macedon The Gallery Members: Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Art in the Vines: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. Daily 10am-5pm (closed Dec 25).
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
Drink Gin-blending Masterclass: Learn about distillation and how recipes are created. Kyneton. January 7.
Wine Summertime Fling: Cellar doors across the Macedon Ranges will be hosting a festival of “everything wine, food and fun”. Multiple venues. January 7-29.
Food & Drink Gisborne Peak Winery Farewell Lunch: Join Bob and Barbara Nixon for a farewell lunch at the winery. Hear about their time on the property, and the challenges of growing grapes and making a cellar door successful. Gisborne South. January 8.
Ghost Hunt Victoria Hotel Paranormal Investigation: Is it Isabella who turns the bar lights on and off and follows the staff around, or other spirits we don’t yet know of? It’s time to find out. Woodend. January 22.
Music Festival 23: Three-day festival of electronic music. Lancefield. January 27-29.
Have a fantastic fortnight!
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
🔥 MACEDON RANGES: Fire restrictions will come into effect on January 9.
🍛 KYNETON: Fook Shing, the Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant in Piper St, has been crowned the state’s Best Value Venue in the Golden Plate Awards.
♻️ ROMSEY: The 12-month trial of a soft-plastics recycling scheme could provide a convenient alternative to REDcycle’s embattled in-store program. “We hope within six months we’ll be able to see whether it’s been successful or not,” shire council director of assets and operations Shane Walden said. Hear from the boss of the recycling company about how the technology works.
🏠 GISBORNE SOUTH: One house from The Block remains unsold a month after it went to auction. The creator of the Channel 9 series, Julian Cress, said that at just over $4m, the house was a bargain. Cress and his family moved to Gisborne 18 months ago. “It’s a stunning place to live, a great community; it’s really on the up and up,” he said.
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