Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, December 11, to Sunday, December 17.
🎸 Tim Rogers will be performing at Malmsbury Town Hall on April 12 next year. The You Am I frontman will be joined by local up-and-coming band The Mods. The concert will be part of a “Live and Local” music series at community halls during the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival. Tickets to see Tim Rogers and The Mods are due to go on sale on January 21.
đźš’ The first of this year’s CFA Santa Runs are due to take place this week. Fire trucks with Santa aboard are scheduled to tour Romsey on Friday, Lancefield on Saturday and Malmsbury on Sunday. Click the links for route details and maps or see the Christmas events guide.
🪲 Have you noticed a lot of bugs in your garden lately? Duncan Cocking, of Leaf, Root & Fruit, believes that even those bugs considered to be pests can be beneficial in the right numbers. See his article below the events guide.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Tuesday, December 12
Craft Christmas Table Arrangement Workshop: Learn how to construct a beautiful fresh floral Christmas table centrepiece. Macedon Ranges Further Education Centre, Hamilton St, Gisborne. 6.30pm-9.30pm. $80.
Wednesday, December 13
Film Love Actually: Christmas rom-com. Gisborne Library, Hamilton St. 1pm-3.15pm. Free.
Community Macedon & Mount Macedon Carols by Candlelight: Live music, sausage sizzle, coffee and ice cream. Plus a visit from Santa. Tony Clarke Reserve, Waterfalls Rd, Macedon. 5.30pm.
Thursday, December 14
Nature Bird Walk for Beginners: Join Tanya Loos to learn about the birds found along Jacksons Creek. Gisborne Administration Centre, 40 Roberston St, Gisborne. 9am-10am. Free.
Craft Christmas Wreath Workshop: Learn how to design, style and create your own door/wall wreath for Christmas. Macedon Ranges Further Education Centre, Hamilton St, Gisborne. 6.30pm-9.30pm. $80.
Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. Gisborne Golf Club, Daly St. 7pm. Free.
Friday, December 15
Sport Rodney Hogg – Lunch with the Lunatic Fast Bowler: Join former Australia fast bowler Rodney Hogg for stories and insights from his cricket career. Telegraph Hotel, Hamilton St, Gisborne. 12pm-3pm. $100.
Community Carols by Candlelight: Music from guest artists Albert Mataafa and Leanne Wright, and Christmas carols. Bring a picnic. John Aitken Reserve, Aitken St, Gisborne. 6pm-10pm.
Saturday, December 16
Exercise Parkruns: 5km fun runs in Gisborne (Dixon Field), Lancefield (Lancefield Park) and Woodend (Campaspe Dr). 8am. Free.
Market Riddells Creek Farmers’ and Makers’ Markets: Memorial Dr, Riddells Creek. 9am-1pm.
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 Trentham Farmers’ Market: Town Square, High St, Trentham. 9am-1pm.
Market Glenlyon Village Market: Shire Hall, Barkly St, Glenlyon. 9am-1pm.
Kids Meet Santa: Get your special photo with Santa. Gifts for the first 100 children. Romsey Mitre 10, Main St, Romsey. 10am-12pm. Free.
Art Christmas High Tea Watercolour Pencil Sketching Class: Learn the art of sketching food and indulge in Christmas delicacies. With artist Alissa Duke. Dromkeen, 1012 Kilmore Rd, Riddells Creek. 11am-1pm. $90.
Music & Drink Songs and Cider: Music with Bill Barber. DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-9pm.
Music A Day in the Garden: Music with Taxiride, Turnstyle and INXSive. Telegraph Hotel, Hamilton St, Gisborne. 12pm-10pm. $80.
Wellness Lavender Sensory Experience: Learn about lavender, discover the therapeutic benefits of pure oil, and delight in the flavours when it is used as a culinary herb. Chin Chin Farm, 673 Chintin Rd, Chintin. 1pm-3pm. $80.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Music Juliarna’s Jazz: Juliarna Clark (vocals) with Ash Gaudion (saxophone), Jeff Arthur (guitar), James Clark (double bass) and Rodney Gilbert (drums). Newham Mechanics Institute, Rochford Rd. 3pm-5pm. $36.
Film Outdoor Movie Night: Watch Elf at sunset. Plus a visit from Santa. Gilbert Gordon Oval, Davy St, Woodend. 6.30pm-10.30pm. Free.
Theatre Once Upon a Christmas Eve: A fairytale for grown-ups packed with carols, laughs, fun and frivolity. By Safe Space Performances. Bluestone Theatre, Hutton St, Kyneton. 7.30pm-9.30pm. General admission $35, Pensioner/Student $30.
Community Riddells Creek Carols at the Lake: With Kyneton Municipal Brass Band. Coffee van. Bring a picnic. Walter J Smith Reserve, Main Rd, Riddells Creek. 7.30pm-9.30pm.
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Sunday, December 17
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Market Malmsbury Farmers’ and Artists’ Market: Mollison St, Malmsbury. 9am-1pm.
Market Woodend Lions Sunday Market: Cnr High St & Forest St, Woodend. 9am-2pm.
Food Garlic Festival: Market garden tour and garlic braiding workshop. Cakes, sweets, relishes and preserves for sale. Barbecue by Melbourne chef Lorena Corso. Force of Nature Food Co, 221 Ochiltrees Rd, Romsey. 9am-3pm. Free.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Community Newham Community Christmas Party: Children’s entertainment. Santa visit. Pizzas, sausage sizzle and bar. All welcome. Newham Mechanics Institute, Rochford Rd, Newham. 2.30pm-7pm. Free.
Community Malmsbury Christmas Carols: Children’s activities plus a visit from Santa. Malmsbury Town Hall, Mollison St. From 5pm. Free.
Community St Brigid’s Carols by Candlelight: Singing and poetry. St Brigid’s Hall, Fisher St, Gisborne. 5.30pm.
Community Woodend Lions Club Christmas Carols: Singing led by Woodend Warblers. Free sausage sizzle. Santa visit. Bring a picnic blanket or a chair. Woodend Community Centre, Forest St. 6pm. Free.
Community Kyneton Community Carols: With Kyneton Municipal Brass Band and the Rotary Club choir. St Paul’s Anglican Church, Powlett St & Yaldwyn St West, Kyneton. 7.30pm.
Exhibitions
Gisborne The Ranges in Focus: Photographs of the Macedon Ranges. Gisborne Village Shopping Centre, Brantome St, Gisborne.
Kyneton The Old Auction House: Exhibitions: Shikha Yadav and Billie Douglas. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper: Wed-Mon 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom: Exhibitions: Natalie Ryan, Becc Orszag. Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
Kyneton Cusack & Cusack: Exhibitions: Julie Poulsen, Adam Cusack, Jonathan McBurnie. Fri-Sun 10am-3pm.
Kyneton Stitch in Time: Historical folk art and craft materials. Fri-Sun 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Kyneton Ridge Artspace: Summer exhibition featuring work by 20 artists. Sat & Sun 11am-5pm.
Mount Macedon The Gallery: Exhibition: Members, Christmas. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Art in the Vines: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. Every day 10am-5pm.
Riddells Creek Dromkeen: Exhibition: Between the Pages (art by children’s writers and book illustrators). Sat & Sun 10am-5.30pm.
Trentham Trentham District Story: Outdoor display telling the story of Trentham from its earliest Indigenous inhabitants to the present day. Open every day in the grounds of the Old Police Station, 3-5 Camp St, Trentham.
Trentham Little Gallery: Fri-Mon 10am-4pm.
Woodend The Back Shed Gallery: Multimedia. 33 Urquhart St, Woodend. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
Coming up
Music & Dance See You Later, Alligator!: Dance to swing and rock ’n’ roll hits from the 1950s and ’60s. With Big Horn and the Six-String Bandits, and The Martini Set featuring Steven Howard. Woodend Bowling Club, High St, Woodend. 6pm-10pm. $30 ($24 in advance). December 29.
Author Talk Jelena Dokic – Unbreakable and Fearless: Jelena Dokic will discuss the incredible story of how she overcame adversity, poverty and violence to rise to the top of the tennis world, and her latest book, Fearless, about how you reclaim your life when all feels lost. Gisborne Library, Hamilton St. 11am-12pm. Free. February 14.
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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Bring on a bug balance
Gardening
Horticulturalist Duncan Cocking runs Leaf, Root & Fruit. Based in Kyneton, he provides gardening services and workshops to support food production in front yards and backyards across Melbourne and central Victoria.
At this time of the year, gardeners usually have lots of bugs coming and going in the garden.
Flushes of spring growth provide plenty of food for “pests” such as whitefly, earwigs, caterpillars, aphids and slaters. These in turn provide plenty of food for predator bugs such as ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, praying mantises and parasitic wasps. The result is a dynamic ebb and flow of different bug populations during spring and early summer.
Pesticides, however, pose a problem as they kill the beneficial insects as well as the targeted “bad bugs”. This means that the population of all the bugs in your garden will crash and you can’t obtain a balanced population dynamic.
This summer practise a bit of “do-nothing” gardening. Resist the temptation to use sprays and pesticides (even organic ones) and watch nature restore the balance.
My blog post on garden ecosystems gives a great overview of pest-predator dynamics.
Happy gardening!
Duncan
🍎 For more gardening tips see my latest planting guide and garden update.
🎅 The big day’s only two weeks away. Before then, you can visit Christmas lights displays, sing carols, and see Santa on fire truck!
👉 Click here for a guide to Christmas events and CFA Santa Runs.
In the news
🙏 MACEDON: Tributes have been paid to John Ewels, a much-loved former principal of Macedon and Mount Macedon primary schools and a stalwart member of Macedon Cricket Club. “John was the heart and soul of the club,” Macedon CC president Steve Harrison said. “You name it, if there was a job out there Ewelsy did it. There are not many people in Macedon who haven’t been touched by John. Macedon has just lost its greatest community member.”
🍸 KYNETON: Two hospitality venues have won top prizes in regional Victoria’s Golden Plate Awards. The Kyneton Hotel took the honours in the Best Hotel Dining category and Miss M’s Lounge was named Best Cocktail Bar/Cellar Door. Fook Shing was highly commended in several categories. Daylesford’s Kadota restaurant won the overall prize.
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