Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, February 17, to Sunday, February 23.
🍄 Bookings have opened for two mushroom foraging workshops near Macedon. The workshops, led by professional forager Richard Ford, are scheduled to run on April 12 and May 3. In previous years, these workshops have sold out quickly. Click here for details and to book.
🎶 Emma Donovan, one of Australia’s most powerful and soulful voices, will headline this year’s Macedon Ranges Music Festival. The festival will take place at Hanging Rock on March 29. Click here for the festival line-up and tickets.
🌷 Horticulturalist and broadcaster Stephen Ryan will give a talk at Duneira on May 3 about the evolution of the grand gardens of Mount Macedon.
🏡 Another historic homestead, Dromkeen, features in Tiffany Warner’s latest smartphone photography tip. Scroll down below the event guide to see her photo and her advice on capturing buildings.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Monday, February 17
Gardening Michael McCoy – Design and Planting for Irrigation-Free Gardens: Having spent 25 years developing his own “dry” garden in the Macedon Ranges, garden designer, writer, and broadcaster Michael McCoy will talk about creating sustainable, low-water gardens. Kyneton Horticultural Society meeting. All welcome. The Elm Room, Kyneton Racecourse, Campaspe Pl, Kyneton. 7pm-9pm. $10.
Wednesday, February 19
Game Canasta Club: Join a friendly group to play the card game Canasta. Beginners welcome. Macedon & Mount Macedon Community House, 47 Victoria St, Macedon. 2pm-5pm.
Sport Summer Shorts Orienteering – Gisborne: Beginner-friendly orienteering event. 2.5km and 3.5km courses. All welcome. Aitken Reserve, Aitken St, Gisborne. 6pm-8pm. $5.
Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 7pm. $12 (first session free).
Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7pm. Free.
Friday, February 21
Ghost Hunt Bluestone Theatre Ghost Tour: The theatre, built in 1859, was once the Congregational Church. But who is Esther the theatre ghost? Is she the organ player? And who are the other spirits that mill on the stage and greet you at the door? Bluestone Theatre, 28 Hutton St, Kyneton. 8pm-10pm. $52.
Saturday, February 22
Exercise Parkruns: 5km fun runs/walks in Gisborne (Dixon Field), Lancefield (Lancefield Park) and Woodend (Campaspe Dr). All abilities welcome. 8am. Free.
Motoring Lancefield Truck Display: Many makes and models of trucks. Plus live music. Lancefield Park, Chauncey St. 8am-5pm. Adult $10, Under-16 free, Weekend $15.
Environment Grow Festival: A one-day festival for anyone interested in food production, agriculture and the environment. International and local speakers, exhibitors and food producers. Walks, workshops and demonstrations. Kyneton Racecourse, Campaspe Pl, Kyneton. 8am-7pm. Adult $100, Child (15 and under) free with paying adult.
Market Lancefield Farmers’ Market: Central plantation, High 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, Daylesford. 9am-1pm.
Community Macedon CFA Community Day: Activities for all ages, Wild Action Zoo, food and drink, goods and services auction. Macedon Fire Station, Cnr Smith St & Victoria St, Macedon. 9.30am-1pm.
Market Artists’ and Makers’ Market: Artworks for sale. Plus live music, food and coffee. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 10am-3pm.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm. $25.
Music The Flynn Band: Folk music with Dan Flynn and sons Bas and Euca. Major Tom’s, 57 Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30pm-11pm. $15.
Never miss a thing in the Macedon Ranges
Get this newsletter every Sunday
“New to the newsletter and it’s brilliant. So much happening in our region I wouldn’t otherwise know about.”
“So much information … excellent resource for the community. WELL DONE. We’ve forwarded it on!”
Sunday, February 23
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St, Daylesford. 8am-3pm.
Motoring Lancefield Truck Display: Many makes and models of trucks. Plus live music. Lancefield Park, Chauncey St. 8am-5pm. Adult $10, Under-16 free, Weekend $15.
Market Trentham Seasonal Market: Trentham Railway Station, Victoria St, Trentham. 9am-1pm.
Food & Music Music in the Vines: Live music, food and drink. Glen Erin at Lancefield, 200 Rochford Rd, Lancefield. 12pm-4pm.
Food & Drink Paddock to Plate – A Celebration of Deep Creek Valley Produce: Five-course lunch menu created by MasterChef Australia semi-finalist Elise Pulbrook and showcasing Deep Creek Valley producers. Live music plus a producer market. DV Cider House, Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12.30pm-9.30pm. $120.
Fashion Summer Clothing Swap: Bring along up to eight garments to swap (women’s clothing only), including shoes, bags and accessories. Raffle and afternoon tea. The Mechanics Trentham, 66 High St, Trentham. 1pm-3pm. Gold coin donation.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm. $25.
Music Seraphim Trio: The renowned chamber music trio of Anna Goldsworthy (piano), Helen Ayres (violin), and Timothy Nankervis (cello). Church of the Resurrection, Honour Ave, Macedon. 3pm-5pm. Adult $45, Senior $40, Concession $35.
Singing Rainbow Voices Community Choir: LGBTQIA+ and allies choir. For anyone aged 13 and over. Kyneton Community House Good Food Hub, 35 High St, Kyneton. 4pm-6pm.
Music Juliarna’s Jazz: Juliarna Clark (vocals) with James Clark (double bass) and guests Dave Gardner, Dannie Bourne and Rod Gilbert. Newham Mechanics Institute, Rochford Rd, Newham. 5.30pm-7.30pm. $36.
Exhibitions
Kyneton The Old Auction House: Exhibitions: Dan Butterworth, Framings of Wombat Forest (audio-visual). Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper: Exhibitions: Summer Vibes, Donna Crebbin. Every day 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom: Exhibitions: Anthea Kemp, Madeleine Minack, Steph Wallace. Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Cusack & Cusack: Fri-Sun 10am-3pm.
Kyneton Kyneton Museum: Exhibition: Nurses, Medicine and Caring. Fri-Sun. 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Kyneton Ridge Artspace: Exhibition: Callan Skimin. Fri-Sun 11am-5pm.
Mount Macedon The Gallery: Exhibition: Summer. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Hanging Rock Winery: Exhibition: Art in the Vines (sculptures). Every day 10am-5pm.
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: Thu-Mon 10am-4pm.
Woodend The Back Shed Gallery: 33 Urquhart St, Woodend. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
Coming up
Sustainability Enviro Energy Expo: Practical and affordable solutions for the home, planet and our pockets. Hear from speakers including Professor Emeritus David Karoly and Annabel Sides, founder of Green Planet Sport. Plus panel discussions, one-on-one consultations, and live music. Riddells Creek Leisure Centre, Sutherlands Rd, Riddells Creek. 10m-3pm. March 15.
Market Hanging Rock Craft Market: Crafts and produce. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Newham. 9am-2pm. March 15.
Running Run the Rock: Three races at Hanging Rock, over 5km, 13.5km and 22km, plus a 2km route for children. Plus games, live music, and food and drink. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. From 7am. March 22.
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.
How am I doing?
Your Macedon Ranges is researched, written, and edited by me alone. Compiling it takes me 10+ hours each week. I love doing it, and the response has been incredible. I’m very grateful for your kind words.
If you find value in the newsletter, I’d so appreciate you subsidising my coffee habit … it helps with the collating and the writing!
Snap it with your phone
DROMKEEN
Professional photographer Tiffany Warner shares tips on capturing more dynamic photos of buildings.
When photographing a building, it’s natural to want to capture it front-on. However, it’s worth experimenting with angles and framing to find a view that is different.
I decided to photograph Dromkeen’s main entrance from the side, then looked for things to frame the scene. On this occasion, using the trees was an easy choice. Although the entrance is slightly obscured, the result is a lovely impression of a beautiful old building enveloped in lush greenery.
💡 Tip: Experiment with angles and practise framing.
Happy snapping!
Tiffany
📷 In addition to portrait and commercial work, Tiffany Warner runs short courses on smartphone photography for social media. See more of her images on Instagram.
🛍️ Love a good garage sale? Then you’re in luck, because several towns in the Macedon Ranges will be hosting whole-town garage sales soon. Click here to find out when and where these garage sales will be taking place.
In the news
🎥 MALMSBURY: A section of the Calder Freeway will be closed on Tuesday (February 18) to accommodate filming for Liam Neeson’s new movie The Mongoose. “In order to shoot a chase movie you have to shoot on a highway, so we’ve shut down a freeway up there for one day,” producer Al Corley told the ABC. “We only actually need one and a half kilometres, so we’ll only be shooting in a certain area, so we’ll try not to inconvenience anybody.” Closures will be in place between Malmsbury and Harcourt from 6am-10pm.
🧒 LANCEFIELD: Premier Jacinta Allan was among the dignitaries at the opening of Lancefield’s new kindergarten and maternal and child health facilities.
☕ KYNETON: Little Swallow Cafe in Piper St is set to lose its three chefs because their visas expire this year. Cafe owner Daniel Richards told the ABC’s Ali Moore that he cannot afford to sponsor the chefs and cannot get Australians to fill their jobs.
Enjoyed this newsletter?
Get it emailed to you every Sunday – and never miss a thing.
“I am so happy to be able to receive your emails and keep up to date with what’s going on in the area as well as learning a bit of local history!”