This week in the Macedon Ranges (March 11-17)

Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, March 11, to Sunday, March 17.

🔋 Thinking about energy options for your home? Head to the Enviro Energy Expo in Riddells Creek on Saturday, where you’ll be able to browse stalls and speak to experts. The keynote speakers will be Dan Cass, executive director of Rewiring Australia, and Tamara DiMattina, founder of The New Joneses and Buy Nothing New Month.

🌸 Beautiful blooms will abound at Mount Macedon Horticultural Society’s autumn show this weekend. It’s one of many local garden events that will be happening in the next few months.

🍑 If you have stone fruit trees, don’t miss Duncan Cocking’s advice about when to prune them. See his article below the event guide.

🛍️ Kyneton’s whole-town garage sale will take place on Saturday. It will be followed next month by sales in Lancefield and Riddells Creek. Details of all three garage sales can be found here. Happy treasure-hunting!

Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:

Click the links for more info 👇

Monday, March 11

Festival ChillOut Festival: Final day of Australia’s largest and most popular regional LGBTIQA+ pride event. Daylesford.

Art Woodend Lions Art Show: A diverse display of the rich talents of local artists. St Ambrose Hall, Templeton St, Woodend. 10am-4pm. Gold coin entry.

Entertainment Circus Latino: Be amazed by daring aerial acts and tricks with fire and hoops, and laugh at the clown’s antics. Performers from South America and Australia. Gisborne Steam Park, 10 Webb Cr, New Gisborne. 11am-12.40pm. $20-$50.

Wednesday, March 13

Film Barbie: Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. When Barbie and Ken leave the perfect world of Barbie Land, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans. Gisborne Library, Hamilton St. 1pm-3pm. Free.

Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 7.30pm. $12.

Thursday, March 14

Entertainment Dolly’s Disco Bingo: Music-based bingo. Mark off songs when you hear them. Kyneton Bowls Club, Mollison St, Kyneton. 6.30pm-8.30pm. $5.

Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. Gisborne Golf Club, Daly St. 7pm. Free.

Friday, March 15

Music Festival of Small Halls (Glenlyon): Folk and contemporary music with Svavar Knútur and The Maes. Glenlyon Hall, Barkly St, Glenlyon. From 6.30pm. $35.

Nature Hanging Rock Night Walk: Experience Hanging Rock after dark on a ranger-guided walk. See gliders, wallabies, native birds, bats, possums, koalas and many other animals. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. 7pm-10pm. Family $75, Adult $30, Child $15.

Music The Simba Sessions: Music, storytelling and poetry. Featuring Bella Deer, Hawraa Kash and Mezz Coleman. Kyneton Uniting Church, Ebden St. 7pm-11pm. $20.

Saturday, March 16

Exercise Parkruns: 5km fun runs/walks in Gisborne (Dixon Field), Lancefield (Lancefield Park) and Woodend (Campaspe Dr). All abilities welcome. 8am. Free.

Community Kyneton Whole Town Garage Sale: Maps can be bought for $5 on the day. Kyneton Community House, 34 Mollison St. 8am-12pm.

Market Riddells Creek Farmers’ and Makers’ Markets: Memorial Dr, Riddells Creek. 9am-1pm.

Market Trentham Farmers’ Market: Town Square, High St, Trentham. 9am-1pm.

Market Glenlyon Village Market: Shire Hall, Barkly St, Glenlyon. 9am-1pm.

Community St Ambrose School Fete: Fun and games, food, giant slide, market stalls. St Ambrose Parish School, Templeton St, Woodend. 9am-1pm.

Market Hanging Rock Craft Market: Crafts and produce. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. 9am-2pm.

Cycling Outer Wombat Gravel Bike Race: Choose from two timed race distances: 50km and 80km. Wombat State Forest, Finger Post Rd, Woodend. 10am. $90-$100.

Gardening Growing Nutrient-Dense Food: Learn how to enhance your soil to grow tastier vegetables. Leaf, Root & Fruit, 21 Dettmanns Ln, Kyneton. 10am-3pm. $100.

Gardening Tuberous Begonia and Fuchsia Show: Hundreds of nursery-grown tuberous begonias. White House Nursery, 691 Ashbourne Rd, Ashbourne. 10am-4pm.

Volunteering Macedon Ranges Community Volunteer Expo: Find out about a wide range of volunteering opportunities and services that could help you. Woodend Community Centre, Cnr High St & Forest St. 11am-2pm. Free.

Sustainability Enviro Energy Expo: Solutions for the home, planet and our pockets. Hear from speakers including Dan Cass, from Rewiring Australia, and Tamara DiMattina, from The New Joneses. Riddells Creek Primary School, Main Rd, Riddells Creek. 12pm-4.30pm.

Workshop Blacksmith Class: Make your own fire poker with Rob Nansen. Materials provided. Plus afternoon tea. Dromkeen, 1012 Kilmore Rd, Riddells Creek. 1pm-4pm. $145.

Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.

Gardening Mount Macedon Horticultural Society Autumn Show: Categories include roses, hydrangeas, dahlias, perennials, pot plants, fruit and vegetables. Mount Macedon Horticultural Hall, 583 Mount Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. 3pm-5pm.

Music Festival of Small Halls (Bullarto): Folk and contemporary music with Svavar Knútur and The Maes. Bullarto Hall, South Bullarto Rd, Bullarto. From 6.30pm. Full $35, Concession $25, Child (12 and under) $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, March 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.

Gardening Tuberous Begonia and Fuchsia Show: Hundreds of nursery-grown tuberous begonias. White House Nursery, 691 Ashbourne Rd, Ashbourne. 10am-4pm.

Music St Patrick’s Day Music: Featuring Guinness Records and Sea Dogs. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 12pm-6pm.

Music Seamus Ryan: Music for St Patrick’s Day. Riddells Creek Hotel, Hamilton St, Riddells Creek. 2pm-5pm.

Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.

Beekeeping Woodend Bee-Friendly Society: Monthly meeting. Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm.

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.

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. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7pm-9pm. $65.

Exhibitions

Kyneton The Old Auction House: Exhibition: Jacklyn Foster. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm. Exhibition opens March 14.

Kyneton Art on Piper: Exhibition: Judy Perfect. Every day 10am-4pm.

Kyneton Stockroom: Exhibitions: Laura Woodward, Joshua Cocking, Angela Hayes. Wed by appt, Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Exhibitions open Sat 6pm.

Kyneton Cusack & Cusack: Fri-Sun 10am-3pm.

Kyneton Unmasked: A celebration of nursing and midwifery. Mon, Thu, Fri 10am-4pm.

Kyneton Kyneton Ridge Artspace: Exhibition: Gayle Cykner. Sat & Sun 11am-5pm.

Mount Macedon The Gallery: Exhibition: Lara Le Reveur. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.

Newham Art in the Vines: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. 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: Fri-Mon 10am-4pm.

Woodend The Back Shed Gallery: 33 Urquhart St, Woodend. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.

Coming up

Cooking Rolled Sushi Workshop: Learn how to prepare, cook and roll sushi rice and how to make oinari san. Malmsbury Town Hall, Mollison St. 10.30am-1.30pm. $159. March 22.

Music Macedon Ranges Music Festival: Featuring Mahalia Barnes & The Soul Mates, Immy Owusu, Alana Wilkinson, Taylor Sheridan, Doc Halibut, Grim Fawkner, Aunty Blue, and the youth stage winner. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. 1pm-10pm. Adult $40, Concession $35, Ages 6-17 $15. March 23.

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.

🍂 If you enjoy gardens and gardening, there’s lots to see and do in the Macedon Ranges this autumn. Click here for local autumn garden 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!

When to prune your stone fruit trees

GARDENING

Horticulturalist Duncan Cocking, who runs Kyneton-based Leaf, Root & Fruit, explains what happens to trees at different times of the year.

Time is running out to summer prune your stone fruit trees.

Summer pruning promotes fruit production, whereas winter pruning promotes the growth of more foliage and is more likely to allow introduction of disease.

Deciduous trees reverse their sap flow during autumn. They draw sap and nutrients from their leaves back down into the branches, trunk and roots of the plant. Pruning a tree when this sap flow is reversed can “suck” pathogens such as bacteria and fungi into the tree’s vascular system. This is definitely something you want to avoid because it increases the likelihood of disease.

As soon as you see colour change on tree leaves, you know that the reversal of sap flow has already begun. At this point it’s too late to prune. You are better waiting until the tree breaks dormancy in spring. That way, the wounds will quickly heal and your tree should remain healthy.

This advice is especially important for apricot and cherry trees. They’re very susceptible to diseases introduced via pruning cuts. Prune these trees only when they are actively growing. Avoid pruning apricots and cherries from the point of leaf colour change in autumn until bud-burst in spring.

Find out more in my guide to pruning different fruit trees.

Happy pruning!

Duncan

🍑 For more gardening tips see my latest planting guide and garden update.

In the news

🏊 GISBORNE: Gisborne Aquatic Centre will close from April 2-14 for essential upgrades and maintenance. “The closure has been timed to align with the school and Easter holiday period to minimise disruption to pool users and regular programs such as Learn to Swim,” the Shire Council’s director of assets and operations, Shane Walden, said.

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!”