Newsletter | #116 | What's On this Week

Welcome to this week's Melbourne events, exhibitions, sports and community guide for March 23 - March 29, 2009.

This week.. Shed some light on Global Warming by switching off this week, during Earth Hour, and there's no need to sit alone in the dark with special events held this week as part of the public awareness campaign.

The Upper Yarra celebrates all things good with the Harmony Festival, featuring performances, exhibitions and more, while at Vic Market this week there's the Turkish Pazar Festival offering a free day of fun, food and dancing. There's also the Great Australian Sunny Sizzle at Federation Square this weekend with free attractions (and sausages), entertainment (and sausages), kids' activitires and more (along with sausages)..

What's On this Week is an overview of the (too many to mention) events happening this week in Melbourne. To see everything that is happening on any given day this week, view our What's On MELBOURNE Calendar

There are sport details, special dining offers and info on upcoming events and highlights in beautiful Melbourne, so read on and enjoy!

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Major Events Guide

The Upper Yarra Harmony Festival begins this week, offering a program with 5 days of entertainment and arts that will celebrate the theme of Harmony in the community. With events that include music concerts, artistic and cultural performances, it's held at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre in Warburton.

The Great Australian Sunny Sizzle is a day of fun, held by Interchange to raise awareness of the needs of young people with a disability and their families. Taking place at Federation Square, the day includes a massive sausage sizzle at just $2 a snag, live bands, roving entertainers, jumping castles and more.

The Turkish Pazar Festival takes place this week when you can come along to Queen Victoria Market to celebrate and learn more about Turkish culture and traditions. Featuring the Ottoman Military Band, the festival includes traditional Turkish folklore, music, dance and entertainment for children.

Art is...tasty is a festival held in Horsham that celebrates the diversity of 'taste' in our community with a program of performances and events for all ages. The festival provides an interpretation of what constitutes good or bad taste and how people feel about different genres of art, culture and ideas.

The Castlemaine State Festival is a biennial event that features a program for young and old of live theatre and performances of classical and contemporary music, held in Castlemaine's historic theatres and halls as well as in unique venues including mines, churches, parklands and public sites.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is held this week on Saturday when you, along with others around the world, can help take a stand against the global warming our planet faces simply by turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for change in how we regard the environment.

The Earth Hour Concert, held at Federation Square, is Australia's own signature event to honour Earth Hour. A unique experience, the electricity needed to run the concert will be people powered by the Future Spark Team Challenge, charging what will be a great performance by Augie March and others.

Earth Hour Unplugged is a special concert held at Melbourne Zoo to highlight the Earth Hour project when its lights out at the zoo for an hour as C.W. Stoneking & The Primitive Horn Orchestra will perform their pre-war blues and calypso style of music. A portion of proceeds will go towards neutralising carbon emissions.

Cocktails by Candlelight, held to celebrate Earth Hour, is a Singles Party that will take place at Avenue in Flinders Lane when singles will have the chance to mingle amidst a romantic setting as the lights make way for the candles for speed dating by candlelight. Entry includes a complimentary cocktail and canapes.

Upcoming Events

Grape Grazing in the Yarra Valley - Celebrate the return of one of Victoria's best festivals when the Fun, Food and Friendship team of Melbourne Social Club invite you join them at Grape Grazing. Their day package includes a visit to three wineries, including Yering Farm, ending at Federation Square's Transit Lounge.

NEW LIVE CALENDAR
To find out about future events in Melbourne, have a look at our new calendar, with details about many more events that lie ahead, including Exhibitions, Gigs, Markets, Expos and more..

View Future Events on any day of the week

School Holiday Guide

Check out our School Holiday Guide for a head start on what to do with the kids during the Autumn School Holidays beginning on April 4, and running until April 19 in 2009. The guide is Updated Weekly to highlight the best things to do over the holiday period for the young and young at heart, with events, tours and holiday care programs.. all in marvellous Melbourne!

View School Holiday Guide

Exhibitions - Art | Festival | Show

The South - North Exchange, held at the Foyer Gallery of Gasworks Arts Park, features works by artists from opposite parts of the world in Northern Norway and Australia. The exhibition is held to raise funds for a cross-cultural exchange program for Indigenous youth from Australia and Norway.

I Don't Belong Here but There II, by Shiau-Peng Chen, is part of a special two-person exhibition at Northcote's Immersion Therapy, which examines the shifting political and social climate of North East Asia along with trends in mass commerce. The exhibition includes the show, Melting Down, by Meng-Shu You.

Novel Vessels is an exhibition by Rosie Miller, held at the gallery of Lindbeg Contemporary Art in Collingwood. A Melbourne artist with a background in different mediums, the exhibition features sculptures that alter the concept of the printed page into beautiful forms that are organic and shell-like in structure.

Wildspace, a free exhibition held at Federation Square's Atrium, is the first exhibition of its kind in Australia. Set to become an annual event, the exhibition features depictions of depicting Australian Native Animals in their disappearing environments, with prizes awarded to emerging and established artists.

Roparville, the latest exhibition by Dennis Ropar, portrays a sexy, kaleidoscopic world that blends dark gothic imagery with kitsch. With a vibrant and playful take on pop art the main thread is the tag 'unlucky' which evokes a sense of foreboding and unease. It runs at St Kilda's Jackman Gallery.

An End to Myth, an exhibition held at Flinders Lane Gallery, sees the work of Lizzie Buckmaster-Dove using the practices of natural science and museology to present a new way of examining our country's environmental beauty with paper sculptures that convey the delicate beauty of our wildlife.

Trepidation - I Report a Concern, a group exhibition at North Fitzroy's J-Studios, examines the external factors of influence that pervade our lives. With themes of concerns such as money, political and social apocalypse, sex, death and more, burdens both real and imagined are given voice in the work of each artist.

Lost Lines, now showing at Unpretentiously Underground in Fitzroy's Brunswick St, is an exhibition by Ears, whose work playfully combines abstract expressionism with character based street art. Living up to his moniker, the exhibition is inspired by snippets of conversations heard on trains and buses.

John Lennon: Imagine! is an exhibition of never-before-seen and rare photos of the late musician on display at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the only gallery in Australia to host the exhibition. The exhibition features rare black and white images by world-class photographers such as Dixie Dean and Tom Hanley.

Step Right Up! The Circus in Australian Art is a free exhibition at Gallery I of the Arts Centre. Drawing together commissioned works by contemporary Australian artists, the exhibition also includes selected paintings and sculptures that show varied interpretations of all the colour and humour of the circus.

The Cunningham Dax Collection is currently showcasing two exhibitions, Beyond the Three Trees and Healing Childhood Trauma. With over 12,000 works by people who've experienced mental illness or psychological trauma, the Collection in Parkville uses art to raise awareness of public mental health education.

Speaking for the Ordinary Man, now showing at St Kilda's Jewish Museum of Australia, is an exhibition of sculptures by Charles Aisen, a tinsmith whose sculptures trace not only his own life journey but that of many Jews who settled in Australia with his touching works evoking the immigrant experience in Carlton.

Expos, Launches & Open Days

Madame Brussels is the new book by LM Robinson, which charts the story of the keeper of Melbourne's most famous brothel during the decadent 1880s, Caroline Hodgson. To celebrate the launch of the book, there'll be a guided tour this week through the lanes of Little Lonsdale Street where the book is set.

Concertino Trio will be holding their CD Launch this week at Czech House in North Melbourne, performing music that's rare these days with their genre of Gypsy music that includes original gypsy tunes along with traditional world folk music from Armenia, Greece, Russia, Romania, and many other countries.

The National Careers & Employment Expo, held the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, is a Australia's largest career and employment event, providing an opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn more about Australia's leading educational and training providers.

The Printworks Magazine & Digital Expo, hosted by Australia's leading magazine publisher ACP Magazines, makes it simple, effective and affordable for your business to harness the power of their stable of magazines and websites including The Australian Women's Weekly, Wheels, Rolling Stone and more.

Performances & Theatre

Dinkum Assorted, performed at the West Essendon Community Centre, is a play set in 1942 in a rural town where 15 women are battling to save their livelihoods at a biscuit factory that faces closure. While the men are off at war, the women have their own call to arms in the humorous play.

Miss K and The Klones, performed at St Kilda's Theatreworks for one night only, is a cabaret about the misadventures of Miss K, who escapes prison and ends up in Trieste, Italy. The absurd comedy with touches of Mr Bean features original music, audience participation and the cooking of a traditional Italian dish.

Red Door Burlesque will be performing this week at the stylish Order of Melbourne, located in Swanston Street. Offering the finest in burlesque, vaudeville and circus, the night includes seductive tunes from DJ Emma Peel, saucy pinup girls, and death-defying aerial acts performed right above your table.

Gutenberg! The Musical! is a performance at Chapel Off Chapel that features 2 Men, 1 Piano, 30 Characters, more hats than My Fair Lady and one massively misguided dream as Bud and Doug perform their backer's audition, hoping to fund their play about Johann Gutenberg's 1450 invention of the printing press.

The Wedding Singer, performed by Bayswater's Fab Nobs Theatre, is the musical version of the popular film, brought to the stage with a score (and hair) that pays homage to the 1980s. Set in 1985, the play captured the romance and comedy of the hit film as Robbie Hart, a jilted wedding singer tried to find love again.

Two Sisters and a Piano, performed by Shift Theatre, is a play about hope and the human spirit. Held at the Dog Theatre in Footscray, the play tells the story of two sisters in Cuba, kept prisoner in their family home by a vigilant lieutenant, who find some escape when reality blends with dreaming.

Copenhagen, performed at Chapel Off Chapel, is the award winning controversial play by Michael Frayn that explores the relationship between Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, two of the 20th Century's most important scientists who meet in 1941, during the Nazi occupation of the city the play is named after.

Moonlight and Magnolias, presented by Melbourne Theatre Company, is Ron Huchinson's hilarious play that captures the truelife madness behind the scenes of Gone with the Wind, offering a humorous look at the off-set dramas that unfolded in the writing of the greatest movie in Hollywood history.

Classical Performances

Opera in the Market is a unique Melbourne event of fine food and wine, outstanding music and excellent hospitality, which is also a major event on the St Vincent's Hospital fundraising calendar. Held at Queen Victoria Market, the event features renowned soprano, Yvonne Kenny along with a 130-voice choir.

The Melbourne Musicians will commence their 35th season at St Johns at Southgate with a tribute to the 200th Anniversary of Haydn's death in 1809. Performing Haydn's Symphony No. 78 in C minor and his popular Trumpet Concerto, they'll be joined by soloist Geoffrey Payne, of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Entertainment & Nightlife

Bacardi Express is a touring music festival that this year features the headline act Groove Armada, who will be joined by the bands British India, Bluejuice, Van She and The Lost Valentinos. Held at The Palace Theatre, this years tour includes special guests Beardyman and Hoops DJs.

Sundown and/or Last Stand will be appearing at IDGAFF in Abbotsford this week. Described as 'post-arty rockers with a dirty collection of sounds,' they'll be joined by support the industrial-trance group, Repairs and minimalist-lounge-free-rock group Battlesnake. Make of that what you will. Or better yet, go along.

Rise Against will be appearing at Festival Hall for one night only this week in what's their largest headlining tour to date since 2007's successful Taste of Chaos tour. Performing songs from their fifth studio album, Appeal to Reason, they'll be joined by Swedish rockers The (International) Noise Conspiracy.

Sound Bytes Round 3 will take place this week, held upstairs of the Queensberry Hotel in Carlton. Offering another night of Australia's finest Chiptune artists mixing beats and melodies from and inspired by video games. Playable games will be at hand and the night will be filmed for the ABC2 series 'Good Game'.

Cari�o Son, a seven-piece combo who play traditional Cuban music reminiscent of the Buena Vista Social Club, will be performing at the Spanish Club in Fitzroy. Capturing the feel of the bars and nightclubs of Havana, their performances are bound to inspire even wallflowers to get up and try some Latin moves.

Comedy

Danny Bhoy will be performing this week with his brand new show, which has seen him cement his place as one of the biggest acts on the international comedy scene and voted by The Scotsman as one of the top comedians to come out of Scotland. He'll be performing as part of his ongoing Victorian tour.

Cinema

Flickerfest will be held in Melbourne this week at Kino Cinemas as part of its national tour, showcasing a fantastic selection of short films including the Best Of Melbourne Shorts, specially curated for the Melbourne screening from the 5 Australian programmes of films entered into the Bondi based competition.

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival returns to the screens of ACMI at Federation Square with a fantastic program that's larger than ever, featuring the latest and greatest in queer feature films, documentaries and shorts from Australia and overseas with three new short film packages added to their program this year.

Melbourne For Kids

National Youth Tobacco Free Day is this year asking young people in Australia for their support for introducing plain packaging of tobacco products in Australia, in an effort to end the targeting of young smokers. Held this Friday, they're also running a great competition for those aged 10 to 25.

Scooby Doo Live in Stagefright is a live production of one of cartoon's most endearing and long-lasting characters in a show that kids will love as Scooby-Doo and the gang set about solving the mystery of a ghost wreaking havoc at the old Clawhammer Movie Studio. It will be performed at Frankston Arts Centre.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, presented by Altona City Theatre, is a pantomime performance of the classic tale that's loved by children around the world. Along with Snow White, the dwarves and the evil queen, the panto also features Fairy Cakes, King Put-upon and other characters added in true panto style.

Dancing The Food Cycle is a performance and workshop for kids held at ArtPlay in Birrarung Marr where Ilan Abrahams from Sense of Place Projects will teach children food gardening skills and play movement games that respond to experiences in the garden, with this week's session held for kids aged 8 to 12.

DinoStory | Sand Sculpting Exhibition - Sand Sculpting Australia will again present a special display at the Frankston Waterfront with their newest theme, DinoStory. Featuring the work of sculptors from Australia and overseas, the sand carvings take the form of dinosaurs in stunning detail.

Circus Shows

Circus Sunrise encompasses all of the traditional circus skills with a programme that includes fantastic aerial acts, graceful hand balancing, juggling, wild west cowboys, daring trapeze and the funniest clowns that you will ever see. Their Easter Spectacular begins this week in Rowville.

Silvers Grand Magic Circus will be appearing in Greensborough with performances held at St John of God. Established in 1976, Silvers Grand Magic Circus offers a great show for the whole family, with everything from jugglers and clowns to acrobats and more.

Puzzles & Competitions

Spot The Difference

There are 4 Differences between these two pictures of Abbotsford Convent... See if you can spot them! (There are only 4 this week due to a stubbornly faulty mouse, which made Photoshop a nightmare!!) Sign up for answers revealed in Next Week's Newsletter

More on Abbotsford Convent | Learn More about Melbourne!

Competitions

My Picturetown is a special offer to OnlyMelbourne readers from NIKON, the worlds recognised leader in photography. Register as a member (FREE!) and enter the draw for a chance to win great prizes while also enjoying 20 GB of free storage for your prized and precious photographs!

The Great Transport Race, presented by Metlink, is a series of races held during second term for students in years 7 to 10. Free to enter, there will be four races held at different locations across Melbourne, leading to a major CBD race held on May 27 when student teams battle it out for the GTR champion's trophy.

Community

Neighbour Day, an event held on the last Sunday in March each year, is held this week when everyone's asked to make an effort to get to know their neighbours better simply by saying, 'Hi'. And throw in a 'How are you?' why not. Founded in 2003 in Melbourne, Neighbour Day has since become a global event.

The Hampton Park Community Expo & Bake-off is an event held to strengthen community relations, bringing people together in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Held at Hampton Park Community House, participants will go spoon to spoon in four cooking categories, including one for kids.

SAGE, Successful Aging, Growth and Enhancement, is a seminar held at St Michael's Uniting Church in Collins Street. Run by renowned Psychotherapist Dr Francis Macnab, SAGE encourages people over 45 to learn psychological insights, offering vital information and advice to help them age more enjoyably.

The Street Science Hip Hop Workshop is a free monthly workshop where kids and teens can learn the art of legal aerosol art with the Street Science team, some of the most talented, experienced and friendliest of the Australian hip-hop community. The workshop takes place at The Venue in Noble Park.

FREE Family Pass at your Local YMCA - By taking part in the Premiers Active Families Challenge at your local YMCA, you'll receive a FREE 15 family pass to your local YMCA aquatic centre. During the Challenge, families are invited to spend 30 mins a day for 30 days together in a healthy activity.

The Summerhill Dance Group hold a social event for people of all ages and backgrounds each week at the Oakhill Community Centre in Reservoir. Supported by Darebin Council, the dance evenings feature music from a professional D.J. playing strict tempo music for people of all dance level skills.

Yoga at the Park is an initiative of The Health and Yoga Council of Australia, presenting Yoga classes in some of Victoria's most beautiful parks and gardens. Set in a relaxed environment, the classes suit many age groups and levels of experience with lessons held in various public parks around Melbourne.

Speakers Forum | Soapbox Oratory - Soapbox orators (that means you if you've something to say) can take turns speaking on various topics and viewpoints on the State Library Lawns. Questions, comments, heckling and interjections are welcome from all, simply turn up on the day to participate or listen.

You Can Help

There are many social causes that are relevant to people from all walks of life, many of which rely on public support to better the community or assist those who are less fortunate or to benefit others. This week we ask you to consider the following..

Swear Stop | Give It Up for Schizophrenia - If you or others you know have a tendency to let a naughty word slip, why not put that habit to the test by giving up swearing for a week or encouraging them to do the same and help the Schizophrenia Research Institute raise money for important research.

Fundraiser Events

The World's Greatest Shave will be held at Hilton on the Park before the Richmond vs Carlton game when you can have your hair sprayed in your team's colours to help get in the mood and also help a good cause. Registered participants can come for a shave or spray, and if you're not registered just make a donation.

Ovation is a dinner held by the Ovcare National Cancer Centre, raising much-needed funds for their programs in screening tests for the early detection of ovarian cancer. Offering a great evening of entertainment, fine dining and wine, the event held at Crown includes live and silent auctions and a raffle.

Markets, Fetes and Fairs

Magnolia Square is a boutique fair that showcases women's and children's attire, homewares, jewellery and more. They'll be holding their popular fair at Malvern Town Hall this week, revealing the work of some of Melbourne's best and most talented designers with a wide variety of crafts and more.

Peek A Boo Market offers huge bargain prices on quality pre loved items related from newborn, baby to preschool kids. You can find just about everything from furniture, clothing, toys, prams, books, high chairs to car seats and many more. All markets are held indoors and stallholders are always wanted.

Fetes

Bellbridge Primary School Carnival - Bi-annual carnival with plenty of fun for the family with Devonshire tea, rides and more!

Cultural Fiesta at St Paul Apostle North Primary with games, children's rides, dancing, food, music, stalls and much more.

Fetes & Fairs

Mentone Park Primary - Fete with Auctions, rides, stalls, music.

St Anthony's School Fair - Old world fair with a modern twist!

Antonine College Fete - Book Stall, food, kids' fun and disco!

Garage Sales

A Massive Garage Sale will be held this week in Balwyn North where you'll have the chance to grab bargains that include Clothing, Furniture, Photographic Equipment (including darkroom materials and enlarger), Large Fridge, Quality Stove, Jewellery, Books, Household items and more.

NEW LIVE CALENDAR

View MARKETS on any day of the week to make the most of the rare sunny days (it's a coin toss lately, isn't it!) and head to one of Melbourne's many excellent markets, fetes and fairs for a bargain!

A growing number of food, produce and even wine markets are always popping up around the suburbs. And don't forget garage sales!

Dining & Drink

Wining

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More Restaurants at onlyMelbourne's Dining Directory

Dining In

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OnlyMelbourne Welcomes..

Each week we highlight some of the latest additions to OnlyMelbourne's ever growing guide to services, businesses and information sites for your community.

To find out how you can join Melbourne's largest online community Visit Here!

This week we suggest the following:

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Utopian Studio - Signature beauty & relaxation treatments...

National Hair Institute - Effective hair loss treatment...

Anti-Aging Canterbury - Anti-aging clinics serving Victoria...

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