Welcome to this week's edition of The Newy List!

The week begins gently, then makes a decisive turn towards the weekend: New Annual opens across the city, Hunter wine country puts on a good table, and Port Stephens supplies both a volunteer morning and a very civilised Sunday sunset session. There is live music from the 1950s to the ocean baths, along with art, food and a few genuinely local reasons to get out.

New Annual opens with a free Laman Street takeover featuring Aleksiah, Djanaba and Ngaiire, alongside gallery access, workshops, food trucks and a pop-up bar. It is also the opening night for Angela Tiatia’s Muse at Newcastle Art Gallery.

•When: Friday 25 September, 5:00pm–9:00pm

•Where: Laman Street, Newcastle

•Price: Free

•More info: Event details

The Station fills with Hunter wine, beer, spirits, cheese, artisan produce, food trucks and local music. There are games and activities for children as well, making this an easy all-ages Saturday option.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 11:00am–6:00pm

•Where: The Station, Newcastle

•Price: Final release $29.95; under 16s free

•More info: Tickets and details

The spring programme opens with gardens, a butterfly aviary, baby lambs, talks, activities and daytime rides. A sensible option for visiting grandchildren, or simply an excuse to see the gardens in their most photogenic season.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 9:00am–5:00pm

•Where: Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin

•Price: Garden admission applies; rides $6 each or $30 for six rides

•More info: Programme and tickets

Boom Crash Opera brings its catalogue of Australian rock staples, including “Great Wall” and “Onion Skin”, to Shoal Bay. The show is 18+ and starts after dark, as a proper pub-rock outing should.

•When: Friday 25 September, from 7:00pm

•Where: Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay

•Price: Ticketed; see booking page

•More info: Show details

ARIA-winning electronic duo Hermitude joins Newcastle DJ and Ode Label founder Claire O’Brien for a free dusk set at the Ocean Baths. Pack a picnic and arrive early; the view is doing half the production work.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 5:30pm–6:30pm

•Where: Newcastle Ocean Baths, Newcastle East

•Price: Free

•More info: Event details

The Robertson Brothers and Dean Bourne pay tribute to the close harmonies and big ballads of the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and their 1950s–60s contemporaries. This is a polished theatre night with a very familiar soundtrack.

•When: Friday 25 September, 7:30pm–9:50pm

•Where: PACC, Cessnock

•Price: From $74.95

•More info: Tickets and details

Bill Bailey brings his comedy-and-music show Vaudevillean to Broadmeadow, drawing on the songs, skills and silliness of variety entertainment. The show is recommended for ages 15+.

•When: Friday 25 September, 8:00pm

•Where: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow

•Price: Ticketed; see booking page

•More info: Tickets and details

Three new exhibitions open at the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, with a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony, Adam Manning performance, Tina Baum floor talk and light morning tea. It is a generous free introduction to the new season at the gallery.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 11:00am–1:30pm

•Where: MAC yapang, Booragul

•Price: Free; registration requested

•More info: Launch details

Tomaree Museum Association opens an exhibition about Port Stephens and Newcastle shipwrecks, with model ships, artefacts and material from the Newcastle Maritime Museum. It runs daily through October, so there is no need to race the tides.

•When: Saturday 26 September–Friday 23 October, 9:00am–3:00pm daily

•Where: Exhibition Hall, Tomaree Headland Precinct, Shoal Bay

•Price: Free

•More info: Exhibition details

First Nations artist Billy Bain leads a 90-minute, hands-on air-dry-clay session inspired by his recognised dog sculptures. Participants aged 12+ will make a piece to take home; bookings are essential.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 2:30pm–4:00pm

•Where: MAC yapang, Booragul

•Price: Free

•More info: Book the workshop

Caves Coastal brings local winemakers, brewers, distillers and food producers together by the beach, with live entertainment and free entry. It is a pleasantly unfussy way to spend a Saturday near the water.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 11:00am–5:00pm

•Where: Caves Coastal Bar & Bungalows, Caves Beach

•Price: Free

•More info: Festival details

A five-course Fennel & Co lunch is served in the Stonehurst pear grove with 10 organic wines and live acoustic music. This is the more leisurely end of Hunter Valley Saturday, best approached with a designated driver and no other plans.

•When: Saturday 26 September, sparkling from 12:00pm; lunch at 12:30pm

•Where: Stonehurst Cedar Creek, Cedar Creek

•Price: Adults $150; wine-club members $135; children $50

•More info: Book lunch

Mahony Estate revives a much-loved Broke tradition with wine tasting, woodfired pizza, Italian cakes and salami among the vines. Non-drinkers can attend free, so everyone has a reasonable excuse to stay for a long lunch.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 11:00am–6:00pm

•Where: Mahony Estate, Broke

•Price: $20 ticket; non-drinkers free

•More info: Tickets and details

This weekly country market brings produce, handmade goods, gourmet food and live acoustic music to Hermitage Road. Take a basket; the market is free but the good intentions usually leave with a few extras.

•When: Sunday 27 September, 8:00am–2:00pm

•Where: Pokolbin Market, 691 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin

•Price: Free

•More info: Market details

Newcastle business and community leaders take the City Hall stage with dance partners to raise funds for Cancer Council NSW. Ticket categories range from show-only seating to dinner-inclusive options.

•When: Saturday 26 September, doors 6:00pm; show 7:00pm

•Where: Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle

•Price: From $55

•More info: Tickets and details

Join Friends of Tomaree National Park for a morning tackling invasive bitou bush at One Mile headland, followed by complimentary morning tea. Bring practical clothes and a willingness to make the coast a little better before lunch.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 8:15am–11:15am

•Where: One Mile Beach, Port Stephens

•Price: Free; registration required

•More info: Register here

Nick Roberts plays a free family-friendly set at Robinson Reserve, with a Marine Rescue Port Stephens fundraising barbecue on site. Bring a chair or blanket and let the weekend finish without a booking confirmation in sight.

•When: Sunday 27 September, 4:30pm–6:30pm

•Where: Robinson Reserve, Anna Bay

•Price: Free

•More info: Event details

Nearly 300 display tables, local LEGO fans and hands-on build zones make this a solid school-holiday choice with grandchildren in tow. There are speed builds, a Minifigure hunt and plenty of impressive creations for adults who claim they are only there to supervise.

When: Saturday 26 September, 10:00am–5:00pm

Where: Newcastle Jockey Club, Broadmeadow

$10; $35 family; under-3s FREE Event details & tickets

A youth-focused music festival with 12 local acts, giveaways and a round of mini golf included with entry. Under-18 groups need one adult supervisor, whose entry is free; a good excuse to give the young people a lift and discover a few Newcastle bands while you are there.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 12:00pm–6:00pm

•Where: Rippit Golf, Broadmeadow

•Price: Early-bird $20; one accompanying adult supervisor free per group

•More info: Festival details

For something decidedly smaller and more delightful, artist Jen Hankin leads an adults-only miniature-making workshop inspired by fairy biscuits. Hand sewing, simple embroidery and sculptural elements are supplied; no experience is required, only a willingness to concentrate on something charmingly tiny for two hours.

•When: Saturday 26 September, 10:00am–12:00pm

•Where: Charlestown Library, walyamayi, Charlestown

•Price: $22.26–$27.53

•More info: Book the workshop

A one-off, participatory ceremony of water, wind and fire at the Baths, led by Tongan-Australian artist Latai Taumoepeau with local collaborators. Registration is required and participants enter the water, so it is worth securing a place now if this particular kind of spring reset appeals.

Monday 28 September, 5:30pm

Newcastle Ocean Baths ·

FREE, registration required

🔗 Event details & registration

Recommendation:

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