Spring has well and truly sprung across the Hunter, and this weekend serves up circus glamour, market strolls and art around every corner — here's where to point the car.
Friday
Loca Vida (Newcastle) — The Spiegeltent is back in town, and opening night of this brand-new cabaret spectacular promises to be the glitziest way to kick off your weekend.
Ancient Letters: Elena Kats-Chernin AO and Tamara-Anna Cislowska in Concert (Maitland) — Two of Australia's finest pianists share one piano and four hands for a single magical night in Maitland — this one won't come around again.
Almost, Maine (Maitland) — Curl up for opening weekend of this sweetly funny play about love in a tiny northern town — perfect date-night material.
New Annual - Bloom: MelissaLikesSushi (Lake Macquarie) — Wander through a larger-than-life garden installation in Charlestown that's part artwork, part daydream, and completely photogenic.
Synergy - Newcastle Art Space Mentorship Show (Newcastle) — Catch the opening of this exhibition where emerging artists and their mentors show off what happens when creative minds team up.
Saturday
MAP mima Rocks (Lake Macquarie) — Speers Point's Multi-Arts Pavilion cranks up for an all-ages party of live music and good community vibes right by the lake.
Handmade in the Hunter Markets (Hunter Valley) — Stroll Pokolbin picking up genuinely local treasures — everything on these stalls has been made, baked, grown or sewn by Hunter hands.
Black Light Nights (Newcastle) — Grab a torch and a guide for the final glowing tour of Glenrock after dark, where the bush lights up with natural fluorescence.
Spring School Holidays at Hunter Valley Gardens (Hunter Valley) — The school holiday fun kicks off at the gardens today, with blooms at their springtime best and plenty to keep the kids busy.
A Claytime Workshop (Newcastle) — Ease into Saturday with coffee in one hand and clay in the other at this relaxed small-group pottery morning.
Sunday
Sculpture in the Vineyards (Hunter Valley) — It's your last chance to roam the rolling hills of Wollombi for the region's biggest sculpture festival — art, wine and spring sunshine in one outing.
Aurora (Newcastle) — Final day to see local artists paint our landscapes in the shimmering colours of the northern lights before this exhibition closes.
Loca Vida (Newcastle) — If Friday got away from you, the velvet curtains of the Spiegeltent are still open for a dose of Sunday sparkle.
Artisan Garden Markets at the Wollombi General Store (Hunter Valley) — Round out your Wollombi day trip browsing artisan stalls in the heritage courtyard of one of the state's oldest trading stores.
New Annual - Bloom: MelissaLikesSushi (Lake Macquarie) — A lazy Sunday is the perfect time to lose yourself in this overflowing indoor garden of large-scale art in Charlestown.
Event details via Destination NSW. Always check with organisers before travelling.
