Your guide to what's on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley | October 7-8, 2023

2023 Newcastle Arm-Wrestling Championships 10am to 5pm, Club Charlestown.

Adventure Trails at the Botanic Gardens 9am to 4pm, Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae.

The Olive Tree Market 9am to 2pm, Civic Park, Newcastle.

Pelican Foreshore Markets 9am to 1pm, Lakeview Parade, Pelican.

Huntlee Farmers Market 8am to noon, Triton Boulevard, North Rothbury.

Glendale Farmers & Artisan Market 8am to 2pm, Stockland Glendale.

Handmade in the Hunter Markets 9am to 2pm, Sobels Wines, Pokolbin.

Hunter Wine Country Markets 9am to 2pm, De Bortoli Wines, Lovedale.

Weekends in Wallsend Handmade Markets 10am to 1pm, Wallsend Rotunda, Tyrrell Street, Wallsend.

Newcastle Repair Cafe and Low Waste Living 9.30am to noon, Hamilton South Community Hall. This free event will also feature a plant/seed swap hosted by Newcastle Seed Library volunteers. Bookings essential.

The Lake Macquarie Challenge Point Wolstoncroft Sport & Recreation Centre, with the Makai Lakes Outrigger Canoe Club of Gwandalan.

Dorothy in Wonderland 2pm, Maitland Repertory Theatre.

Playstate On Fern Official Opening 10am to 10pm, 68 Fern Street, Islington. Exhibition, music, artists in residence, Shout Brewing beers and Briar Ridge Vineyard wines.

YPT presents HONK JR 10.30am to noon, Young Peoples Theatre, 26 Lindsay Street, Hamilton.

Sharing Culture Storytime 11am to 11.45am, Wallsend Library.

Medowie Lions Annual Arts and Crafts Show 10am to 4pm, Medowie Community Centre.

Create Your Place 2023 11am to 4pm, Museum Park, Newcastle. Graffiti workshops and exhibitions, hip-hop, DJs, MCs and Breaks. Also on Sunday, 11am to 4pm.

An Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons 9.30am to 11.30am, Belmont Library. Ages 12 to 16 years. Cost $5 plus booking fee.

Lake Mac Clothes Swap 10am to noon, Landcare and Sustainable Living Centre, 80 Toronto Road, Booragul. Bookings essential.

Maitland Riverlights Noon to 9pm, The Levee, Maitland. Dance workshops, cooking demonstrations, language lessons, live music, lantern making, dynamic lighting and roving entertainment.

BIG DRAW Redhead - Drawing the Shark Tower, 10am to 11.30am. Catherine Hill Bay - Drawing the Jetty, 2pm to 3.30pm. Both sessions with artist Amy Lees-Doherty.

MonoDuo Music and Arts Festival 4.30pm to 9pm, Multi-Arts Pavilion (MAP mima), Speers Point Park. Art installations, food and drinks, and a mix of music: dance, disco, house, techno, breaks and electro.

Barefoot Beats 2pm, Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club.

Feast Fest 4pm onwards, Blacksmiths Beach.

Billy Elliot The Musical 7pm to 10pm, Civic Theatre, Newcastle.

Pride Youth Formal - Rainbow Rave - Newcastle Pride Festival 6pm to 10pm, PCYC Newcastle.

Blanc de Blanc Encore 5pm and 7.45pm, Spiegeltent, Civic Park, Newcastle. Also on Sunday, 4pm and 7pm.

Branxton Rodeo 9am to 9pm, 85 McMullins Road, Branxton.

Low Level Panic by Clare McIntyre 2pm and 7pm, Catapult 880 Hunter Street, Newcastle West.

Newcastle Roller Derby League Double header with Newcastle Junior Roller Derby and Bogey Rollers vs Harbour Hellcats. Doors open 4.30pm at Newcastle Showground Exhibition Centre.

Saturday Night Showcase 7pm, Newcastle Comedy Club.

Dogs in the Park 10am to 3pm, Maitland Park.

Newcastle City Farmers Markets 7am to 1pm, Newcastle Showground, Broadmeadow.

Adamstown Lions Markets 7am to noon, cnr Brunker and Glebe roads, Adamstown.

Made + Found Market 10am to 2pm, Webb Park, Redhead.

The Valley Markets 8am to 1pm, Townhead Park, Singleton.

Newcastle International Film Festival Workshops Free film and TV workshops at the University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus. 10am, podcasting, Jarred Madden. 11.30am, documentary, Bob Connolly. 1pm, music as character, Sophie Raymond. 2.30pm, screen composing, Jan Preston. 4pm, screenwriting, Tristam Baumber.

Gone Fishing Day Lake Macquarie 11am to 3pm, Croudace Bay. Join OzFish Lake Macquarie Chapter and angler Dan Guilfoyle. Registration via the OzFish website is essential.

Miss Porter's House Museum Open Day 1pm to 4pm, 434 King Street, Newcastle West. Featuring the Porter's children's toys.

Grossmann House Open Day 10.30am to 3pm, Church Street, Maitland.

Embodied 10am to 3.30pm, Pivot Studio, Newcastle. A free, neo-burlesque Queer dance workshop.

Chamber Music at the Cathedral 2.30pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle. Tickets available from Stickytickets and at the door.

2023 Pride Celebration presented by Bearfoot Theatre and Jopuka Productions 7.30pm, The Playhouse, Newcastle. Live and filmed performances from Queer artists in Newcastle and beyond.

Old FireShed Gallery Wollombi Seams, by Chantal Mahoney. Opening party on Saturday: 1pm storytelling with the artist; 3pm live music.

Cooks Hill Galleries Surrealist Paintings, by Andrew Bennett.

The Owens Collective Still, by Kathryn Taunton.

SEEN@Swansea Recovering the Past.

Multi-Arts Pavilion (MAP mima) Dark Beach. FAST project digital exhibition.

Museum of Art and Culture, yapang Looking for mesas in Channel Country, by Michelle Teear. Suburban Interventions, by Ian Strange. Lateral Landscapes.

Newcastle Printmakers Workshop Spring into Print.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Crownland. Collecting in Colour: Stories of Fashion and Art. Suspended Moment. Where The Seeds Grow, by Helen Fenner. Eco Zine.

Newcastle Museum Seeking Safety By Sea. Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Exhibition.

The Lock-Up Signals From, by Shan Turner-Carroll and Ryota Sato.

Back to Back Galleries Emerald: 55th Year Celebration, Newcastle Studio Potters Inc.

Lighthouse Arts Newcastle Making Our Own Way.

The University Gallery The Storied Landscape.

The Big 80s Party Saturday, Hope Estate, Pokolbin.

Phil Burton & Band Saturday, Toronto Hotel.

Tommy Fleming (IRE) Saturday, Lizotte's.

Chase The Sun Saturday, Stag & Hunter Hotel.

Volumes Saturday, King Street Warehouse.

Pop Radio, with Low Definition, Double Berth, Household Item One Saturday, Hamilton Station Hotel.

Nathan Cavaleri, with Piper Butcher Sunday, Lizotte's.

Lilli Fairfax, with Georgie Winchester Sunday, Grand Junction Hotel.

FIST, with Save The Humans, House Of Refuge Sunday, Hamilton Station Hotel.

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