Nine things to do in the Riverina this week (10 - 16 March)

It’s a big week in the Riverina, with carnival vibes popping up all across the region.

Wagga turns rainbow as Mardi Gras and all its related events take over from now through to Sunday.

Hillston has a plan for pulling both its community and visitors together with a festival on the same day Griffith is bundling together three fabulous events into one super event.

Temora’s Drench initiative continues with the golden jubilee of its Annual Live Exhibition – a jam-packed all-day family event.

In between, you’re invited to a live stream celebrating strong women, catch the country’s biggest international short film festival or check out a race day event designed for the whole family.

Friday

Rainbow Roller Disco

When: Friday 10 March, 6 pm to 8 pm
Where: Bolton Park Stadium, Morgan Street, Wagga Wagga
Cost: $15 plus $5 skate hire, payable upon entry.

Some of Wagga’s favourite proprietors are jumping on the rainbow bandwagon in the lead-up to the main event – Wagga Mardi Gras. The rainbow roller disco sets the tone on Mardi Gras eve with this all-ages, family-friendly event. Skate hostess Bec will be joined by Drag King Tom Roy and Drag Queen Imina to get the party started and keep it there all night. Your most colourful, bedazzled outfits are highly encouraged.

Saturday

Wagga Mardi Gras Festival Main Parade and After Party

When: Saturday 11 March, 5 pm to 10 pm
Where: Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Free entry.

Wagga’s annual extravaganza of art, music, dance and above all, love, is back in all its rainbow glory. Wagga Mardi Gras coalesces in the main event, the grand parade, kicking off on Baylis Street. Colourful floats and a high-energy, glittering entourage will march festival-goers down to a free family-friendly after party on the lush grounds at the Victory Memorial Gardens, where all are invited to celebrate equality for the LGBTQ+ community. There will be a full bar (no BYO allowed), food trucks and stalls, DJs, a drag show, Indigenous dance and more. Then the official after party kicks off at Tilly’s from 9:30 pm (door charge applies).

Remember, there’s no such thing as too many sequins.

Lake Woorabinda Festival 2023

When: Saturday 11 March, from 11 am
Where: Lake Woorabinda, Oxley Avenue, Hillston
Cost: Free entry

You’ll get everything you expect from a country festival where the best of local businesses and community organisations pull together to put on an excellent day for the whole family. Browse stalls of locally made and produced goods and partake of the many delicious food options while the kids participate in an array of free activities just for them. There will be floating lantern workshops, a lantern lake launch, performances and family-friendly fun. The event concludes with live music by the lake from Melbourne band The Baker Boys, and fireworks.

Griffith Show & Shine, Drive-In Cinema and Chilli & Chocolate Festival

When: Saturday 11 March, from 9 am (drive through from 5 pm)
Where: Griffith Showground, 18-22 Walla Avenue, Griffith
Cost: Family $15, $8 adults, $5 concession, payable at gate and $25 per car for the drive-in, book here.

Expatriates Auto Club and Lifestyle Markets Australia Inc are teaming up to take over Griffith Showground with this triple bill event, offering a guaranteed fun-filled day for the whole family. Gates open at 9 am for the Griffith Show & Shine showcasing beautiful classic cars.

This year the vintage vibes are accompanied by the Hanview Pop Up Drive-In Cinema kicking off at 5 pm. Load your family and friends into the car and relive the nostalgia of a good old-fashioned drive-in movie.

There will be a full fair set up all day with popcorn, drinks, coffee, food, snacks, children’s activities and entertainment, competitions, market stalls, live local bands and so much more. This includes the Griffith Chilli & Chocolate Festival, which will see chocolate and chilli stalls galore and related activities, including a chocolate-eating competition.

This event raises money for regional and rural youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Flickerfest Short Film Festival

When: Saturday 11 March, 7:30 pm to 9:40 pm
Where: Griffith Regional Theatre, 1 Neville Place, Griffith
Cost: $31.50, book here.

The country’s largest Australian and international short film competition is back to screen the best shorts from Australia and worldwide, handpicked from 2700 entries. Having debuted on Bondi Beach earlier this year the show’s highlights are now on tour. Next stop – Griffith. Catch the year’s most entertaining and innovative short filmmaking. Click here to peruse the list of synopses.

Drench: Live Exhibition

When: Saturday 11 March, 9 am to 5 pm
Where: The Bundawarrah Centre, 29 Junee Rd, Temora
Cost: Adults $15, concession $12, school children $5, payable upon entry.

Temora Rural Museum is set to mark its 50th Annual Live Exhibition with this lively community event. Event highlights include the opening of the jubilee exhibition, the book launch of A Coo-ee to Marie, a grand parade of horse-drawn vehicles, fire engines, tractors, veteran ambulances, machinery and motor vehicles, live performances from the Temora Town Band and a screening of A Tale of Temora by West Wyalong Movies.

There will be extensive displays of fascinating lifestyle and homeware items from years gone by, historical displays and children’s activities. Demonstrations galore will include needlework, China painting, card-making, spinning, bush poetry, bush carpentry, wood and leatherworking, ice cream making, shearing, blacksmithing, rope making, milling and much more.

Sunday

Ladbrokes Temora Cup Carnival 2023

When: Sunday 12 March, from 4:30 pm
Where: Temora Greyhound Track, 77 Gallipoli Street, Temora
Cost: Adults $7 ($3 concession rebate available on valid tickets available through the race night office), under 18s free.

With $40,000 for the winner this is Temora Greyhound Track’s richest race ever, and they’ve arranged a suitably big event to mark the occasion. For the adults there will be live music, an Elvis, Cash and Dino show and a bar with beers from $4. The kids will have a free jumping castle, bags of goodies and Zooper Doopers. For the whole family, there will be food trucks and a canteen, giveaways, prizes for best dressed (dress code is ‘spring carnivale racing’) and, of course, the thrill of the race in a carnival atmosphere.

All About Women Livestream

When: Sunday 12 March, 11:30 am to 5:45 pm
Where: Wagga Wagga City Library, 243 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga
Cost: $5, book here.

Wagga Library has arranged to live stream the Sydney Opera House’s All About Women event, celebrating extraordinary thinkers, writers and artists and posing vital questions about gender, equality and justice. Tickets grant access to all sessions, live streamed into the library and a light lunch. Please note some live streams run concurrently and some overlap by 15 minutes, so ensure you peruse the program and plan accordingly.

Wagga Mardi Gras Rainbow Recovery Markets

When: Sunday 12 March, 9 am to 3 pm
Where: Victory Memorial Gardens, Morrow Street, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Free entry.

Whether you’re recovering from hitting Mardi Gras hard the night before or just up for some family-friendly fun and good vibes, this event proposes the ideal way to while away your Sunday. It includes a fundraiser barbecue, coffee carts and a range of fabulous stalls.