![](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/04/IMG_7115-1200x911.jpg)
Anzac Day marches are special opportunities to commemorate our country’s servicemen and women. Photo: Chris Roe.
The first week of the autumn school holidays is stacked with things to see and do, with none more significant than Anzac Day commemorations. With dawn services, marches and games of two-up planned, there will be many ways to honour our service men and women.
Other events taking place throughout the week include the world’s biggest speed shearing event, a special Punjabi festival in Griffith and a fantastic fine dining experience in Leeton.
For families looking for a fun outing, the Wagga Zoo will be hosting meet and greet opportunities with its animals all week while Broadway on the Balcony will entertain all at the theatre.
Crowd favourite Lazy Sunday at Wild Vine returns and Forum 6 has new movies to enjoy.
All week
![Forum 6](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/04/434219466_421932610594044_726400846173889740_n-1200x800.jpg)
The team at Forum 6 Cinemas invites you to enjoy the latest blockbusters. Photo: Forum 6 Cinemas.
Forum 6 Cinemas
When: Various times between 10 am and 8:30 pm
Where: 77 Trail Street, Wagga
Cost: Various. Tickets can be purchased at Forum 6.
It may be the school holidays, but this week’s line-up of new movies is for the adults. First up is Challengers, which sees Zendaya stuck firmly in the middle of a toxic love triangle of three tennis prodigies. If drama isn’t your thing, check out one of the year’s best horror films – Abigail, a movie about a kidnapping. For families, Kung Fu Panda 4, Godzilla x Kong and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire are all still showing.
![A family feeding a camel](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/01/43a331d714149c91799d723a98f2cd75-1-1200x799.jpeg)
Families will have the opportunity to feed a variety of animals at the Wagga Wagga Zoo and Aviary including dingoes, emus and camels these school holidays. Photo: Wagga Wagga City Council.
Meet and Greet Encounters at Botanic Gardens Zoo
When: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, all week
Where: Botanic Gardens Zoo
Cost: Free.
The zoo will be hosting meet and greet encounters daily during the school holidays including the petting of dingoes, reptiles and more. Walk around the zoo and enjoy activities such as feeding emus and camels, deer interactions and mini pony walks around the gardens. There will be many opportunities to take photos while enjoying all the zoo offers.
Saturday
![Dual world record holder Sacha Bond will be at the Wagga Wagga Speed Shear this weekend.](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/04/359776533_270123202279161_4994876564987395203_n-1200x800.jpeg)
Dual world record holder Sacha Bond will be at the Wagga Wagga Speed Shear this weekend. Photo: Supplied.
Wagga Wagga Speed Shear
When: Saturday 20 April, 9 am to 7 pm
Where: Wagga Wagga Showgrounds
Cost: $2 entry.
Wagga Wagga Speed Shear is the biggest speed shear in the world. Shearers travel from all over the world to compete, including world record holders. Wagga Wagga Speed Shear has the honour of hosting Wales’s best speed shearers this year, who will compete against the Riverina’s best. There will also be a state vs state challenge.
![Partnering with Wellways, Punjabi Mela looks to celebrate Indian culture while also bringing suicide awareness to the forefront.](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/04/434867902_946469004147530_7521573037081212346_n-1200x900.jpg)
Partnering with Wellways, Punjabi Mela looks to celebrate Indian culture while also bringing suicide awareness to the forefront. Photo: Punjabi Mela.
Punjabi Mela
When: Saturday 20 April, 5 pm
Where: Kooyoo Plaza, Griffith
Cost: Free entry.
Griffith’s Indian community, in collaboration with Wellways and GRE, presents the colourful Punjabi Mela. This vibrant event promises a night filled with cultural immersion, featuring enticing food stalls, lively Bollywood disco music, and captivating traditional Indian dance performances.
The Punjabi Cultural Festival, which traditionally occurs around mid-April on the Sikh and Hindu calendars, coincides with the first harvest in northern India. Mark your calendars for Saturday 20 April, as Kooyoo Plaza comes alive for this exciting occasion.
![Pages on Pine Restaurant and Grill invites you to enjoy a night of fine dining at its fantastic venue.](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/04/432749667_906572318138496_2981678575366383127_n-900x1200.jpg)
Pages on Pine Restaurant and Grill invites you to enjoy a night of fine dining at its fantastic venue. Photo: Pine Restaurant and Grill.
Fromage & Wine Night!
When: Saturday 20 April, 6:30 pm
Where: Pages on Pine Restaurant & Grill, 119 Pine Ave, Leeton
Cost: $80.
The chef and the winemaker invite you to join them in their cheese and wine dinner. Enjoy four courses highlighting a selection of handcrafted cheese from Coolamon matched to four glasses of wine from Toorak wines.
Sunday
![Lazy Sundays at the Wild Vine is one of the most popular events in Oura](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/01/b6c3301104a70ffa76160351a478430c.jpeg)
Oura’s Wild Vine is one of the most popular weekend venues in the region and once you’ve experienced one of its Lazy Sunday events, you will see why. Photo: Wild Vine.
Lazy Sundays at The Wild Vine
When: Sunday 21 April, noon to 3 pm
Where: The Wild Vine, 1313 Oura Road, Wagga
Cost: Various. Follow the link to make your reservation. For group bookings of more than 20, a deposit will be charged.
Head to The Wild Vine this Sunday for a relaxing afternoon surrounded by picturesque country views and enjoy great food, music and wine.
Tuesday
![](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/04/335d8aee6bf8b6cfe62f7a549dcc888b.jpeg)
With a cast that includes a Schools Spectacular featured artist, students tutored by Meredith Adams and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music, Bidgee Theatre performers and school musical stars from high schools around Wagga, Broadway on the Balcony is looking to be a fantastic show. Photo: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
Broadway on the Balcony
When: Tuesday 23 April, 6 pm
Where: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way
Cost: $25.
Enjoy a night filled with toe-tapping numbers, tear-jerking ballads, and mind-blowing harmonies, highlighting some of the best musical theatre pieces from the past 50 years! Sit back and experience the magic of the musical, performed by a seven-strong cast of passionate and talented young people.
Thursday
![Anzac Day is an important day on the Australian calendar when we honour past and present servicemen and women of the Australian Defence Force.](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/04/0d6f96edd5304557b9bcf3e3602e82eb.jpeg)
Anzac Day is an important day on the Australian calendar when we honour past and present service men and women of the Australian Defence Force. Picture: Visit Wagga.
Anzac Day Services
When: Various times, Anzac Day, 25 April
Where: Several locations
Cost: Free.
Several locations across the Riverina, including Wagga, Junee, Griffith and Cootamundra will be hosting Anzac Day services and marches to honour those who have served in the Australian Defence Force. A dawn service is a moving experience and a special way to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Marking 105 years since the end of World War I and 78 years since the end of World War II, it is an important Australian tradition to remember and honour those who fought. Lest we forget.
![Many games of two-up will be played around the Riverina on ANZAC Day.](https://regionriverina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/04/image7-1200x1200.jpeg)
Many games of two-up will be played around the Riverina on ANZAC Day. Photo: File.
Two-up
When: Anzac Day, 25 April
Where: Various locations
Cost: As little or as much as you like.
Anzac Day is one of only three days a year that people are allowed to play two-up legally in NSW. A traditional game that Aussie diggers used to wager on during World War I, the game is about trying to guess what side coins will land on. The traditional game is an Anzac Day staple. Various pubs and hotels around the Riverina will be hosting the game.