There’s a whole lot of festivals, races and shows on this week in the Riverina. Photo: Visit NSW.
There’s so much happening in the Riverina this week – across Wagga, Lockhart, Griffith and Leeton – and we’ve found the best events to keep you and your family busy.
The 2025 Griffith Agricultural Show brings a whole lot to the showgrounds over a day of fun. There will be kids’ entertainment, performances, food stalls, show bags, competitions and more.
Wagga’s Gears and Beers Festival combines cycling and brewing for a two-day festival of short to long distance rides, finishing up with a beer festival at the Memorial Gardens with plenty of beers and ciders on tap.
The Leeton Moon Festival brings Chinese food, culture and performance to town to celebrate the new moon.
All this and more can be found in this week’s events guide.
Multiple Days
Foster a love of gardening and the outdoors this week, all week, at the Wagga Marketplace. Image: Wagga Wagga Marketplace.
Secret Garden Magic – Kids’ workshop
When: 3 to 9 October, 10 am to 1 pm
Where: The Patch, between Cotton On Body and Forever New, Wagga Wagga Marketplace, Baylis St, Wagga
Cost: Free.
Looking to get the kids involved in a fun, hands-on activity these school holidays? Check out the Secret Garden Magic workshop, giving kids the chance to roll up their sleeves and have some fun with bouquet making classes, papier-mache pot decorating and even seed planting. It’s a great way to get the kids doing something practical right in the heart of Wagga at the Mini Patch. Who knows – it could be the start of a love affair with gardening.
Are you a keen cyclist? Or a beer fan? We’ve got you covered. Photo: Visit Wagga Wagga.
Gears and Beers Festival
When: 4 and 5 October, main festival on Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm
Where: Victory Memorial Gardens, 243 Baylis Street, Wagga
Cost: Ticket prices vary | See website for more detail.
The annual Gears and Beers Festival is a community cycling event, paired with a craft beer festival at the Victory Memorial Gardens in Wagga.
Cyclists of all ages will find an event or race that suits them, with options including a gruelling 130 km gravel ride, a 105 km road ride, 30 km ride and a more relaxed 10 km ride along shared paths, going past strawberry farms and following river trails, suitable for kids and families.
The festival is also open to those who aren’t too keen on cycling but are keen on beer, with the main festival opening at 11 am in Victory Memorial Gardens, with plenty of craft beer and cider on tap as well as coffee carts and live music.
Friday
Get out and about for some spring races this Friday. Photo: Visit Wagga Wagga.
Lockhart Picnic Races
When: 3 October, gates open at noon; first race at 1:30 pm
Where: Lockhart Showground, Treasure Street, Lockhart
Cost: Free entry.
The Lockhart Picnic Races are on this Friday, with a full schedule of races and fashion on the field to get excited for. Expect coffee carts, ice cream, woodfired pizza and plenty of other food carts, as well as the usual bar facilities.
Whether you’re a fiend for the races or you just want to dress up and have a full day out, the Lockhart Showground is the place to be this Friday.
Marquee and umbrella packages are available on the website.
Saturday
Get hands-on this weekend. Photo: Humanitix.
Clay Slab Vase Pottery Workshop
When: 4 October, 10 am and 1 pm
Where: Museum of the Riverina, Botanic Gardens Site, Turvey Park
Cost: Tickets are $53.29 | Book online.
Led by talented members of the Wagga Wagga Potters Club, this workshop gives people the chance to get hands-on with clay, crafting their own vases from scratch. Potters for a day will learn techniques of slab building to create their own clay vase, using simple moulds as a starting point, onto which they may add decorative touches and their own styles.
Then, at the end of the session, attendees will pick their own choice of glaze from three finish choices. They will then be fired and will be available for collection three weeks later.
This event is open for those 16+.
Sunday
This year’s ag show is set to be a full day of fun. Image: Griffith Show Society Inc.
2025 Griffith Agriculture Show
When: 5 October, 9 am to 8 pm
Where: Griffith Showground, Murrumbidgee Avenue
Cost: $15 to enter.
The Griffith Agriculture Show is going to be a rural extravaganza with a whole lot to interest and excite just about anyone. Visitors can look forward to plenty of entertainment such as reptile displays, the Hay Highland and Scottish National Dancers, interactive agriculture displays, Real Dinosaurs, a demo derby, live music, a horticultural pavilion, a car show, sideshows, show bags, an animal nursery, fireworks and of course plenty of food stalls.
Celebrate the new moon this weekend. Image: Visit Leeton.
Leeton Moon Fest
When: 5 October, 4 to 8 pm
Where: Mountford Park, Leeton
Cost: Free entry.
Head to Mountford Park for the Moon Festival to celebrate the new moon this Sunday.
The park will come alive this Sunday as the Moon Festival celebration brings the sights, sounds and flavours of China, alongside special live performances, interactive workshops and light displays across the night sky. Visitors will get to enjoy cultural experiences telling classical Chinese narratives such as the story of the jade rabbit, the story of Wu Gang and the Cherry Bay Tree and the story of Houyi and change.
There will be heaps of food from East Asia to enjoy, especially the Moon Festival staples – mooncakes, a traditional pastry with savoury or sweet filling.
Wednesday
The Australian Army Band comes to the Wagga Civic Theatre. Photo: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
An Afternoon with the Australian Army Band Kapooka – Wagga Civic Theatre
When: 8 October, noon and 6 pm
Where: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way, off Tarcutta St, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Free | Book online.
The Australian Army Band serves the Kapooka Training Centre, providing martial music for various ceremonies and events. Part of their contributions include community concerts at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre. This Wednesday they will be performing two free concerts at noon and 6 pm.
World-class circus performers come to wow the Griffith Regional Theatre. Image: Arts and Culture Griffith.
Cirque Nouvelle at the Griffith Regional Theatre
When: 8 October, 6 to 7:25 pm
Where: Griffith Regional Theatre, Neville Place, Griffith
Cost: Tickets from $45 | Book online.
An international all-star cast comes to Griffith with a full night’s schedule of acrobatics, juggling, and aerial and balancing performers.
While Cirque Nouvelle is a world-class circus in its own right, it goes above that by telling a story about the circus itself and how it has changed by comparing old and new circus acts, contrasting the older performances featuring animals to more modern acts focusing on tech, lighting and costumes.
All this is told through the ringmaster as he struggles to overcome his own fear of change in the field he knows and loves.
