CSA - Top 10 things to do in the region - June 29

1) Know Your Burb park activations

Friday, July 2, at 9am, Nell Baker Park, 27 Poulsen Drive, Marian
Tuesday, July 6, at 9am, Field of Dreams parklands near Sarina Sugar Shed
Saturday, July 10, at 9am, Northview Park, Glenella
Come along to Mackay Regional Council’s park activations to learn more about the newest online resource www.knowyourburb.com.au. Stop in at the council tent to grab some fantastic free Know Your Burb merchandise including frisbees and waterbottles. You could go into the draw to win an Ultimate Adventure Pack valued at $500! Visit the website or search the event on Facebook for more details.

2) Free Friday Guided Walks

Friday, July 2, from 10am
Meet at Gardens Administration building
Join our volunteer guides for a free guided walk in the gardens. Walks go at a leisurely pace for about an hour, wandering the pathways of the gardens. Bookings are essential. Phone 4952 7300 or email botanic@mackay.qld.gov.au to make a booking.

3) Conversations with Art – Tamworth Textile Triennial

Friday, July 2, 1pm to 2.30pm
Artspace Mackay
Join an additional Conversations with Art event in July to take a closer look at works that are now on show at Artspace Mackay. This free event is not an art theory lesson, simply a group conversation, talking about the art and ‘deconstructing’ the works, considering themes, possible techniques used by the artist, and creating links with our own personal experiences. To book your free ticket, visit https://bit.ly/3w5o4V3

4) Meccano building on the verandah

Monday, July 5, to Wednesday, July 7, from 9am to 1pm
Greenmount Homestead
Mechanically minded?  Drop by Greenmount Homestead during school holidays and build the next mechanical marvel! Meccano has a long history at Greenmount, with residents winning prizes in the 1920s for their amazing creations. Visitors of all ages are welcome to try their hands at constructing their own Meccano object. There will also be a series of lawn games to enjoy in the stunning, heritage-listed gardens.

5) Story time at the shopping centre

Wednesday, July 7, from 10am to 10.30am and 11.30am to 12pm
Mount Pleasant Shopping Centre
Join Mackay Regional Council Libraries for 30 minutes of songs, rhymes, movements and an interactive version of 'I went walking’ designed to encourage valuable one-on-one time between you and your child and help link language and literacy into your everyday routines.

6) TEN Tenors – celebrating 25 years  

Thursday, July 8, 7.30pm
The MECC Auditorium
The TEN Tenors pack 25 years of fun into one night with a 25th anniversary tour. Australia’s premier vocal group the TEN Tenors are bursting back onto stages across Australia this July for their biggest tour ever. Book tickets here https://bit.ly/3h1LsPj

7) Movie Matinee: Dragon Rider (PG)

Friday, July 9, from 2pm to 4pm
Gordon White Library
A dragon, an orphaned boy and a mountain spirit work together as they trek through the Himalayas in search for the Rim of Heaven. Book your free tickets here: https://bit.ly/3hayA87

8) Heading North

Friday, July 9, 7.30pm
Saturday, July 10, 2pm and 7.30pm
Sunday, July 11, 2pm
The MECC, Lynette Denny Space
Heading North is the story of two families that share a passion for life, love and the sea. Set amongst the palm trees, Graeme Connors’ most iconic hits will take you to the tropical north where friendships are formed, and memories are created. Created by Joel Bow, with an original script by S. K. Munt and music and lyrics by Graeme Connors, Heading North will make its world premiere in 2021 at the Mackay Festival of Arts with a one-hour taster performance. VIP tickets are available. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/2Taqy7e

9) Isaiah Spirit

Saturday, July 10, 7.30pm
The MECC Plenary Halls
Isaiah Firebrace has an incredible story. He attended high school on the banks of the Murray River and went without food in order to fund the six hours of travel that was required to get to his singing lessons each Saturday. In the past three and a half years, the talented teen has transformed from a small-town singer to the most streamed First Nations pop artist in the world. Along the way he’s won The X Factor, represented Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest (finishing in the top 10) and is signed to Sony Music Australia. See him live in concert at The MECC, a show aimed at high school-aged students and above. Book via https://bit.ly/2T6KOGL

10) Artspace Mackay exhibitions

Leigh Schoenheimer: Iterate | Elaborate
Donna Maree Robinson & David Pyke: Continuum
Tension(s) 2020: Tamworth Textile Triennial
Open now until Sunday, July 25
Artspace Mackay

Iterate | Elaborate by Brisbane-based Leigh Schoenheimer combines image and object-making to create works that speak to each other and to key moments in art history.

Continuum: Mackay-based artist Donna Maree Robinson teams up with Mackay composer David Pyke to create an immersive, multimedia exploration of music and science. Inspired by David’s experiences in vast desert landscapes, the work is the result of Donna’s experimentations with cymatics, or the visual representation of sound vibrations.

Held every three years, the Tamworth Textile Triennial showcases the best of textile art from across the country. Curator Vic McEwan creates a record of the changing nature and progress of textile practice from a national perspective. For more information on these exhibitions visit www.artspacemackay.com.au/whats_on/exhibitions

Reminders:

City Silent Disco Tours

Friday, July 16, to Sunday, July 18, at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm
Mackay City Centre
Sing like no one is listening! Dance like nobody’s watching! Starting at the MECC, make your way through the busy streets of the Mackay CBD serenading diners and spreading happiness with the flamboyant and funny team from Guru Dudu’s Silent Disco Walking Tours, coming to the Mackay Festival of Arts for the first time. Featuring spontaneous flash mobs, interpretive dance and group singing, there are sure to be lots of fun interactions with onlookers. Slip on your supplied headphones and tune in to the hilarious guided tour through a select playlist of dance favourites from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s.

G&S Engineering Wine and Food Day

Saturday, July 17, from 10.30am to 5.30pm
Queens Park, Mackay
Visit Queens Park for delicious food, drinks, live music and entertainment, all on a beautiful winter’s day at G&S Engineering Wine and Food Day. Celebrating 20 years of partnership with G&S Engineering Services, Wine and Food Day returns and will showcase the talent of the Mackay region to locals and visitors. The community bars, together with an array of restaurants, cafes and festival food trucks, will be showcasing a handpicked collection of sought-after wines, beer and foodie delights. To find out more, visit https://bit.ly/3x23eHG