FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY: The week ahead in Jervis Bay is packed with creative milestones and community tradition. From the unveiling of the inaugural Jervis Bay Portrait Prize tonight to the agricultural spectacle of the Kangaroo Valley Show and soulful Sunday sessions, there is no shortage of ways to soak up the local culture.
Things to Do Right Now
Tonight, the Jervis Bay Portrait Prize will be revealed and the winners announced. Be at the Jervis Bay Brewing Co at 6pm to see the entries in this inaugural portrait prize, find out who the sitters are from among the residents of the Shoalhaven and help the artists and the community celebrate the creativity among us. We have entered a portrait of our very own ‘Story Hunter’ and Hospitality Editor, Narrell Tabone. See you there!
Volunteer! The ocean swim school, Ocean Fit, is asking for volunteers to help run the first-ever Long Swim Weekend in Jervis Bay, coming up on 5-8 March. The organisation is looking for land-based helpers and kayakers to support operations during the event, which will cover 18km over three point-to-point swims, hugging the shoreline from Murrays Beach to Huskisson over three days. These well-supported swims are all about the journey—this is not a competition. The event is proudly supported by Marine Rescue Jervis Bay, and everyone is welcome at their fundraising sausage sizzle at the event chill-hub at Plantation Point Reserve on 7 March. To find out more or to raise your hand, contact katja@oceanfit.com.au
Friday 13 – Saturday 14 February, Kangaroo Valley Show: Another sensational display of Australian regional agriculture, the Kangaroo Valley Show promises competitions, parades and displays galore. There will be cooking and crafts, animals including crowd favourites horses and dogs, loads of things for the kids including baby animals and camel rides. See the full program online.
Saturday 14 February, Local Markets: It’s the monthly Callala Markets from 8am-1pm in the community centre on Emmett Street, with a range of local stallholders offering produce, hand-made items and more. Further south it’s the Sussex Inlet community markets outside the Ellmoos Centre on Jacobs Drive, from 9am-12pm including local produce and great coffee.
Saturday 14 February, INXS Tribute Show: We have heard amazing things about the performers who really channel the original line-up of the Aussie rock band, in ‘Don’t Change’, coming to the St Georges Basin Country Club. Tickets are from $37.50 for the show that starts at 8pm.
Sunday 15 February, Irish Music at Sandbar: The Jervis Bay Slow Sessions returns to Sandbar Restaurant in Huskisson this Sunday at 3pm for a two-hour jam session of traditional Irish and Celtic music. All welcome, whether you play an instrument, sing along to the songs or simply enjoy listening to the music. Sheet music is provided for a gold coin contribution.
Sunday 15 February, Sunday Sessions Live Music: The Stayers are playing at Cupitt’s Estate in Ulladulla from 12.30pm. Known for their well-crafted songs and cool, bluesy grooves, The Stayers deliver music that hits the heart and moves the soul. Four-piece contemporary blues band.
Flamin Galah presents an acoustic session by Angus Murray from 3pm as happy hour starts, creating a perfect laid-back Sunday afternoon.
Dynamic duo, Chocolate Dogs are on at the Jervis Bay Brewing Co Taproom from 4pm, with their lively original songs interspersed with cool covers, embracing blues, rockabilly, folk, bluegrass and rock.
Sunday 15 February, Restorative Yoga: Experience the new venue, Melaleuca at Worrowing by joining a restorative yoga session to soothe your nervous system before the start of a new week. Classes are $25 and you can book your spot online.
Monday 16 February, Qigong Energy: The new wellness studio, The Nest, at nature retreat Bay & Bush in Woollamia has a program of classes including Qigong on Monday evenings at 6.15pm. Learn the gentle art of moving energy in and around your body in this class which is $29 and you can book online.
To find out more about Melaleuca and The Nest, read our story from our Wellbeing magazine.
Tuesday 16 February, Clogging Classes: Join the Amethyst Park Stompers on Tuesday nights for beginner clogging classes at Tomerong Hall. Class is $15 and starts at 6pm.
Thursday 19 February, Conscious Dance & Sound Bath: Ring in the lunar new year with Dancing Freedom in Tomerong Hall, $25 online, from 7pm. The year of the Fire Horse will inspire a soundtrack of world music inviting the elements to guide movement and dance, followed by a sound bath including crystal singing bowls. For ages 16+ brought to you by Dance Tribe South Coast.
Saturday 21 February, New Exhibitions at Nowra Gallery: Three new shows will open at the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, including a Beyond Empathy exhibition, Balding is Easier than Being Bald. This show presented multidisciplinary work from young people across the Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions, exploring how they’re navigating the unknown, the in-between, and a world of questions.
Saturday 21 February, Comedy at the Brewery: The Wollongong Comedy Festival is touring two funny fellows to the Jervis Bay Brewing Co for a night of hilarity for $25. From 7pm, Cam Knight, whose familiar face has hosted many a TV show and Chris Radburn, a former lawyer-turned-comedian, will be bringing the laughs.
Saturday 21 February, Concert Band Workshops: Join the Shoalhaven City Concert Band for a combined band workshop, featuring sectional rehearsals with guest tutors, concluding with a free full band concert for family, friends and the general public at 4pm. All woodwind, brass, string bass and percussion players invited. Register for Summer Sounds, $20 before 14 February.
Saturday, 21 February, LGBTQIA Memoir: Join LGBTQIA+ activist and musician Kate Rowe for an unforgettable evening as she shares her remarkable life story, music, and the lessons learned along the way. This is a free 18+ event at the Nowra branch of Shoalhaven Library at 10am, book your spot online.
Sunday 22 February, Drag High Tea in Husky: Celebrated cabaret drag star, Dolly Diamond is bringing her signature charisma and comedy to the Huskisson Community Centre for a high tea that promises to be OTT. For a few hours from 2.30pm, enjoy a banquet-style high tea with either mocktails or cocktails served by the boutique mixologist behind the vintage Ansett trolley along with a captivating show. Earlybird tickets are currently available for $79+bf for the mocktail version and $115+bf for the alcoholic option.
Plan Ahead – get out your diary!
Wednesday 25 February, Art to Rediscover Your Inner Child: Join an adult art class with artist Anna Nangle in a colourfultwo-hour art workshop, inspired by her Exhibition, 1000 Colours for Lalita, at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum. Create a small, colour, abstract, geometric A5 sized artwork while you remember and access the intuitive and spontaneous feeling of joy that children experience when working with colour. Book online for the 10am session, $30.
Thursday 26 February, Bay & Basin Networking Drinks: All small businesses from the Bay & Basin are invited to a free networking evening, Bubbles Beers & Business at the Greenhouse co-working space in Huskisson, at 5.30pm. Register your attendance online and feel free to bring a plate and/or beverage to share. Meet your working neighbours in a casual and friendly setting with amazing views over the Bay, upstairs from the 5 Little Pigs café on Owen Street.
Thursday 26 February – Wednesday 11 March, Academy Awards Film Fest: Husky Pictures is helping movie lovers get in the Oscars spirit with a screening of six films in the running for an Academy Award. Vote for the local people’s favourite for your chance to win a year’s membership to the iconic local movie house. Pick up a voting form when you come to see one of the six films including The Secret Agent and Sentimental Value, with ticket prices at $12.50 for one movie and $57 for 5 movies. Find session times online and reserve your tickets now at the box office or via email.
Saturday 28 February, Get in the Spirit: The Spirits of Jervis Bay Festival is on again at the Husky Pub and White Sands Park, starting at midday and showcasing the South Coast’s finest distillers, food trucks serving up delicious snacks, and live music by the Bay. Tickets are now on sale, $22.49 includes bf.
Saturday 28 February – Sunday 1 March, Sow Good Ulladulla: The Yumaro Nursery & Garden Centre is hosting a 2-day festival of workshops, music, art and nature at their Ulladulla location, 10am-2pm each day. Sow Good is a free event for the community that is a collaboration with other local businesses, including GWYLO, Our Town and Community Connects.
Sunday 1 March, Clean Up Australia Day: Check out the online guide to join a cleaning crew on the South Coast at this annual event that aims to encourage people to be responsible with their waste every day of the year and help protect our natural resources. Enter your postcode on the Cleanup Australia site to find a clean up near you, or if you are very motivated, you can use the site to register a clean up.
Thursday 5 March-Saturday 7 March, Live Arts Event: Improbable Solace is a live arts event offering calm, contemplative care and attention for your mind and heart. This immersive art installation and original music come to you as a gift from artist Dr Natalie McDonagh and musician Deborah Grahame. Come, dwell a while in this intimate, tactile, sensory space, attended by the artist. The five part installation—Arrive . Inhabit . Navigate . Mend . Relinquish—and its serene accompanying music invite you to follow a carefully considered line of self-inquiry. At Artfulmind Studio, Erowal Bay, free entry, 11am-4pm. Email natalie@mcdonaghdesign.com for the full street address. Also on Thursday 12 March-Saturday 14 March.
Thursday 5 March – Sunday 8 March, Long Swim Jervis Bay: See Jervis Bay from a unique perspective on an 18km swim hugging the coastline from Murrays Beach all the way to Huskisson over three days, with a point-to-point swim each morning and culminating in a sausage sizzle at Plantation Point on Saturday 9.30-11.30am with Marine Rescue Jervis Bay. Find out about this unique ocean swimming event, Long Swim Jervis Bay on the Ocean Fit website, including how to register.
Friday 6 March – Sunday 8 March, Milton Show: Another fantastic regional agricultural show, the 3-day Milton Show this year has the theme of ‘Life in the Garden’. The organisers also promise you will be in for a treat on the Sunday, with the Championship Dog Show and Ute & Auto Show both on that day.
Saturday 7 March – Sunday 8 March, New Exhibition at Bundanon: The opening weekend of Sky, Earth Water by Rosalie Gascoigne exploring her deep connection to the material landscape, alongside significant new commissions by leading First Nations artists Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Janet Fieldhouse and Glenda Nicholls is on at the Bundanon Art Museum in Illaroo (about an hour’s drive from Huskisson). There will be live music, artist talks, and free entry to the museum across the weekend, and you can rsvp online.
Friday 13 March, More Speed Dating: Flamin Galah brew-pub in the Woollamia industrial zone is inviting 45-60s to a night of speed dating. Tickets are $28 for a round of 16 mini dates and a drink on arrival, starting at 6.30pm.
Saturday 14 March, St Paddy’s Day In Jervis Bay: The rousing fiddle and lyrical voices of Lindsay Martin and Victoria Vigenser will make this a St Paddy’s Day eve to rejoice at Jervis Bay Brewing Co from 2pm. To aid the celebrations, the Taproom will be serving $7 schooners of a new Irish stout. Wear something green and head out to the Woollamia industrial zone.
Friday 20 March, Bach in the Museum: Music in the Regions is touring another internationally acclaimed classical performance, by Bach Akademie Australia who bring the musical story of J.S. Bach to life, including his famous Concerto for two violins in D minor and some special arias for soprano. Tickets are $40 (under 18s are free but need to reserve a seat) for this performance at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum, starting at 6.30pm. There will also be performances in Berry and Ulladulla on this tour.
Saturday 21 March, Jazz in KV: Hear the swing sounds and slow ballads of Sydney jazz vocalist Kate Wadey, supported by some of Australia’s top jazz musicians, performing at Kangaroo Valley Hall from 5pm, tickets $40/$30/$20. Kate will perform some well-known jazz standards alongside original compositions. Doors open 4.30pm and drinks and light refreshments will be available.
Sunday 10 May, Mother’s Day Classic: One for your diary: the annual Mother’s Day Classic, the nationwide event that raises funds for breast and ovarian cancer research, is turning 10 in Huskisson this year. There will be 3km, 5km or 10km walks/ runs as well as family-friendly events in and around White Sands Park. Get in early, register your participation and start hitting up your family and friends for support.
