Happenings on the Coast

Better Days Café, Tumbi Umbi

Not only does this café feed the inner you with simple food and outstanding coffee, it’s also a social enterprise that will give you a warm glow by helping long-term unemployed people to upskill, in partnership with the Salvation Army’s employment plus program.

122 Adelaide St, Tumbi Umbi. coastcommunity.care/betterdays

LONGEST SLIPPERY DIP, Springfield

Bushlands Reserve Playground and Bike Track is where you’ll find the longest, straight slippery dip on the Central Coast. The park is a kids’ delight with swings, spinner poles, flying fox, a bee rocker, a playhouse, and a toddler bike and scooter track that’s ideal for the littlies.

Bushlands Reserve, 7 Bushlands Ave, Springfield.

Bobbie P Gallery

CREATIVE SUMMER WORKSHOPS

Landscapes in Ink: Explore contemporary and expressive drawing and painting techniques in ink. BYO sketchbook (heavyweight paper) and they’ll provide morning tea and all other studio equipment and materials you’ll need. 22 January from 10 am–1 pm. $145.

The Waterlily Workshop in Acrylics: Inspired by none other than Monet, Robyn Pedley will guide you through painting techniques, colour-mixing, and ideas to create your own masterpiece. For beginners to intermediate. BYO sketch book, pencil and eraser. Morning tea, lunch, hand-stretched canvas, studio equipment and materials are provided. 19 February from 10 am–3 pm. $285.

Bobbie P Gallery, Level 1, 7 Hudson Lane, Terrigal. Bookings 0490 061 949 or info@bobbiepgallery.com

DOGGY GARDEN PAWTY, KARIONG

The Street Paws Festival and Doyalson Animal Hospital are hosting a garden party for pooches and their humans. Celebrate our dogs and our community, grab a blanket, and enjoy some yummy food and doggy treats from the food trucks. There are prizes for the Happiest Pup, Old Timers (dogs, not owners), and Best Rescue Dog. There are vet talks, hints on nutrition, a training and behaviour workshop, and (shhh) a talk on cat behaviour, and much more.

In the grounds of Doyalson Animal Hospital, 423 Scenic Drive, Doyalson. 13 March from 10 am.

Pilates with April

Discover the profound impact that pilates can have on all aspects of your life with April Stamos. April specialises in pilates for all fitness levels to unleash your inner strength, coordination, and stability so you can find new and more efficient ways of moving to suit your body, your needs, and your goals. One-on-one or duo classes.

Reformer Pilates Studio, Avoca Beach. facebook.com/pilateswithapril or email aprill@cosupilates.com

Bonsai Open Show and Competition, Mingara

With bonsai you get not only nature but sculpture produced with patience, pampering, attention to detail, and solid horticultural practice. Bonsai originated in China but was adopted by the Japanese over 1400 years ago, and in Australia, it’s been here long enough to evolve its own local flavour with exquisite banksias, tea trees, figs and bottle brush.

See some of the best trees in Australia with about 200 bonsai trees on display, demonstrations from the country’s finest artists, mature and starter trees for sale, handmade pots, tools and more.

The show also introduces the Shohin Open where ceramic artists are invited to create a pot for shohin bonsai, the smaller trees of the bonsai world.

Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi. 5 and 6 March from 9 am–4 pm. $7 entry for adults, children free. centralcoastbonsai.org.au

Coastal Twist, LGBTIA+ arts and culture festival

Five days and nights of contemporary culture, fun, play and surprises across Woy Woy, Ettalong Beach, Gosford and Umina Beach. Art, theatre, cabaret, dance party, beach party, youth party, film and community fair day. It’s all about getting unlikeminded people together to celebrate our diversity and what we have in common. Punks and plumbers, grannies and babies, freaks and geeks, and everyone in between – all welcome.

19–23 January. Find out more at coastaltwist.org.au

© LISA HAYMES

MITCH GRAINGER BAND

NAUGHTY NOODLE

BLUES WITH MITCH GRAINGER BAND

11 December

The Girrakool Blues Festival and The Naughty Noodle is set to party with Blues at the Funhaus. Grainger has wowed audiences from the US to Scandinavia. Banish your blues with talented vocals, harmonica and guitar, and Declan Kelly on drums, and Joel Burton on bass, for one night only.

ALTFEST ON THE COAST

5 February

A celebration of alternative and diverse music at its best, with artists who like to blur the boundaries of genre music.

SUMMER SPANDE

12 February

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a foretaste of Mardi Gras on the Coast. A handful of festival favourites in an evening of fun, eclectic, tongue-in-cheek va-vaboom variety.

All bookings at naughtynoodle.com.au/whats-on