Part of the proceeds for this fun, active, inclusive event support local animal rescues. Photo: Colour Frenzy.
This week offers a mixed bag of events from a diverse crowd in the region.
Looking for a fun, active activity for the whole family in the great outdoors? Colour Frenzy Wollongong is just the ticket.
Are you a creative person looking for ways to turn your creativity into coin? MERRIGONGX and Creative Plus Business have you covered.
Got a little naturalist-in-the-making with a keen interest in environmental matters? A Stockland and Australian Museum collaboration offers just the thing for you.
Foodies, classical music lovers, learner drivers – you name it, the Illawarra has something lined up for you this week.
Sunday
Don’t miss country legend Pete Dehany supported by emerging folk singer-songwriter Olivia Coggan. Image: Illawarra Folk Club.
Great Southern Nights and the Illawarra Folk Club present Pete Denahy in Concert
When: Sunday 6 April, 6:30 to 10:30 pm
Where: The Fraternity Club, 11 Bourke Street, Fairy Meadow
Cost: Member $25 | Non-Member $30 | Under 18s $5 | Companion Card Holder $23.50 | Companion Card Holder Support Person Free | Book via Humanitix.
Pete Denahy knew when he was 11 years old he wanted to be a country singer. He taught himself guitar, started writing songs and at 13 years old saw Slim Dusty in concert for the first time. Twelve years later he was in Slim’s band playing fiddle and doing a comedy spot on the show. Now, this five-time Golden Guitar winner is headed to the Illawarra for this special concert supported by emerging singer-songwriter Olivia Coggan, whose songs reflect her coastal folk upbringing.
Food trucks, dessert stalls, retail and live music – make a night of Street Feast when it comes to Dapto. Image: Street Feast.
Street Feast at The Groundz
When: Sunday 6 April, 4 to 9 pm
Where: The Groundz Precinct, 8 Heininger Street, Dapto
Cost: Entry $3 | Payable upon entry – card only.
Australia’s Biggest Feast will roll into Dapto this weekend. This vibrant event brings together the best food trucks, dessert stalls, boutique retail vendors and live music together for a night you won’t forget. Grab your best mates or family and a picnic rug and get set to enjoy a mouthwatering selection of eats and treats, along with unique shopping finds and entertainment for all.
Join in a fun-filled day at The Albion Park Community Hub Easter Market. Image: The Albion Park Community Hub Market.
The Albion Park Community Hub Easter Market
When: Sunday 6 April, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Centenary Hall, 108a Tongarra Road, Albion Park
Cost: Free entry.
This special Easter market features 35 amazing stalls to fulfil all your pre-Easter shopping enjoyment including honey, photography, model cars, plants, arts and crafts plus much more. Better yet, the Easter Bunny is attending with eggs for everyone. There’s also a beautiful (and free) backdrop where you can snap fun family photos, craft activities for the kids, and lucky door prizes.
Australia’s first graduate of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance program returns to Clifton for this unmissable solo concert. Photo: Katie Eynon.
Bach to the Bush | Music for Solo Cello
When: Sunday 6 April, 11 am to 12:30 pm
Where: Clifton School of Arts, 338 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul
Cost: Adult $45 | Concession $40 | Pay What You Can from $20 | Under 18s $5 | Book via Humanitix.
Acclaimed cellist and co-founder of the Bowerbird Collective Anthony Albrecht returns to Clifton for this unmissable solo recital. Anthony was the first Australian graduate of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance program in New York City, receiving his Master of Music on full scholarship, and has appeared as a soloist and principal cellist with prestigious ensembles throughout the world. He will be performing the works of J.S. Bach, Dall’Abaco and Australian composers.
Wollongong Colour Frenzy
When: Sunday 6 April, 8:30 am to noon
Where: Stuart Park, George Hanley Drive, North Wollongong
Cost: Adult $42.50 | Child (5-12 yrs) $22.50 | Family $109 | Team Entry (Minimum of six) $39.50 | Toddler (Under 5 yrs) $5 | Book via Colour Frenzy.
Wollongong Colour Frenzy offers a bright and exciting day for all ages and fitness levels. Participants can walk, jog, run, dance, or crawl through a 5-km course filled with five vibrant colour stations, a bubble-filled foam station and inflatable crawl obstacles. It’s a chance to enjoy a colourful adventure at your own pace, with part of the proceeds supporting local animal rescues.
The inclusive atmosphere welcomes all abilities, with free entry for companions and carers. Even your dogs can be part of the fun, making it a day for everyone to enjoy.
Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama councils’ learner driver experience works to make the roads safer for all. Image: Shellharbour, Wollongong and Kiama councils.
The Ultimate Learner Log Book Run
When: Sunday 6 April, 8 am to 2:30 pm
Where: Lake Illawarra PCYC, Reddall Parade, Lake Illawarra
Cost: Free | Book via Forms.
The Ultimate Learner Log Book Run Experience provides young drivers and their supervisors the opportunity to participate in a planned drive which follows a route that includes a range of driving experiences. From online to on-road, learner drivers will meet and discuss road safety with a variety of road safety professionals including police, NSW Fire Rescue, state emergency services, a victim of road trauma and many more.
Participants must bring a learner supervisor, L-plates, licence, log book with at least 40 hours recorded and a registered vehicle with plenty of fuel. All participants will receive an event goody bag and be in the draw to win a number of prizes.
Monday
Shellharbour’s young artistic talents will be on display all of April. Image: Shellharbour City Council
Shellharbour Youth Art and Design Exhibition
When: Monday 7 April to Wednesday 30 April, 9:30 am to 8 pm Monday to Thursday, 9:30 am to 5 pm Friday, 9 am to 3 pm Saturday and noon to 3 pm Sunday
Where: Shellharbour Civic Centre, 76 Cygnet Avenue, Shellharbour City Centre
Cost: Free.
To help celebrate Youth Week 2025, the talent of Shellharbour’s young artists will be on glorious display at Shellharbour Civic Centre all month. Come and peruse the works of local artists aged 12 to 24 years of age, in the categories of mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, photography, digital media, jewellery, animation, design and textiles. Support the area’s emerging creative talents, and perhaps you’ll spot some of the very first works of a legend in the making.
Launched in 2017, FrogID is the Australian Museum’s national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to our native frogs. Image: Stockland Shellharbour.
Frog-ID Touring Exhibition at Stockland Shellharbour
When: Monday 7 April to Sunday 4 May, 9 am to 5 pm
Where: Opposite Blooms, Stockland Shellharbour, 211 Lake Entrance Road, Shellharbour City Centre
Cost: Free.
The FrogID Touring Exhibition, presented by the Australian Museum in collaboration with Stockland, showcases the diversity and importance of Australia’s frog species through interactive stations and dioramas. This family-friendly exhibition highlights the crucial role frogs play in ecosystems and offers practical advice on how to help conserve them in local areas. While exploring the fascinating FrogID Touring Exhibition, on certain days kids can also paint their very own wooden frog. This bonus activity is designed to keep young minds entertained and engaged, combining education with creativity.
Tuesday
Surviving and thriving financially as a creative practitioner usually means doing more than one thing to make a living – but where to start, and what to do? Photo: Pressmaster.
Creative Plus Business Workshop – Diversify Your Creative Income
When: Tuesday 8 April, 6 to 8 pm
Where: The Music Lounge, Wollongong Town Hall, corner Crown and Kembla streets, Wollongong
Cost: Free | Book via My Business.
Creatives are usually adept at a range of skills, and with a little brainstorming and guidance those various talents can be turned into diversified revenue. Becoming less reliant on a single source of income, whether that’s a job or government funding, can also open up abundant creative and commercial opportunities for savvy creatives and arts organisations. Diversify Your Creative Income is a workshop to help creative professionals think laterally and collaboratively about the best ways to diversify income and make more money from their skills.
With a focus on arts practice and creative industries, participants will learn where to start, conduct a skills audit, test which ideas are good and much more, walking away not only with a plan but a ton of advice and resources designed by creatives for creatives.
