Event Guide

Friday 2 December

Christmas Wrapping

9:00am to 4:00pm daily

SCOPE ladies and volunteers will be Christmas Wrapping at Home Co between Thrifties and Spotlight starting November 26 until Christmas Eve daily 9am to 4pm. Gold coin plus extra for over-sized gifts. All proceeds go to local charities including Samaritan House, Chances Op Shop (Australian Street Aid Project) and Mackay Animal Rescue Society.

Home Co between Thrifties and Spotlight

Morning Melodies 2022 presents Darren Coggan Home for Christmas

Friday, 11:00am

Season’s greetings music lovers, time to “Deck the shed with bits of wattle” and join award winning performer, Darren Coggan, as he celebrates the joy of being Home For Christmas, through a collection of songs and stories that embrace the festive spirit of Christmas in Australia.

MECC

City Heart Christmas

Friday, 4:00pm

The City Heart will come alive on December 2 with Christmas celebrations. Fifth Lane will brighten the city with markets, live music, face painting, roving performers and a Sensory Circus workshop. Enjoy late night shopping, art exhibitions and Santa will be in town. Great fun for all the family.

Mackay City Heart

Guided Bird Tour

Friday, 4:30pm to 6:30pm

Join birdwatchers Desley and Jenny as they go for a walk around our 1.4km track to discover what birds are about in the late afternoon/early evening. They have over 100 species recorded so far. Bring your own insect repellent and long clothes. Meet and greet from 4.30pm with walk starting at 5pm. $5 donation.

Wetland Walkabout

Exhibition Opening - Asia Pacific Contemporary: Three Decades of APT

Friday, 6:00pm

Mackay Regional Council and Artspace Mackay invite you to the official opening of Asia Pacific Contemporary: Three Decades of APT.

Artspace Mackay

Friday SUN.sets

Every Friday Evening From 6pm

Knock off drinks, lakeside dinner, good friends, and LIVE MUSIC.

Wake House Australia

Northlane + Windwaker & Arcade Stories

Friday, 7:00pm

Australian heavy trailblazers Northlane are taking their #1 album, Obsidian, on tour through regional Australia in November and December. The regional tour is set to cap off a stellar 2022 for Northlane. Earlier this year, the band released their acclaimed new album, Obsidian, which topped the ARIA Chart and has been streamed over 22 million times and climbing on Spotify. This fusion of metal and electronic music lent itself to some of the most mind-blowingly spectacular shows Australian venues have seen in recent times.

Seabreeze Hotel

Saturday 3 December

Mackay Art Society Christmas Market

Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday, 10:00am to 3:00pm

Support local artisans at the Christmas Market featuring timber gifts, cards, botanical art, jewellery, pottery, plants, Christmas gifts, bags, bric-a-brac and beautiful paintings.

2 Snow Wright Court, Beaconsfield

Exhibition Floor Talk - Asia Pacific Contemporary: Three Decades of APT

Saturday, 10:30am

Join Simon Wright, QAGOMA’s Assistant Director of Learning and Public Engagement on a guided walking tour of Three Decades of APT. This exhibition profiles key moments from the gallery’s flagship exhibition series looking to contemporary art in the Asia Pacific Region. Works of art commissioned or collected from APT1 (1993) through to APT9 (2018-19, display APT’s embrace of contemporary art in all its forms— from the ceremonial to the conceptual, and the deeply personal to the resolutely social. This event will be Auslan interpreted & amplified for patrons with hearing difficulties.

Artspace Mackay

Carols in the Gardens

Saturday, 5:30pm to 8:30pm

This year, Carols in the Gardens will take place at a brand-new location, the Meadowlands Amphitheatre at the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens. The event will feature many talented local performers who will ring out festive cheer with Carols and Christmas songs you know and love. This Christmas celebration wouldn’t be complete without Kids Adventureland thanks to McDonalds, Mini Eat Street featuring food vendors from the Twilight Markets thanks to RDO Equipment, Walz Group VIP Area.

Meadowlands Amphitheatre

Christmas Actually

Saturday, 7:00pm

Are you planning your work Christmas party? Or a festive night out with friends? The MECC presents Christmas Actually hits from iconic holiday classic Love Actually. The silly season is quickly approaching, and the MECC presents the ultimate end of year experience to get everyone into the Christmas spirit! Kicking off the night with the festive event of the year, from the creators of Rumour Has It and Lady Beatle comes Christmas Actually: the world’s most-loved movie soundtrack live on stage. The fun doesn’t finish after the show, the bar remains open as the festive cheer continues with a live band performing everyone’s favourites!

MECC

SANTA’S BREAKFAST

Saturday, 8.30am

Santa’s helpers have been hard at work to bring you something nice this year. Join us in welcoming Santa as he touches down at Mount Pleasant Centre for a special breakfast event. Get up close with Santa and friends, enjoy special guests, a festive performance from Dance Express Mackay, and face painting thanks to Let’s Just Face It Entertainment. All children receive a special gift from Santa.

Tickets $10 per child, with proceeds going to the Mackay Hospital Foundation.

Bookings essential. To secure your spot, head to: https://mountpleasantcentre.com.au/whats-on/

Mt Pleasant Shopping Centre

Sunday 4 December

Sarina Country Music Associations Christmas Breakup

Sunday, 1:00pm

Bistro opens at 11.30am. Could you phone or text Betty 0434911712 as soon as possible if you will be attending to let the Club know for catering purposes. You do not need to be a Club Member to attend. Music will be supplied by our resident band and club members.  All other enquiries phone President Earl Burchardt on 049563330. Admission is free for this function. We welcome you to join us for our last Country Music afternoon for 2022.

Sarina Sporting and Services Club

Sunday Live Music – Ruby Sue

Sunday, 2:00pm to 5:00pm

Music every Sunday from 2pm - 5pm. Head down to the Seabreeze Hotel this Sunday for some fresh tunes, delicious food, and ice-cold brews.

Seabreeze Hotel

Tuesday 6 December

Morning Melodies

Tuesday, 11:00am to 1:00pm

Enjoy a morning of fun, food and entertainment with Morning Melodies at the Leagues Club with Anette Worthington performing live once a month.

Souths Leagues Club Mackay

Wednesday 7 December

Mackay Farmers’ Market

Every Wednesday, 6:30am to 10:30am

The market is a showcase of our region’s amazing produce direct from the farmer.

Bluewater Quay

Sugar City Rock and Roll Mackay Club Wednesday Night Lessons

Every Wednesday, 7:00pm

Why not come along and learn to rock ‘n’ roll in a friendly and fun atmosphere with the Sugar City Rock ‘n’ Rollers Mackay Club? Previous experience is not required. Everyone learns at their own pace and, even better, the first lesson is free on your way to learning the four step style of rock ‘n’ roll. $5 for members and $8 for non-members after that. The club caters for social activities for club members with regular dances with live bands in attendance and away trips. For further enquiries call 0408 983 911.

58 Macalister St, Mackay

Christmas Comedy Tour

Wednesday, 7:30pm

Get stuck into the Christmas spirits with four of QLD's favourite stand-up comics this December. Anna Brennan has performed at well over 100 stand-up shows, including a sold out ‘Queerly Beloved’ performance at Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Her comedy is observational, relatable and a little bit gross. Fresh from doing sold out shows at Sydney and Melbourne Fringe Festivals, Chris Southcote is cleverly camp and tantalizingly twisted.

Hosted by ex-Mackay local Reid Willoughby whose comedy is sharp, edgy and sweary. Headliner Georgina Humphries hails from a dairy farm in Far North QLD and moved to Brisbane to pursue her quirky and light-hearted style of comedy. Her first solo show, ‘Get Clucked’ sold out. Only suitable for 18+ audiences (and barely suitable for them).

Ambassador Hotel

Christmas Storytime With Mrs Claus

December 7, 8 and 9, 9.30am

Straight from the North Pole, Mrs Claus is set to share some of the most cherished classic Christmas stories with little ones these holidays. Located on the Food Court stage, you’ll make beautiful memories together as a family. Mrs Claus will also be available until 12.30pm to jump into any Santa photos. Bookings not required.

Mt Pleasant Shopping Centre

Thursday 8 December

Mackay Riverside Market

Every Thursday, 3:00pm to 7:00pm

Come and meet your local growers, bakers and makers, chill on the lawn listening to some beautiful tunes and grab some delicious dinner and desert.

Bluewater Quay

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Image 1: Darren Coggan

Image 2: Guided Bird Tour

Image 3: Asia PacificContemporary: Three Decades of APT

Image 4: Northlane

Image 5: Carols in theGardens

Image 6: ChristmasActually

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