Melbourne is the events capital of Australia, but sometimes it is easy to miss out on the gems because there are too many to choose from. Each week I want you to tell me where to go.

Send me to events, exhibitions, shows, local markets, and I will report back and provide you with details on what is worth checking out.

If you want to promote your event send me an email and I will promote it in the weekly blog. Email misseventful@3aw.com.au.

THIS WEEK’S RECOMMENDATIONS:

Melbourne Town Hall Light Show

30 November – 25 December

Gaze at the Melbourne Town Hall this festive season and something wise might peer back at you from a particularly iconic piece of architecture, thanks to nightly projections from world-class projection designers, The Electric Canvas.

The Electric Canvas has created a 3D model of the Melbourne Town Hall, and a team of eight artists and designers will celebrate Christmas in a playful and transformative way.

Presented by the City of Melbourne.

www.thatsmelbourne.com.au

Carols by Candlelight

Sunday 23 December

Even though tickets to Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight presented by Myer are now sold out, do not despair!

You can still enjoy the magic of the iconic event at the official Rehearsal Night on December 23 or at the Federation Square Live Site on Christmas Eve.

Rehearsal Night is a great opportunity to see the performers while they complete their final sound checks and rehearsals before their big appearance on Christmas Eve.Group of Carol's goers joinng along in song.

This year’s star studded line up will include Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight Ambassadors Rachael Leahcar and Marina Prior, Sarah De Bono, Darren Percival, David Hobson, Silvie Paladino, Shane Jacobson, Lucy Durack, Rob Mills, Lisa McCune, Denis Walter, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Tim Campbell, Christie Whelan, Anthony Callea, Hi-5, and many more.

Gingerbread Exhibition

1 December – 24 December

Looking for a fun filled activity for the kids this December? Then look no further than the magical Gingerbread Village by Epicure at City Gallery,
110 Swanston Street.

Built entirely out of gingerbread, see if you can spot iconic Melbourne landmarks and the gingerbread chefs getting up to mischief!
Epicure’s pastry chefs will also be whipping up tasty creations which can be purchased at the exhibition.

Looking for unique Christmas gifts? Then why not purchase gingerbread men or love hearts, or even gingerbread ice cream, perfect for a hot summer’s day.


This Christmas Epicure is supporting the Starlight Children's Foundation. Donations received at the exhibition will help fund Starlight's programs including granting once-in-a-lifetime wishes for seriously ill children.

Help the Starlight Children's Foundation grant 154 urgent wishes this Christmas. You can make a donation in the Starlight collection tins at the exhibition. All donors will receive a cardboard gingerbread man to place on the Christmas tree.

www.facebook.com/gingerbreadvillage

Fed Square Live

10th, 17th, 26th & 31st January

Fed Square Live returns this summer with a slick line up of Australia's top independent and emerging acts in a series of free, all-ages outdoor concerts.



The series opens with pop/roots band Eagle and the Worm and the afro- beat/R&B tunes of Oscar + Martin, Thursday 10 January from 6pm to 7:30pm. More balmy summer evenings with free live music continue on Thursday 17 January, 6pm – 7.30pm, with folk/indie group The Paper Kites and the original voice of Vance Joy.

On Australia Day, hip hop artists Diafrix and Chance Waters will take to the stage from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. The season then caps off with 1960s style pop-rock band, Hungry Kids of Hungary and Asta on Thursday 31 January from 6pm to 7.30pm.

Pull up a deck chair or take a seat in one of the restaurants or bars and support free live music in Melbourne.

fedsquare.com/live

Dining with Strangers

Thursday 31 January

Do you love food? Do you enjoy meeting new people? If you answered yes to these questions, then you will love the Dining with Strangers event being held at The Sharing House.

This is the second time a Dining with Strangers event has been held in Melbourne. The organisers of the event, eatwithme.net, attempt to bring together 30 guests who arrive as strangers and leave as friends.

Founded in 2010 eatwithme.net is a free to join online community that allows members to connect with one another at events focused on food and dining. The Sharing House provides the perfect backdrop for this event with it’s fun, eclectic style it features a sharing style menu conceived by the very talented head chef Mark Briggs.

Dining with Strangers starts at 6.30 and costs $55.

www.eatwithme.net

Melbourne Zoo Twilight Concert

January 25 – March 9 2013

Melbourne Zoo are set for another great summer of music with the 2013 Melbourne Zoo Twilights series back again, offering an abundance of award- winning artists performing in the magical setting of the Melbourne Zoo.

Starting off the 2013 Twilights series will be none other than ARIA Award winner Missy Higgins on Friday, January 25th.

This season’s Zoo Twilights will feature a variety of amazing acts including Clare Bowditch, Leo Sayer, Lisa Mitchell, Stonefield, Husky, Justice Crew, and The Bamboos with Tim Rogers, so there’ll be something for everyone this summer

zoo.org.au/twilights

The Big Give

Christmas Day

Efforts are well underway to organise The Big Give 2012 Christmas lunch for isolated and disadvantaged environment.

Run by St Mary’s House of Welcome, The Big Give aims to support those who suffer the isolation of poverty and homelessness during the festive season. The Big Give brings together 300 people to share a fun and memorable Christmas lunch at the Fitzroy Town Hall.

The Big Give is now in its 12th year and during that time the event has brought a little Christmas joy to more than 3,000 people who have been seated for a full Christmas meal with festive trimmings, an appearance by Santa, some entertainment and a small gift.

For individuals or businesses who would like to help, or who would like more information on TheBig Give 2012 and how they can contribute, please go to the website at www.thebiggive.org.au or email thebiggive@smhow.org.au

Ben and Jerry’s Open Air Cinema

2 December – 6 January

Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinemas return to St Kilda from 2 December – 6 January, at their spectacular new venue on South Beach Reserve.

Pop the top on Summer with a full program of live music including Bertie Blackman and Loon Lake for Opening Night, along with the hottest movies showing under the night sky – Safety Not Guaranteed, Skyfall, the Australian premiere of Cool It and retro classics like Point Break and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Every Sunday is a ‘Sundae Session’ with FREE ice cream and games on the lawn. Check out the full program and get booking!

This Sunday is Grease Sing-a-long

openaircinemas.com.au

Echuca Paddlesteamers Holiday Program

Monday 7 January - Thursday 24 January

Echuca Paddle steamers, finalists in the recent Victorian Tourism Awards, are set to host a range of cruises specifically designed for the kids these school holidays!

Activities will be held onboard authentic, steam driven, paddlesteamers during a one hour cruise with themes such as science, cooking, puppies, face painting and craft activities.

Riverboat Stories & Activities- Let the kids be entertained by the Campaspe Regional Library with activities including story telling, spotto and craft. The theme of the day will be paddlesteamers, the river and water!

Kids Scientwists Cruise- Jump onboard and enjoy paddlesteamer science with dynamic demonstrations and activities including steam whistle science and sound activities. Plus, children make a rubber-band powered paddleboat, sail it onboard and then can take it home.

Puppies on Paddlesteamers- Echuca based foster carers will bring along their latest crew of puppies onboard for this cruise. Pat the puppies and have a chat with the foster carers and hear about their experiences.

Kids in the Galley Cooking Cruises- Bush Tucker is the theme for this cruise with children learning about the food available in the Australian bushland and cooking up a storm, making damper and lamingtons with wild rosella jam.

Pevensey Face Painting- Do you want to be a butterfly, pirate or rainbow? Let your kids drift into fantasyland with Face Painting onboard the Pevensey.

For the full schedule including dates, times and prices visit www.echucapaddlesteamers.net.au or phone 03 5482 4248. Maximum numbers do apply so make sure you reserve your ticket!

Suzuki Night Market

14 November 2012 – 27 February 2013

Now in its 15th year, the Suzuki Night Market (located at the Queen Victoria Market) attracts over 200 stall holders and showcases some of Melbourne's finest artisans, producing locally made clothing, jewellery, prints and an array of cultural goods once the sun goes down. 
The hawker–style food stalls offer everything from traditional African curries through to the sweetest of honey dumplings. Don't stop at one stall; take a trip around the world one dish at a time. 


www.qvm.com.au

War Horse and The Breath of Life Exhibition

Saturday 10 November 2012 to Sunday 17 March 2013

Horse puppets from Arts Centre Melbourne’s upcoming War Horse production and a five-metre long Raptor dinosaur puppet and are among the highlights of the upcoming exhibition War Horse and the Breath of Life celebrating the art of puppetry. Developed in collaboration with The National Theatre of Great Britain to support the Arts Centre Melbourne’s season of War Horse, the exhibition will be staged in Arts Centre Melbourne Gallery from Saturday 10 November 2012 to Sunday 17 March 2013.

War Horse and the Breath of Life features all kinds of puppets, animatronic creatures, costumes, films, photographs, original designs and purpose-built interactives. The exhibition brings together the best elements of the National Theatre’s exhibition Staging War Horse, which will be displayed alongside examples of contemporary Australian puppetry from Art Centre Melbourne’s Performing Arts Collection, which is the largest in Australia and is home to more than 500,000 items, relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre.

Ethiopian Singer Mahmoud Ahmed

January 20, 2013

The Playhouse will host an exclusive cross-continent collaboration between legendary Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed – in his first Melbourne visit – performing live with Melbourne-based Ethio-jazz band the J Azmaris on 20 January.

Described as ‘the Red Sea’s most seductive soul singer’ and a living legend in his native country, Mahmoud Ahmed deftly combines the traditional Amharic music of Ethiopia -- essentially a five-note scale that features jazz-style singing offset by complex circular rhythm pattern -- with pop and freestyle jazz.

Known for his swooping multi-octave voice, Ahmed’s recordings defy the normal definitions of Afro pop, with jazztimes.com describing his music as “a deeply melancholy mixture of guitar, organ and horns that sounds somewhere between a Southern soul band and James Brown's Famous Flames”.