From 5pm – 9pm head to the Crown Street Mall amphitheatre stage to light the tree!

Christmas is all about celebrating, and what better way to get into the spirit than to ‘rock around the (giant) Christmas tree’.

There’ll be some toe-tapping tunes, dancing in the street and delicious food from the Eat Street crowd.

For more information: www.wollongongcitycentre.com.au 

Judy Nunn at Friends of Kiama Library

Judy Nunn will visit Kiama Library to promote her 14th book, Sanctuary, – a portrait of love, hope and survival on an isolated island off Western Australia.

The setting was inspired by Houtman Abrolhos, a chain of islands off the coast of Geraldton, which Nunn had the opportunity to visit as part of a local writers’ festival.

Judy Nunn will join Friends of Kiama Library (Railway Parade) on Thursday November 16, 7:30pm. Cost $15 via www.trybooking.com

For more information contact: 4233 113

Dogfight

Before the Hollywood smash La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, there was Dogfight – and you can see it at the Miner’s Lamp Theatre in Corrimal until November 25.

Set in 1963 San Francisco, the day before the assassination of John F Kennedy, where a group of young marines are preparing to ship off to Vietnam. To celebrate their last night they play the brutal game “Dogfight”, where every player sets out to find the ugliest girl and fool her into attending a party as his ‘date’.

Tickets and show details: http://arcadians.org.au 

The Tempest

The latest production of the Phoenix Theatre Company is The Tempest – thought by many critics to be the last play Shakespeare wrote alone. It’s set on a remote island where the Duke of Milan, Prospero, plots to restore his daughter to her rightful place using illusion and manipulation.

Starring Will Worthington as Prospero, Beth Fuller as Miranda and Nathan Edwards as Ferdinand and is running at the Bridge Street Theatre in Coniston until November 25.

Tickets and show details: www.phoenixtheatre.net.au 

MTV Beats & Eats festival

A mixture of contemporary music and gourmet food vans at Stuart Park in North Wollongong from 2pm to 10pm.

London electro outfit Rudimental is the major headliner alongside Tkay Maidza, Yolanda Be Cool, Nicole Millar, Sachi, Flexmami, Teddy Cream and Running Touch.

The theme for this year’s festival is Space Fantasy with festival goers encouraged to come dressed in whatever they think works with the theme with prizes for best dressed.

Tickets $53.23 via www.mtv.com.au 

Obstacool

Obstacool is back at Wollongong’s Lang Park for family fun this Saturday and Sunday.

All of your favourite obstacles plus three new, massive inflatable additions and a snow machine.

Tickets $15 for kids aged 4-17 and $10 for adults for a 45 minute “wave”. 

www.obstacool.com.au/wollongong

FREE Outdoor Cinema

Watch the Disney animation Finding Dory at Thirroul Beach Reserve thanks to Horizon.

This free event is set to be a fun-filled evening with food stalls along with the family movie. It’s also a Waste Wise event.

It’s one of a number of moonlight movie events (free and ticketed) happening across the Illawarra this summer. 

Mountain Meets Sea electronic music festival

Yours & Owls have teamed with SWRV, FRNDS for this music festival at UOW Gardens from 1pm to 11pm.

Bag Raiders will play a DJ set, along with Polographia, Enschway and Luude. While Nina Las Vegas, Yahtzel and Elk Road are also on the lineup.

Tickets on sale via: www.moshtix.com.au 

Made From Scratch

A scratch night for emerging writers, makers and performers to test their freshest ideas at Wollongong Town Hall, 7pm.

Vinyl spinning Music Farmers DJ Nicholas Irwin. Paper Cranes Please, Elliot Cameron & Lizzie Kelly are two halves of one poet whole and intend to warm your heart with their wholesomeness.

Stunning circus performer Heidi Hillier – an accomplished magician, a smoldering Burlesque ingenue, an ingenious puppeteer and an astonishing quick-change artist!

The Lizzie Bennet Band, Local blokes Ryan Chruch, James (Jimbo) Walsh & Damian Gibbs deliver original songs; oriental dance with ‘Nothing but Tarab’ by Tara Yasmin; comedian Carol Heijo and more to come.

Tickets $19.

Creative Mending Workshop

Michele Elliot will guide you through some creative stitching to repair tears and holes in a worn and loved item of clothing. Using the kantha technique of hand stitch combined with patching, you can recycle clothing as well as fabric scraps to breath new life into your garments. Join the creative mending revolution!

BYO clothes to repair, cotton embroidery thread – stranded, fabric for patching , scissors and embroidery needles.

At The Tinkerage – Dunmore Recycling and Waste Services Depot. Free for Shellharbour LGA residents, $40 for out of area. 10am – 1pm.

Gerringong Music Club

Gerringong Music Club welcomes a new and exciting string quartet,  Pietra Quartet with principal violinist Anna Da Silva Chen - Violin I, Ben Tjoa - Violin II, Justin Julian - Viola and Miles Mullin-Chivers - Cello.

Gerringong Town Hall, 2pm. Tickets $20 at the door – FREE for members, children and students.

Convoy

i98’s annual charity fundraiser Convoy will see a cavalcade of trucks, cars and motorcycles rev from Illawarra Coal’s West Cliff Colliery on Appin Road from 8:15am, down Mount Ousley then through Warrawong onto Croome Road at Albion Park.

Sneaky Sound System, Daryl Braithwaite, Lah Lah and motorcross stunt riders will be part of the after party at the Croome Road Sporting Complex from 10am.

www.illawarraconvoy.com.au