Your guide to what's on around the Margaret River Region this month.
November…the weather is warming; the days are longer.
Summer is almost upon us, but the Christmas crowds are not yet here. It’s the perfect time to visit & create your own itinerary. This month packs in everything from extravagant first birthdays, agricultural shows, market openings, live jazz & classical music concerts, art, sport races and more.
We will take any opportunity to dust off our glad rags! Several venues are participating this year, including Shelter Brewing Co, which is holding festivities in its functions room (upstairs with uninterrupted views of the jetty, Busselton foreshore & Geographe Bay, no less). A three-course meal & a drink on arrival is included in the ticket price. The historic Caves House will have a big screen set up in the Yallingup Room, with sweeps running & live music throughout the afternoon. Otherwise Geographe Bay Yacht Club is a unique setting to while the race away, with bubbles & grazing boards on arrival, races on the big screen, sweepstakes & a three-course lunch.
Originally held in a paddock, the Margaret River “Ag Show” as it is affectionately known, is back for its 92nd year. Don’t miss the entertainment on Friday night, including a children’s pet show, live music, sheep dogs & displays, all capped off by the much-loved fireworks. The exhibition hall is a highlight, with popular sections like scarecrows, art, photography, craft, lego, produce & flowers. Children’s entry is free on both days. More than 100 food, beverage & trade stalls are participating, plus a side show alley.
The long-anticipated & unique-to-the-region Origins Market will open its doors this weekend with three days’ worth of celebration. An indoor artisanal market with over 60 makers, Origins will feature butchers, fishmongers, bakers, brewers, winemakers, fruit & vegetable growers, chefs, baristas, florists, craftspeople & more. The opening weekend promises to pack in live music, face painting, children’s activities & appearances by former MasterChef contestant Samira Damirova as well as Sofia Watt from The Voice. The market will be open from Thursdays to Sundays from 7am to 6pm going forward, or seven days a week during school holidays.
The weekend of high art, classical music, fine dining & superb wines returns when the Australian String Quartet brings a series of concerts to the Margaret River Region. Vocalist Fiona Campbell will sing works by Debussy and Handel, alongside string quartet masterpieces by Beethoven, Verdi, Smetana & Brahms. Hosting wineries include Vasse Felix, McHenry Hohnen, Voyager Estate & Leeuwin Estate.
The opening of Shelter Brewing Co was a gamechanger for the Busselton Foreshore last year, and now the family-run brewery is throwing a huge party to celebrate its first birthday! From 10am to 4pm a Family Fun Day will take place outside the venue on the foreshore, being very kid friendly with pony rides, face painting, mermaids & bouncy castles. Then after 6pm its time for the grown-ups to take over. Shelter will be giving away 400 pints, pulling out the furniture to let rock’n’roll dance party lords The Southern River Band take over the stage downstairs, followed by DJ Genga on the decks until late. Not to be missed!
The 16th annual Margaret River Art Auction is somewhat of a local’s secret, as a way for to purchase incredible value art from esteemed makers & artists around the region. The art donations are made in support of the Margaret River Independent School, and $7000 of prizes are up for grabs for five lucky, talented artists. Doors open at the Margaret River HEART at 6pm for a complimentary supper & glass of wine, followed by the commencement of auction at 7pm.
Sure to be one of the most picturesque sporting events of the year, the Eagle Bay Epic Adventure Race takes in the Meelup Regional Park & Geographe Bay in a mixed, off-road contest. Short & long course (or kids adventure!) options are available in various lengths, combining mountain biking, ocean swimming, kayaking & trail running. Eagle Bay Brewing Co is the official race host venue, with all adult participants receiving a free beer at the end of their race.
The Busselton Margaret River Airport is throwing a shindig to celebrate 100 years of the Air Force with a community open day. There will be aerial displays, Air Force & general aviation aircraft, helicopters, food vans and entertainment.
In a huge afternoon of jazz, a free travelling show of performers is hitting the stage at the amphitheatre on the Busselton foreshore from 1pm. BYO rug, picnic & all-aged family members as you enjoy jazz, soul, funk, latin, big band & swing. The Love Rats, Gemma Farrell Quintet, OZ Big Band, & the Libby Hammer Quartet are all part of the line-up this year.
The sophistication of the jazz lounge takes a new turn in this highly unique setting – eight metres underwater in the Indian Ocean, beneath the Busselton Jetty! The Underwater Observatory is the host venue for this jazz series, featuring star vocalist Paula Renee. Saunter around the observatory, watch the underwater world of sea life, sip on Wills Domain Wines and enjoy seafood canapes in this unforgettable evening.
New release vintage wines, live music under the stars, local food & first nations art will feature in this multi-faceted event by Mr Barval Fine Wines. The event marks the seasonal opening of the Mr Barval cantina, & guests have an array of new vintage wines to choose from for their glass on arrival. Live music will be performed by Moon & Honey, with a canapé dinner by Goanna Gallery Bush Café. In-house gallery space Dillybag Collective is hosting an array of traditional owners’ artwork from Wadeye in the Northern Territory, with proceeds from the sale of art going back into the communities.
The Yallingup Malibu Classic is a historical longboarding competition, with a history harking back to 1985. It is now one of the premier longboarding contests on the calendar. The Indian Ocean Longboard Club is now custodian for the event.
Busselton bills itself as the regional event capital of WA, & it is arguably the hugely popular annual Ironman that kicked off that reputation. The world-class sporting competition has been a stalwart of the Asia Pacific triathlon scene since 2004. Encompassing the iconic Busselton Jetty & pristine Geographe Bay beachfront, the contest is renowned worldwide as the place to go for a personal best, with the bike & run legs of race being some of the flattest of the global Ironman circuit.
