The Golden Plough will be held in Wongarbon on Saturday, 22nd and Sunday, 23rd April. This competition was first held in 1976 and has been fiercely contested ever since. This is the first year it will be hosted in the Dubbo region. 

The Western Branch of the Australian Draught Horse Stud Book Society hosts the two-day annual event which includes, horse working classes, obstacle courses, wagon rides, horse-driven chaff cutter demonstrations along with ladies, junior, novice and veteran ploughing competitions and culminates with the fiercely contested Golden Plough.

Horse drawn ploughing involves skilfully guiding one or two draught horses, pulling a single furrow plough, to create a straight plot of eight runs (minimum) which are judged on linear accuracy, depth, sharpness of cut, total width and how the soil is turned. 

Watch the ploughmen and women battle it out for the Golden Plough trophy, see horsemanship at its best. Bring your family and friends for a great weekend of horsemanship, demonstration events,food stalls and stay longer for fire-side stories, poetry and a camp oven dinner. Day, dinner and weekendpasses available.

For further details go to: www.facebook.com/thegoldenplough or get your and tickets at www.123tix.com.au/events/38544/the-golden-plough

WHAT’S ON MONTHLY CALENDAR

We have a new handy calendar to keep you up to date with all the events and activities at the Parkes Library and Cultural Centre. Hard copies are now available from the library or on our Facebook page.

FRIDAY FLICKS

This 2022 fantasy romantic drama film is described as Aladdin for adults. What would you wish for if you were granted 3 wishes? For lovers of fairy tales this visually marvellous movie will ignite your imagination. Friday 28 April at 6pm. Bookings essential.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

During April school holidays we have some fun activities for all ages. In-person bookings essential. 

Holiday Kids Flick (rated PG for students in K-6) – Friday 14 April 10:30am – 12:15pm – FREE

Knight for a Day (for students in K-6) – Tuesday 18 April 10:30am – 12:00pm – $2

Youth Online Book Club starts 20 April. To read the book, The Theory of Hummingbirds, download the indyreads app on your device. Join our book club online discussion at parkeslibrary.freeforums.net

PAINTING GROUP EXHIBITION

Visit the Coventry Room to be inspired by this years Annual Parkes Painting Group Exhibition and vote for the People’s Choice. Artwork is available to purchase on opening night or throughout the 2 weeks of the exhibition. Open during library hours from Saturday 22 April to Saturday 6 May. Opening night: Friday 21 April 6:30-8:30pm ($20 payable at the door)

LEARN SOMETHING NEW IN APRIL 

Social AUSLAN – Saturday 15 and 29 April from 10am (FREE). Join us fortnightly in the Makerspace to learn social AUSLAN with Rose and Annette Jones. 

Resin Pouring Workshops – Sunday 30 April at multiple times (Fee required). Learn to resin pour and make a decorative board to take home. Bookings through ‘Lil’ Bluebird Resin Art on Facebook.

Hop along to Lions Park on Easter Saturday, 8th April from 8am to 12.30pm for the eagerly anticipated Rotary Ipomoea’s Easter market. Why not pack up the car and your Easter visitors for a great morning relaxing and checking out the wide range of goods on display.

This market is shaping up to be great fun for everyone with a coffee van on site to provide a morning cuppa while market visitors wander through the stalls. The much loved Rotary breakfast van will be providing a hot breakfast for all to enjoy in the beautiful park setting.

Stalls will provide a great variety of items including earrings and necklaces, home cooking, olive oil and dlicious olives, jams and relishes, health products, creative arts exhibits, quality bric a brac, books, plants, knitting and much more.

Rotary Ipomoea members will be running an Easter raffle on the day. The Rotary Ipomoea stall will feature a new supply of books, DVD’s and puzzles. If you are interested in having a stall at the markets, please contact Helen on 0427 201 445.

Inspired by the National Incognito Art Show, the upcoming Unknown Art Exhibition is an

inclusive, community art show – with a twist.

Hosted by the Forbes Arts Society, the exhibition will bring together the work of over 30 local artists. All artworks are the same size and will go on sale for $100, regardless of artist – beginner, emerging or professional. 

All artworks are exhibited anonymously. Only once an artwork is purchased, only then will the artist’s name be revealed to the buyer.

“Our region is home to some amazing creatives, and this curated group exhibition is designed to uncover and showcase some of that talent,” said Dr Karen Ritchie, Forbes Arts Society.

The Unknown Art Exhibition aims to increase the profile of regional arts and local creatives, provide beginner and emerging artists with an opportunity to exhibit their work, increase regional access and exposure to the arts, as well as inspire a new generation of art collectors and supporters through affordable art.

An exhibition opening will be held tonight, Friday, 31st March, from 6pm until 8pm at the Forbes Town Hall. Tickets are $10 for Forbes Arts Society (FAS) members and $15 for non-members and can be purchased at the door.

The exhibition will then be on public display at Forbes Town Hall until Monday, 3rd April from 10am until 2pm daily.

For more information about the Unknown Art Exhibition and to purchase tickets to the

exhibition opening, head to www.forbesartssociety.com or follow the Forbes Arts Society on Facebook and Instagram.

This exhibition is proudly supported by ArtsWeb volunteers, a committee of the Forbes Arts Society.

Following a successful innaugural event last year, the Rotary Club of Forbes Ipomoea will again host the Forbes Vintage & Collectables Fair on Saturday, 6th May at the Forbes Town Hall.

Head along to view displays and collections from eras past. Travel through time looking at items for display and for sale and remember things from your childhood or your grandparent’s lives.

There will be a large selection of items for viewing and as well for sale, ranging from dolls to bears, crockery to kitchen containers, glassware to bottles, vintage giftware and a mystery item competition where festival goers have to guess and vote on the origin or use of a mystery item. Fair goers will also be treated with tea and scones all day. Entry is by gold coin donation.

For more information or to express your interest in adding to the displays or trading tables ph 0413 274 735 or 0439 708 456.

Forbes Heritage Celebrations is a beloved event on the Forbes calendar each year. Held during the National Trust’s Australian Heritage Festival: 10th April – 14th May. Forbes Heritage is an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate all the wonderful aspects of heritage and history that colour our community. 

ABBA fans get excited as Björn Again bring ABBA’s timeless hits back to the stage in a sing-along, dance-along extravaganza. Heading to Cowra for the very first time, the show will be absolute not to be missed!

Björn Again are “One of the most entertaining rock shows in the world today” (Time Out, New York) and will play all the biggest ABBA hits from Waterloo, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and Fernando to Take a Chance, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, and more!! With all the glitzy 70s costumes, Swenglish banter and hilarious stage antics, you will have the ‘time of your life’.

Their critically acclaimed shows have been attended by Tom Jones, Dave Grohl, Paul Kelly, Metallica, Robert Plant, Bill Gates and Nirvana just to name a few.

“Björn Again are Phonomenal in every sense of the word!” – The Stage UK

“I like Björn Againbecause they are the ABBA for this generation. Why should we miss out?” – David Lawrence UK.

Björn Again have performed over 7,000 shows in more than 120 countries worldwide, are endorsed by the members of ABBA and are regarded as the most successful tribute show of all time.

So what are you waiting for? Dust off those flares, platform shoes and satins and send out an SOS and Ring Rin and come along to Björn Again’s Thank ABBA For The Music 2023 Tour.

The concert will be held on Friday, 14th April at Sid Kallas Oval, Cowra. Gates open at 5:30pm. Tickets will be on sale soon via www.123tix.com.au.

The Forbes CWA Evening Branch has received a container full of donations for flood affected communities. The donations have been very generously collected by the Islamic Council of Queensland. Forbes Shire Council asked Forbes CWA Evening Branch to take on the job of distributing the items.

“We are ready to open our Pop-Up Op Shop this Friday 17th, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th March at the Forbes Showground Commercial Pavilion,” said Ms Robyn Miller, President of Oxley CWA Group. 

Doors will open on Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. If there are enough volunteers and items to sell, the Pop-Up Op Shop may run the same days next week as well. If you would like to assist, please head along.

Prices will range from $2, with designer clothing from $10. All proceeds of the Op-Shop will stay within the area. “It would be fantastic if we could sell all these donations and give those who are flood affected some vouchers to help them return to their homes,” said Ms Miller.

The sun rose on another annual International Women’ Day in Forbes’ Lions Park, setting the scene for soothing yoga, a hearty breakfast and a soul-warming address from guest speaker, communications guru, Dr Neryl East.

Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM welcomed the wisdom and advice from Dr East on removing barriers to embracing equity in business, in the community and everyday life.

“Forbes has such a wealth of knowledge, capabilities and strength in our women and so often we can unknowingly limit our presence by not having that belief in ourselves, that confidence. Dr East spoke of some simple ways in which that can be addressed,” Phyllis said.

“She provided practical tips on how to communicate in business settings, for example just through the language you use. Simple things like using the phrases; ‘in my view’ or ‘in my opinion’ to give weight to your learnedness.”

Dr East also highlighted the importance of personal (internal) communication, through which negative self-talk is the most significant way to erode confidence.

Positive affirmations, such as those used by Olympic swimmers (of which she had some great anecdotes), remove negativity and set the focus of what you are setting out to achieve.

The IWD breakfast was hosted by Forbes Shire Council with funding assistance from the NSW Government.

The event is held each year to embrace the vital role women play in our community, whether it be in the workforce, the community or at home.

Dr East also addressed a number of business representatives on Tuesday night, providing insight into online reputations and business reputations.

“We thank Dr East for her time in Forbes, and look forward to seeing her advice come into play,” said Phyllis.