Welcome to our list of arts and cultural events happening in the NSW Central West gathered from artists, event producers, great local venues and groups across the region. Use the contact or ticketing details listed with each event.

It’s free to submit your local events

For maps and details of museums, galleries, artist studios, historic sites, Aboriginal experiences and sites, craft shops, handmade retail outlets or public art go to the Culture Maps Central NSW menu.

2023 Christmas Art Fair

GANG GANG Gallery, Lithgow 206 Main Street, Lithgow, NSW, Australia

Lithgows' Gang Gang Gallery is partnering with GBMCAN to bring you the 2023 Christmas Art Fair. 

Event Series Rankin Cottage Craft

Rankin Cottage Craft

Rankin Cottage Crafts, Bathurst 117 Rankin Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Spring brings out all the colours of the rainbow, and we have every colour covered in the wonderful handmade items for you and your family. Closed Monday & Sunday and public holidays.  

FREE

Painting Group

Northside Chapel, Forbes 59 Johnson Street, Forbes, NSW, Australia

Painting groups every Thursday at Northside Chapel.

Artists of all ages and abilities are welcome to come along.

$5.00

Idea of North Community Workshop

CWA Hall Orange Byng St, Orange, NSW, Australia

After their forced covid hiatus, The Idea of North is even more excited to be spreading the joy of vocal harmony again. Come and join the group for a session of hearty singing. All ages, all levels of experience welcome. Participants will be led through vocal and harmony exercises designed to stretch your voice and expand your ears. A song will also be taught, with the opportunity to join The Idea of North on stage for the performance the following night

Free

11th Christmas Tree Festival

Forbes Town Hall 2 Court Street, Forbes, NSW, Australia

The members of Rotary Ipomoea invite you to make and decorate a Christmas tree, a nativity, wreath or wall hanging, as long as the entry has a Christmas theme they will exhibit it at the 11th community Christmas Tree Festival.

2023 HSC Visual Arts Body of Work Exhibition

Mudgee Arts Precinct 90 Market Street, Mudgee, NSW, Australia

To celebrate the talented St Matthews Catholic School 2023 HSC Visual Arts cohort, all are welcome to the exhibition to experience the eclectic range of artworks they have produced. 

Wynne Prize 2023 Exhibition

Mudgee Arts Precinct 90 Market Street, Mudgee, NSW, Australia

Mudgee Arts Precinct is delighted to announce it will feature The Wynne Prize 2023 exhibition which is touring from the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the first time since it began over 125 years ago, giving our local community the chance to see the best of Australian contemporary landscape painting and sculpture closer to home. 

Jack Mundey Exhibition

Kandos Museum 22 Buchanan Street, Kandos, NSW, Australia

At Kandos Museum all summer you will find an engrossing exhibition about Jack Mundey and the Green Bans.

Pulled together by Neale Towart and/Bill Pirie from material held in the vast Sydney Trades Hall labour history collection this outstanding display lays out the emergence of that distinctly Australian phenomena - the green ban.

2024 Summer Reading Club Challenge

Bathurst Library 70-78 Keppel Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Keep an eye out for the launch of our annual SRC Challenge. With $600 worth of prizes up for grabs, its a great way to keep kids reading over the summer holidays!
PLUS a special announcement about an EXTRA feature of this years' challenge is coming soon...

Event Series Friday Night Accoustic

Friday Night Accoustic

Kelly's Irish Pub, Mudgee 49-51 Church St, Mudgee, NSW

Grab your friends, perch yourself up with a drink + enjoy live acoustic music with great local artists every Friday night at Kelly’s Irish Pub.

Kelly’s offers family fun, hand-crafted cocktails, cold draught beer, two massive screens and live music all weekend!

Event Series Early Childhood Music Family Fun Day

Early Childhood Music Family Fun Day

Mitchell Conservatorium of Music, Bathurst Russell Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

This class is the ideal place for pre-school aged children (0-5) to begin learning the building blocks of music in a fun and dynamic environment.  It is a great opportunity for siblings to learn in a group.

Children will begin to progress through weeks of fun topics with our experienced teacher, Elissa Jones, learning about all sorts of music.  

$15.00

Join our Fibre Group

Perthville Community Hall 20 Rockley Street, Perthville, NSW, Australia

This group will work on a weekly activity to learn and share new knowledge and skills.

Event Series Learn to Crochet

Learn to Crochet

Perthville Community Hall 20 Rockley Street, Perthville, NSW, Australia

Come along and learn how to crochet, covering everything from holding your hook and yarn, through to creating designs. 

Sessions every Thursday and Friday.

$10.00

Friday Music for Little Ears – Week 6 of 6

Orange Library (part of Central West Libraries) Civic Square, 147 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Music for Little Ears is perfect for children aged 2-5 years. Join Samantha Bartholomeusz from the Orange Regional Conservatorium for a morning of music and dancing at Orange City Library.

Music is proven to stimulate learning and literacy. Initiate little ears to classical music, singing, percussion, dancing and musical games.

Free
Event Series Slow Stitching

Slow Stitching

Perthville Community Hall 20 Rockley Street, Perthville, NSW, Australia

Slow Stitching
The art of combining textiles and threads.
Learning to slow down our over-active minds and bodies.
To find enjoyment in doing something pleasurable.

$15

Kinross Annual TAS & Visual Arts Showcase

Kinross Wolaroi School Derek Pigot Auditorium, Orange Orange, NSW

Students from Year 7-11 will be proudly presenting their visual art, STEM, food, textiles, wood, metal, ceramics, produce and design and technology products.

We extend a warm invitation to everyone to join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of our students and to immerse yourself in their world of creativity and innovation!

Free
Event Series Summer Beats

Summer Beats

Kings Parade Bathurst Russell St, Bathurst, NSW

This December, Kings Parade will come alive with free live music held from 5pm – 8pm every Friday in the lead up to Christmas.

Get your family and friends together, grab a bite to eat from your favourite local takeaway and picnic in the park while soaking up the tunes of some of Bathurst’s best local bands.

Free

See Saw x Local Artist Group Exhibition

See Saw Wines, Orange Orange

Save the date! See Saw Wines if very excited to be hosting an incredible group of local artists at the cellar door, the perfect opportunity to browse their works, enjoy a glass of wine and purchase Christmas presents. 

Each artist has also painted a small canvas which is due to be auctioned off at this group exhibition with the proceeds going to The Orchard - Housing Plus. 

FREE

BGD X BRAG / Cocktail Aperitif

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery 70-78 Keppel Street, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Join Bathurst Grange Distillery and BRAG for the announcement of the inaugural winner of the Summer Gin Art Competition and the launch of BGD’s new Summer Gin with special guest celebrity chef Matt Moran.

Cowra Christmas Festival

Cowra 77 Darling Street, Cowra, NSW, Australia

Returning once again to the Main Street of Cowra on Friday 2nd December, the Cowra Christmas Festival is an opportunity to celebrate community spirit leading into the festive season and share a great night out with friends and family.

Free

 

The What’s On calendar covers arts and heritage events happening across the NSW Central West in the local government areas of Bathurst Region, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Region, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Event listings are sourced or supplied from local venues and arts organisations. Many events listed here have been originally shared by the organisers on social media. Whilst all care is taken – and accuracy is our priority – we can take no responsibility for date changes or the content of contributed information. Contact the event organisers listed for more details or to book tickets.

The best way to include your event is to use our SUBMIT HERE form (under the What’s On menu at the top of each page). These listings will be manually approved by the Arts OutWest team before publication.  Please allow a couple of days for listings to be published. If you have submitted an event and want to make changes just email us at artsoutwest@csu.edu.au

Featured events‘ are those submitted directly online by presenters.

Event promotors are asked to only include their own original images / images that they have permission to use / copyright free stock images. For more information see our fact sheet on Using Images For Promoting Events (if you can’t see this link look under ‘Opportunities’ then ‘Resources’).