Celebrate the Central Coast and its fabulous waterways this spring at The Lakes Festival 2024! This fabulous annual event is back for its ninth year and is bigger and better than ever, with more than 30 events happening across the Central Coast from 8-17 November 2024.
The 10-day festival – brought to you by Central Coast Council – celebrates the Central Coast’s many lakes and waterways with a program of free and ticketed events that include everything from kayaking, SUP and beach soccer to live music festivals and outdoor cinemas. The Coast has so many beautiful waterfront locations and this is a great way to explore them. Come for the fun, come for the food… and enjoy the view.
With more than 30 events on offer, this program is packed with fun, so below we’ve shared with you what we believe will be the Lakes Festival’s best family-friendly events in 2024. Scroll down to check it out, or click the link below to view the full program of events.
Music, Fairs and Shows at The Lakes Festival
Light Up The Lake at The Entrance
Celebrate the launch of The Lakes Festival with Light Up The Lake – a festival of live music, kids’ activities, food stalls and fireworks!
This year The Lakes Festival has gone all out to bring even more family-friendly activities to the event. Kids, this year you can…
+ Meet a mermaid! For real-life!
+ Grab your parrot and eye patch and go on a pirate scavenger hunt.
+ Make Play-Doh from scratch and take it home for hours of fun.
+ Get messy at the Messy Play stations. This is a double win as the mess isn’t at home!
+ Let loose on the Mega Play Climbing Centre.
+ Take some quiet time out in the ‘Rocking the Senses’ mobile sensory room.
+ Drop into The Crud Space and help create a community art piece, which will celebrate the beauty and diversity of the Central Coast’s local waterways.
+ Elevated on stilts, see the ‘Birds of Paradise’ soaring above the crowd and illuminating the sky with multicoloured patterns of light.
+ Be entertained by Roundabout Circus’s Circus and Glow Flow play space.
We recommend you get there early to make the most of the activities, then grab a bite from one of the many fantastic food vendors or local restaurants and settle in for a night of live entertainment. Be sure to stick around til 9pm when the incredible fireworks display – brought to you by Halekulani Bowling Club – will literally Light Up The Lake!
When: Saturday 9 November 2024, 4pm-9pm.
Where: Memorial Park, 46 Marine Parade, The Entrance.
Ages: All ages.
Cost: Free! Food is available to purchase.
Splashabout Showcase
Dive right into the magic of Roundabout Circus’ Splashabout Showcase: an inclusive, fun, and creative circus experience! See professional circus performers and Roundabout’s performance troupe dazzle as they display aerials, juggling, silks, hula hooping and more. This show promises to blend the excitement of the circus with the enchantment of the sea by bringing you a “show full of spectacle and tentacles, clam tight acts and briny humour”.
Better still, before the show you can get in on the act and try your hand at some circus tricks. Can you juggle? How long can you hula for? Are you a poi professional? Come down, grab a bite from one of the food trucks and soak up Roundabout’s community spirit at this fun and interactive event.
When: Sunday 10 November. 11:30am – 3.00pm. Pre-show fun and entertainment at 11:30am, main show 1pm-3pm.
Where: Roundabout Circus, 96 Showground Rd, Gosford.
Ages: All ages.
Cost: General Admission $25, Child 4-12yrs $18, Child 0-3yrs (sitting on lap) free. Family ticket (2 General Admission + 2 Child 4-12yrs tickets) $75. Plus booking fee.
Bookings are essential.
1Coast Sustainable Activation Days
Have a pre-schooler who’s a superhero fan? They’ll be pumped to meet The Super Sustainables and the 1Coast Team at their Sustainable Activation Days in Gosford and Budgewoi. The games and activities have been developed to entertain, inform, and inspire positive actions for a sustainable future:
- Create your own special smoothie with the power of your own muscles thanks to Bike ‘n’ Blend!*(Gosford only)
- Get down and boogie to tunes from a solar-powered sound system!*(Gosford only)
- Play Trash Toss and see how well (and how fast) you can sort your home’s waste.
- Be a junior lab scientist and conduct experiments such as water quality testing + more.
When and where: Tuesday 12 November, 9am-1pm at Kibble Park, Donnison Street, Gosford | Friday 15 November, 10am-1pm | Mackenzie Reserve, Weemala Street, Budgewoi.
Cost: Free!
Marine Magic Outdoor Cinema and Arts Fair, Terrigal
The Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre and Parklife Cafe is already a favourite meeting point for local families, so we anticipate this event will be swimmingly popular. Get ready for a splash of fun and education at Marine Magic, a whimsical and wonderful evening designed to educate and celebrate the waters of the Central Coast! Expect face painting, roving performers, local musicians, water-based kids’ activities, markets and a free outdoor cinema.
When: Friday 15 November, 4pm-9pm.
Where: Terrigal Rotary Park.
Cost: Free!
Gather and Groove Music and Arts Festival, Woy Woy
Head to Woy Woy waterfront for an evening of aerial performances, live music, artisan markets and food trucks. The Crud Muffins will be creating a fun and whimsical space for kids to get their creative zen on and the Roundabout Circus play space will bring flow arts, LED hoops and roving characters to the lawn.
We recommend you get a group together, throw down some picnic rugs and kick back at this fabulous family event.
When: Saturday 16 November 3pm-10pm.
Where: Lions Park, North Burge Road, Woy Woy.
Cost: Free!
Arts and Crafts at The Lakes Festival Central Coast
Artists and creatives from the Central Coast are showcasing their work throughout the region during the 10-day event, and they’re inviting you to join them in creating some of the fabulous installations.
Here are three of our favourite opportunities for you to get arty crafty.
Hills Hoist Exchange, Budgewoi
Get to Mackenzie Reserve, Budgewoi, (November 8-17) for the Hills Hoist Exchange, a unique art installation and sustainable swap event.
Sydney-based artist Eva Rinaldi will create a unique installation of a Hills Hoist clothesline adorned with preloved swimming clothing and accessories. You can take an item home, and bring your own clean and gently-used swimwear to exchange.
When: 8-17 November 2024.
Where: Mackenzie Reserve, Budgewoi.
Cost: Free!
Central Coast Postcard Show, Woy Woy
Visit the Woy Woy Environment Hall for the Central Coast Postcard Show to view and purchase postcard-sized artworks of Brisbane Water and to join in creative workshops.
They have nine postcard art workshops taught by local artists on offer over the ten-day festival. Each workshop is capped at 14 participants.
When: 8-17 November 2024, 10am-4pm.
Where: Woy Woy Environment Centre, Blackwall Road, Woy Woy.
Cost: Some events are free and some paid – from $10/person.
Bookings are essential.
Outdoor Adventures at The Lakes Festival Central Coast
The Lakes Festival is hosting a heap of fabulous outdoor activities this Spring. It’s the perfect way to rediscover more of what our beautiful region has to offer.
Kayak Ecotours
Grab a paddle and enjoy a free kayak across some of the Central Coast’s most stunning waterways. Your guide will also share details on our waterways, their local fauna and flora and the Coast’s endangered Little Terns. Double kayaks are available and it’s open to kids 8+.
Avoca Lagoon Kayaking Ecotour: Wednesday 13 November | Departing from Heazlett Park, Avoca Beach.
Kayak The Entrance: Saturday 9 November | Departing from Picnic Point, The Entrance.
Kayak Lake Mac: Thursday 14 November | Departing 52 Lloyd Avenue, Chain Valley.
Kayak Brisbane Water: Saturday 16 November | Departing Davistown.
Ages: Open to ages 8+. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost: Free!
Bookings are essential. Tickets to this popular event will go on Sale on November 2 at 9am.
Yoga by the Lake, Budgewoi
Start your day on the right track! Budgewoi Yoga is inviting people of all ages and abilities to join them in their outdoor yoga sessions at Mackenzie Reserve. The sessions will begin at 7am so you can start your day feeling positive, revitalised and refreshed.
When: Sunday 10 November and Sunday 17 November. 7am-8am.
Where: Mackenzie Reserve, Budgewoi.
Ages: All ages.
Cost: Free!
Bookings are essential.
SUP Extravaganza, Ettalong Beach
Have you tried SUP (stand-up paddleboarding)? Now’s your chance to give it a go. Local group Bombara Ettalong Beach SUP are putting on two days of fun events, including SUP Yoga classes, SUP races, SUP lessons and a SUP ball comp. You can be an absolute beginner or an experienced SUPper – these events are all about fun.
When: Saturday 16 November 5.30am-5pm and Sunday 17 November 5.30am-2pm.
Where: The Esplanade, Ettalong Beach.
Ages: Open to ages 8+.
Cost: Some events are free and some paid – from $25/person.
Bookings are essential.
The Bouddi Coastal Run, Killcare
The Bouddi Coastal Run event is back this November, offering its participants 21km of stunning coastal views with a variety of terrain including smooth trails, cliff tops and hills, sandy expanses, and rocky landscapes! And the great news is that families with young children can also get involved in the event’s 1km Kids Beach Run which will be held on Putty beach. Got teens at home? There’s a 14km trail they can join, making this a great activity for families with older kids.
When: Saturday 9 November.
Where: Bouddi National Park, Beach Drive, Killcare.
Ages: 1km Kids Beach Run is for kids 5-12 years. The 14km trail is available in a junior event (11-16 years) as well as adults 17+. The 21km event is for people 17+.
Cost: Entry costs start at $20.
Bookings are essential.
Beach soccer, Terrigal
With soccer’s ever-increasing popularity, we think Australian Beach Soccer sounds like a winner, and it’s coming to Terrigal for The Lakes Festival.
You can enter a ready-made team or create a new one stacked with family and friends – it’s all in fun. Tournaments will run for the following age groups: Under 12 mixed, 13-16 Boys / Girls, Adult Men’s, Adult Women’s, Adult Mixed. This is sure to be a heap of fun for players and spectators.
When: The tournament will be held on Terrigal Beach.
Where: 9 and 10 November.
Cost: Team rego is $370.
Bookings are essential.
PLUS, there is a tonne more fun to be had, including comedy shows, full moon celebrations, beach netball, arts and crafts fairs, film festivals, painting by the lake exhibitions, and more. Much much more.
To see the full program of events, check out The Lakes Festival website.
More Information and Weather Updates on the Central Coast Lakes Festival
In the event of wet weather, check The Lakes Festival’s Facebook feed for updates.
To stay up to date with all things The Lakes Festival – including individual event information and much more – like The Lakes Festival’s Facebook page and follow them using #thelakesfestival.
The Lakes Festival is proudly presented by Central Coast Council.
Header image supplied by Central Coast Council.
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Written By: KATIE STOKES
Founder & Editor
After working in print and online media for more than a decade, Katie launched Playing in Puddles in 2017. A mum of three young boys and local of the Central Coast, Katie loves discovering and sharing all that’s happening in our region.
