Go North Arts Festival

Overview

If you've been itching to get out of the city, you'll find a solid excuse for a weekend adventure around four hours north of Melbourne on the banks of the Murray. From Friday, September 2–Sunday, September 4, the inaugural Go North arts fest descends on Swan Hill with a juicy program of music and visual art — and with some very familiar names in the lineup.

The fun kicks off on Friday at Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery for the Swan Hill National Print and Drawing Awards, where you'll get to wine, dine and rub shoulders with the artists while enjoying the jazzy sounds of River Boat Quintet.

Freya Josephine Hollick

On Saturday afternoon, Riverside Park fires up for the main event — an all-ages fiesta headlined by Clare Bowditch, Benny Walker, Freya Josephine Hollick and The Northern Folk. There'll be a hefty lineup of local food trucks and drink options galore; plus you can brush up your skills at a range of artist-led creative workshops covering everything from screen-printing, to drumming, to Aboriginal learning with Swan Hill artist and Wemba Wemba Wiradjuri Neri Neri Wotjiboluk Boon Wurrung Aboriginal woman Kenita Lee McCartney.

Elsewhere in the weekend's program, catch a lithography talk and demo by ​​printmaker and painter Peter Jacobs, a classical guitar recital, and a guided walk-through of ​​the National Print and Drawing Awards Exhibition, with coffee.

The Northern Folk

Top Image: Clare Bowditch