The Central Coast's first-ever drone show will light up The Entrance this November, with BOY SODA, Keli Holiday and more artists joining the lineup for Light Up the Lake. It's one of the highlights of The Lakes Festival, a ten-day program celebrating the region's lakes and waterways, with most events free to attend. There are also glow kayak tours, seafood cooking classes, marine discovery days and creative workshops taking place across the coast. Here's what's on. Saturday, November 7 The festival's biggest night is also its first. Light Up the Lake takes over Memorial Park at The Entrance from 4pm, with Ameliya Jolliffe opening the show, followed by indie-rock artist RAGEFLOWER at 4.50pm and indie-pop artist Charli Lucas at 5.55pm. Keli Holiday, the solo project of Peking Duk's Adam Hyde, plays a DJ set at 7pm, before Terrigal-raised BOY SODA closes out the live music at 8.05pm. The night also features the region's first-ever drone show at 9pm. Entry is free. Bring the kids along early, too. There'll be craft activities, face painting and climbing with Mega Play Climbing Centre, plus the chance to meet Parker the Platypus and pick up water safety tips from Bondi Rescue lifeguard Bruce 'Hoppo' Hopkins. A dedicated sensory space offers somewhere quieter to take a break. If you're planning to make a day of it, start with the free Terrigal Markets along the foreshore from 9am to 3pm, or browse local makers at the free Artisan Market at The Entrance Community Centre from 9.30am to 2.30pm. Over in Avoca Beach, Active Avoca Lake brings kayak and stand-up paddleboard games and races to the water from 11am to 4pm, while locals Margie and Bianca teach raffia coil weaving at a free workshop at Avoca Scout Hall from 10am to 1pm. Runners can head to Bouddi National Park for the Bouddi Coastal Run, with 14-kilometre and 21-kilometre courses across rugged tracks, clifftops and beaches, plus a one-kilometre run for kids. Bookings are required, with entry from $25 to $155. Sunday, November 8 Sunday is one for the family. The free Marine Discovery Family Fun Day runs at Terrigal Rotary Park and the Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre from 9am to 3pm, with kids' workshops, face painting, a kids' disco and tours of the marine centre (bookings are required for the tours). In the afternoon, head to Leagues Club Park in Gosford, where Roundabout Circus hosts S.P.I.R.A.L Coast from 2pm to 5pm, a free chance to try the aerial rig, hula hoops and juggling. Once the sun goes down, the glow kayak tours are one of the festival's standout experiences. The clear kayaks are lit from below, so you can see into the water as you paddle around The Entrance after dark. Sessions depart from The Entrance North Boat Shed at 6.45pm and 8pm, with tickets costing $10. Spots are limited, so book ahead. Monday, November 9 – Thursday, November 12 The festival keeps going through the week. Norah Head Lighthouse is opening for free tours from Monday, November 9, to Friday, November 13, between 10am and 1pm, giving you the chance to learn about its maritime history and take in the views from the headland. For a slower start to the morning, free tai chi sessions are taking place at parks and public spaces around the Central Coast. The Chinese practice combines gentle, flowing movements with focused breathing, making it an accessible way to work on balance and coordination. Sessions start at 8.30am on Tuesday, November 10, at Toukley Village Green and Woy Woy Oval Forecourt; Wednesday, November 11, at Kibble Park in Gosford; and Thursday, November 12, at Memorial Park at The Entrance. Friday, November 13 Friday night is made for a picnic rug. The free Twilight Cinema and Food Fair takes over Terrigal Rotary Park from 3.30pm to 9pm, with a family movie, food stalls and farmers markets beside Terrigal Lagoon. Get there early to browse the stalls, then find a spot on the grass before the movie starts. If food is more your thing, chef Phil Davy is running a free seafood cooking class at the University of Newcastle's Ourimbah campus from 4pm to 6pm, using fish from Tuggerah Lake. There's a second session on Saturday from 12pm to 2pm. Friday is also your last chance to join a free tour of Norah Head Lighthouse. Saturday, November 14 The festival's second weekend gets off to a busy start. Over at Ettalong Beach, the Bombora SUP Festival runs from 6am to 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, with a ten-kilometre race, SUPBALL, SUP yoga, relays and junior events. Bookings are required, with fees from $10 to $60. Gosford Water Polo Club is also playing free exhibition matches on the Gosford foreshore across the weekend. Families can head to Hunter Park in Avoca Beach for Treasure of the Tides, a free day of ocean-themed activities, live entertainment and environmental education from 10am to 2pm. Back at The Entrance, Memorial Park hosts the free Sustainable Future Festival from 9am to 3pm, with workshops, talks and demonstrations on waste reduction and reuse. In the afternoon, Roundabout Circus brings students and professional performers together for Splashabout Showcase – The Ripple Effect, a circus production inspired by the natural world. There are two shows, at 2pm and 6pm, with tickets ranging from free to $25. Then, as the evening rolls around, Clambake Bioluminescent Immersion takes over Gosford's Funhaus Factory from 7pm to 11pm. The glowing, underwater-inspired show combines cabaret, circus, drag and live music with stories drawn from the region's ecosystems. Tickets cost $35, so book ahead. Sunday, November 15 If one weekend of festival activities isn't enough, the final day has a few more to fit in. Central Coast Waterwatch is running the free Wyong River Catchment Crawl, a bus tour where you can dip-net for waterbugs and test water samples to see how healthy the river is. It runs from 8.30am to 3pm, departing from Central Coast Wetlands in Tuggerah, and bookings are required. Later in the day, The Wonders of Water closes out the festival at Avoca Scout Hall with dance, music, storytelling and visual arts. The free event runs from 3pm to 8pm. Throughout the Festival Art lovers can drop into The Entrance Gallery to see Waterways and Ways with Water, a free exhibition by the Central Coast Watercolour Society, from Friday, November 6, to Sunday, November 15. The gallery is open from 10am to 3pm on weekdays and 9am to 3pm on weekends. Wildlife fans can catch Pelican Time at Pelican Plaza at 3.30pm on selected days throughout the festival. The free sessions cover how The Entrance's resident pelicans feed and what's being done to protect their habitat. With events spread across the region, The Lakes Festival is a good excuse for a longer Central Coast getaway. The Entrance is about 90 minutes from Sydney, so you can drop in for a day, stay for a weekend or spend a few extra days exploring the coastal walks around The Entrance, swimming at Toowoon Bay Beach and browsing the cafes and shops in Terrigal. For the full program and event details, head to Love Central Coast and start planning your visit to The Lakes Festival.
