September
socks off, sandals on
Welcome to the September edition of The Bright Raclette, a monthly community newsletter where we will be sharing upcoming local events, announcements, initiatives and haikus to brighten your day and help you plan your month.
If you keep finding out about fun events after they’ve already happened… well, that’s exactly why we’re here.
As usual, we are offering absolutely no useful updates on current affairs.
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THIS MONTH
The sharp-eyed amongst you may have noticed the media focus on the Alpine region of late has increased exponentially (beyond yours truly here at TBR, and compatriot The Alpine Observer). While we wait for our media duopoly to resume once more, we’ll keep sharing all the good things that are going on in the area. We send our respects to people affected by this awful past week.
👉 Jump to stuff from us: SEE | DO | WATCH | READ | FYI
👉 Jump to stuff from you: Marjorie Beavis-Warren reviews the backcountry | Bright Theatre Company gives us the low down on their latest rehearsals
Calling for contributions
TBR is open to submissions. We’ll consider pretty much anything, but to give you a steer please share: spring seed sowing tips, spring skiing tips, spring cleaning tips — have we mentioned it’s finally spring yet — and reviews of anything you have experienced recently including spring.
We can’t promise we’ll include a play-by-play on the best way to clean an oven, but we promise we’ll consider it.
Actually we would definitely include that, please tell us how to clean our ovens.
**If that button isn’t working, email us at bright.raclette@gmail.com
SEE
— one-offs —
Sep 4 | Check if Ross Noble really did just say that at Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, 8pm. 15+ event.
Sep 4 | Relive ’90s indie folk glory as Frente plays Old Stone Hall, Beechworth, 6.45pm.
Sep 6 | Let Emily Lubitz and Jess Ribeiro wrap you up in folk, storytelling and goosebumps at Old Stone Hall, Beechworth, 6.56pm.
Sep 6 | Revel in a story of doomed romance that “soars with the ecstasy of love, crackles with the pain of jealousy and cries with the agony of loss” against the backdrop of 1840s bohemian Paris with Opera Australia’s La Boheme. Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, 7.30pm.
Sep 12 | Stomp your boots to the king of Aussie country, Lee Kernaghan. Albury Entertainment Centre, 8pm.
Sep 12 | Throw yourself into In Common, where acrobats twist, flip, and cling to a gravity-defying steel-and-rope sculpture. Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, 1pm & 7pm.
Sep 20 | Dance under the stars at In The Paddock, Bright’s alpine celebration of music, mates, and magical moments. Catch Rageflower, Loose Tooth, and DJ Saucy Soph while enjoying local eats, drinks, and a Boot Scoot Competition. 10% of all ticket sales will go towards Victoria Police’s Blue Ribbon Foundation. 5pm.
—Weekend regs —
FRIDAYS
Harrietville Hotel | Head over to the ‘ville to listen to The Stents (Sep 19) and Freeburgh Freedom Fighters (Sep 26). 6pm.
Star Hotel | Test your wits and then your luck at the weekly trivia and Joker Poker.
The Man | Are you in a band? Do you like jamming? The Man at Falls Creek have a jam night every Friday and they’re looking for bands who like jamming. Give them a buzz on 0481 788 839. Become a weekend reg.
SATURDAYS
Harrietville Hotel | Saturdays are for tunes with Benny Williams (Sep 6) and Ash King (Sep 13). 6pm.
Don Mungo’s | Mungo Disco every Saturday from 10pm with DJs from near and far. Check out Berryberry (Sep 6), DJ 1AM (Sep 13), DJ Zabi (Sep 20) and Meggie (Sep 27).
SUNDAYS
Bright Brewery | Join Sunday sessions with Adam Lindsay (Sep 7), Doctor Daz & the Defips (Sep 14), The Piano Wizard (Sep 21), The Kat & Co (Sep 28). 2-5pm.
Wandi Pub | Ride out for lazy Sunday afternoons in the beer garden. Sometimes there is music — this Sunday (Sep 7), for example, catch Adam Lindsay from 12-3pm.
—sneak peak—
It’s not strictly this month, but you probably need to book it soon, so we’ve included it:
Oct 9 | If you like your violins fast and your symphonies lyrical, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is playing Glinka, Saint-Saëns and Brahms at Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre. 7.30pm.
Oct 10 | Created especially for kids, these shows book out exceptionally fast. In this MSO Kids, share in the thrill and beauty of Glinka Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture and Brahms Symphony No.1. 10am & 11.30am.
👇 Did we miss any gigs? Message us below or at bright.raclette@gmail.com for upcoming gigs or venues we should contact for August/September/October.
DO
Sep 1 | Wish Danielle a happy birthday. September brings a time of rebirth, renewal, and balance, symbolising the Earth's transition from the darkness of winter to the light of spring. Also it’s Danielle’s birthday, so make sure you wish her a good one.
Sep 3 | Du pain, du vin, du North East Wine’s French Night. Buy your ticket in advance if you’re a fan of ratatouille.
Sep 4 | It’s shed night, girls! For those who have been inducted into the shed, that is. If you’re yet to be inducted, the mysteries of the shed shall remain mysterious to you until October. Otherwise, welcome back to the shed. 5.30-7.30pm.
Sep 6 | Drink the classy way. Sip on the new Gapsted Estate collection at a guided tasting, complete with curated tasting plates and alpine views. 4pm.
Sep 6 | Cheer on Bright’s Mountain Men in the Ovens & King AFL Preliminary Finals. North Wangaratta.
Sep 7 | Strut your stuff in vintage jackets and jumpsuits at Retro Weekend, where the slopes are groovy, the prizes are gaudy, and polyester reigns supreme. Falls Creek. Get in the mood with Hansi Hinterseer’s ski twist. It may have dropped in 2013, but it’s serving ski nostalgia straight from another era.
Sep 7 | Shout-out to the dads! We wish you a very pretty Bunnings gift card.
Sep 7 | Do a quick google search for Alan Owen-Jones in the Alpine Shire: word is he’s doing another comedy gig in the area, but we don’t have exact details.
Sep 11 | Get your early morning hustle on at the High Country Connect coffee morning, for ladies looking to build their network with like-minded folk. Coffee first, network second. Coral Lee, 7-8.30am.
Sep 11 | Experience the Price family’s ups, downs, and awkwardly heartfelt moments in Things I Know To Be True at Bright Theatre Company.
Sep 16 | Come down to Porepunkah Hall and boogie your heart out at No Lights No Lycra. 6.30pm (note new time for winter).
Sep 18 | She’s been on a hiatus which presumably means we’re in for the trickiest trivia yet at the Brewery’s Hops and High IQs trivia. Bookings recommended. Meerkats present (presumably). 6pm.
Sep 19 | BASSIIILLL. Feast, laugh and dodge flying bread rolls at the Faulty Towers Dining Experience. Vine Hotel, Wangaratta. 6pm.
Sep 20 | Nibble your way through Bright’s Make it, Bake it, Grow it Market for local food, crafts, and riverbank vibes. Howitt Park, 8.30am-12.30pm.
Sep 20 | Does opening your wardrobe make you feel emotions ranging between guilt and terror? Take out a stall for a measly $10 at the Reclaim Closet Fashion Sale (register by Sep 17) and sell it all! Making space for all of the fun second-hand items of clothing you will find at the Reclaim Closet Fashion Sale.
Sep 21 | You know what day it is. Cancel all other plans, the only acceptable thing for you to be doing is dancing to this on repeat.
Sep 26 | Grab your popcorn and settle in for the Women’s Adventure Film Tour 2025 at Bright Sun Cinema. Every year, unique films are carefully chosen to show awesome women achieving their personally adventurous goals. 7pm.
Sep 27 | Learn to craft your own silver jewellery with travelling silversmith Sarah Munnings in Mount Beauty, creating pendants, rings, earrings, or necklaces from clay and silver. Mt Beauty Auditorium. 2pm.
Sep 27 | Make the most of the fact that plants are starting to grow again, meaning more tasty goodness is available at the Myrtleford Farmers Market. 8.30am - 12.30pm, Myrtleford Piazza.
Sep 27-28 | Celebrate the old trails and the arrival of new ones at Mystic’s Trail Wake.
👇 In the know about an upcoming event? Message us below or at bright.raclette@gmail.com.
WATCH
Cinema | Choose from Bright’s Sun Cinema September releases:
The Roses (comedy starring the somewhat unlikely combination of Olivia Coleman, Benedict ScrambledEggs and Andy Samberg in a reimagining of 1989 classic The War of the Roses); Rise Fly Fishing Tour (anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, and adventure seekers are invited to join the 19th iteration of the tour, showcasing stunning cinematography, unforgettable stories, and the heart-pounding excitement of fly fishing); and Kangaroo (heart-warming family comedy about an unlikely pair working to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned joeys).
Star-watch | Tuesday 23rd will see the official end of winter and beginning of spring, according to the skies (and Skynotes). Finally the days are as long as the nights — it only gets better from here, folks.
Weather-watch | Spring is springing, the blossoms are blossoming, and there’s an 18 degree day slated for next Saturday. We can’t guarantee it’ll stay this way (we don’t have that power) so stop reading and get outside while you can.
👇 Saw something you liked? Or didn’t? Submit your own review below or at bright.raclette@gmail.com.
READ
The bit you really came for: contributions from locals about life and times in the valley.
This month, everyone’s favourite Raclette Reviewer, Marjorie Beavis-Warren, clicked into unfamiliar bindings for the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club’s Ski de Femme day at Falls Creek, while the Bright Theatre Company stayed indoors practising a different kind of line.
Marj goes backcountry (well, cross country).
— Marjorie Beavis-Warren
It started, as these things often do where I’m concerned, with a casual invitation. ‘Come along to Falls Creek for Nordic Ski Femme Day’, said some friends. I thought, why not? I’m a (slightly unsteady) downhill skier, and everyone knows XC skiing is the breaststroke of the snow world: slow, unsexy and uncool.
Exactly like me! If you take out the slow and unsexy part anyway…
Well, spoiler! It’s actually very hard. I attempted to ski the 250 metres from the trailhead to the Nordic Bowl to join the 200 women signed up for the day, and managed to fall over three times. Three! By the time I finally arrived, I looked like I’d wrestled a snowman and lost.
And yet… It was glorious! The sun was shining, the vibe was all women-supporting-women and not a single snowboarder came flailing past at 100kph. Hannah, our endlessly patient guide, kept cheering us on as we tried in vain to stay upright. We definitely lost a few along the way to face-plants, bruises, and simmering rage (although, to be fair, simmering rage is a known feature of any group of women over 40 and with good reason).
I lost count of the amount of times I fell over - it honestly just became part of the fun, along with the post-event game of ‘which country does this bruise look like? A nod to the fact I was a walking globe for two weeks.
Overall, I loved it. Hard, sweaty, occasionally painful, but so much laughter, so much support and so much fun that it hardly mattered. Call me a convert: hand me a headband and a pair of giant poles! I finally understand what all the fuss is about.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just maybe start with a lesson… and wear padding.
Next month: Myrtleford Plant Swap at the library - usually the last Saturday of the month, though if anyone could confirm that would be excellent. I’d check myself, but I’ve been inexplicably booted off the Myrtleford Community Facebook group. It’s probably because I’m too cool now.
Things I Know to be True
— Bright Theatre Company
BTC is nearing the end of rehearsals and ready to present “Things I Know to be True” with only THREE weeks until opening night.
Director Cal, shared that she deeply related to the Price family after reading the play, and wanted to resist casting stereotypical family members. She instead chose to implement progressive elements to their seemingly ordinary lives, so that their personal stories could be heard loud and clear.
“I am in awe of the cast and their dedication to the piece! It’s been an absolute treat to collaborate with such an open minded group of actors (and all locals)!”
Bob (Mikey) and Fran (Jax) Price have created a family and a home, yet are still constantly challenged by the lack of control they are faced with.
Their four adult children all reveal to them, their personal struggles, which in turn, they attempt to face and support as best they can. The play runs over the final year of their life together as a “family”.
The play is a funny, poignant and raw exploration of the complexities of love, and the inevitable changes that test the foundations of a family.
Things I Know to be True will play at the Bright Courthouse at 7pm from Sep 11th - Sep 20th with a matinee on Sunday. Get your tickets now here before they sell out.
👇 Do you write things? Draw things? Make jokes (that more than one person finds funny, though truly our bar is low and we will probably accept it either way)? Send them to us below or at bright.raclette@gmail.com
FYI
Find out about solar energy rebates, subsidies, and recommended suppliers at the free to attend Solar Savers program, with drop-in sessions across September. Solar Savers is a free program designed to make choosing quality solar and energy-efficient upgrades simple and stress-free.
Honour a local hero by adding their name Vic Gov’s name bank. Nominations close end of November.
👇 Do you know something we don’t? Drop us a line below or at bright.raclette@gmail.com