Hunter Valley Aviation Open Day 9am onwards, Cessnock Airport, Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin. Features 30-minute trial instructional flights for $150.

The Newcastle Food & Flower Markets - Official Launch 8am to 3pm, 1 Rural Drive, Sandgate. Meet the vendors and sample products. Lots of activities to keep the children occupied, plus live music. 

Taste.Shop.Play at Westfield Kotara Saturday and Sunday. Pop-ups, cooking for kids and more. Go to westfield.com.au/kotara for times and booking details.

Bike Ride for Brain Cancer Day two: Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley to Calais Estate, where a long lunch will be held. 

Music of the Guns Gates open at 5.30pm for a 6.30pm concert at Fort Scratchley, concluding at 8.30pm with the 1812 overture and firing of the guns. The Australian Army Band Newcastle and guest musicians. 

Hunter Cactus and Succulent Society Meeting 1pm, Charlestown Multi Purpose Centre. All welcome. Displays, competitions, plant sales, raffles and guest speakers.

Autumn Racing Carnival Noon to 6pm, Newcastle Racecourse, Broadmeadow. 

Outspoken XI 3pm, The Press Book House, Newcastle. Artist Kirsten Wolf in conversation with One Billion Rising's Rachel Bond.

Sanbah Cadet Cup - Surfest Saturday and Sunday, South Bar Beach, Newcastle. 

Gresford Show Gresford Showground. 

Beaumont St Carnivale 10am to 5pm, between Tudor and Donald streets, Hamilton. Food and market stalls, competitions, live broadcasts, music, entertainment, Circus Avalon performers, a Kids Zone, Sideshow Alley, Carnival Zoo, camel rides, a grand parade and much more. 

All About Women - streamed live from Sydney Opera House 12.30pm to 5.30pm, Best Western Plus Apollo International Hotel, Charlestown. Tickets $50 and include canapes and a welcome drink.

Pink Zinc Day - All Girls Swim Out 11am onwards, Nobbys SLSC Newcastle. To celebrate International Women’s Day. Wear your pink zinc or singlet. All past and present members welcome.

Homemade by the Potters: arts, crafts and needlework 1pm to 4pm, Miss Porter’s House Museum, 434 King Street, Newcastle West. See homemade clothing and textiles made by Florence Porter and her daughters Ella and Hazel plus crochet, lace and embroidered household linens. Adults $10, concession $8, family $25, children under five admitted free.

Soul Food - The Dance of Life 10.30am to noon, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery. Explores the spiritual and physical relationship between our thoughts and actions. A free community event.

Beach Clean Up - Sea Shepherd 3pm to 5pm, Stockton Beach.

Korfball Come and Try Day 11am to 2pm, Adamstown Bowling Club. All welcome, plus a free barbecue.

Melanoma March Newcastle 8am, Islington Park, Newcastle. All funds raised will go towards research dedicated to finding a cure for melanoma.

Morisset - Central Coast Swap Meet 6am onwards, Morisset Showground. 

Author Adam Courtenay, son of Bryce Courtenay, is coming to Newcastle Library at 11am next Tuesday, March 12, to to discuss his non-fiction book about convict James Porter. Free event but bookings essential at eventbrite.com.au or by phoning 4974 5300.

Also, The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Doll Lovers' 37th annual fair comes to Merewether High School o March 23. Buy antique and modern dolls, teddy bears and accessories. Bring old dolls and bears to be valued. 

Lake Macquarie City Farmers Market Saturday, 7.30am to 1pm, Speers Point Park, Speers Point. 

Handmade in the Hunter Markets Saturday, 9am to 3pm, Kevin Sobels Wines, 5 Halls Road, Pokolbin. 

Hunter Wine Country Markets Saturday, 9am to 3pm, De Bortoli Wines, 532 Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin.

Wyee Market Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 1pm, Wyee Community Hall.

Medowie Markets Saturday, 8am to 12.30pm, The Bull & Bush Motel, 37 Ferodale Road, Medowie. 

Aussie Night Markets Saturday and Sunday, 4pm to 10pm, Dixon Park Beach, Ocean Street, Merewether.

Hamilton Clocktower Markets Saturday, 8am to 2pm, James Street Plaza, Beaumont Street, Hamilton.

Not Your Average Garage Sale Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm, Millbrook, 2684 Wollombi Road, Wollombi.

Adamstown Lions Club Market Sunday, 7am to 1pm, cnr Brunker and Glebe roads, Adamstown.

Newcastle City Farmers Market Sunday, 7am to 1pm, Newcastle Showground, Broadmeadow.

Dalwood Markets Sunday, 10am to 3pm, 700 Dalwood Road, Dalwood.

Tomaree Markets Sunday, 8am to 2pm, Tomaree Sports Complex, Nelson Bay. 

Morpeth Gallery Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Meet and chat to 12 of Australia’s leading landscape and wildlife artists, and watch them painting at their easels. Features artists John McCartin, Stephen Jesic and James Hough.

Fireshed Gallery, Wollombi Togetherness, by Wayne Krause, Den Barber and the late Jodi Cameron, until March 24.

Swansea Library Saturday, 10.30am to 11.30am: Meet The Illustrator - Jenni Goodman, who illustrated four children’s books based on Colin Thiele’s Storm Boy. Her works will be on display at Swansea Library as part of Launchpad@LakeMac until May 11. Also, SEEN@Swansea, The Swansea Centre, Waves, until March 31.

Lovett Gallery, Newcastle Library The Many Story Treehouse Exhibition. An exhibition of Terry Denton’s original illustrations, sketches and layouts showing the development of crazy ideas, characters and stories for the Treehouse series developed with author Andy Griffiths. Until April 27.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Staging Love, by Jumaadi, until March 24. The Poetry of Space, by Tim Winters; Fond Illusion, by James Rhodes, until April 28. Charles Blackman: from the MRAG Collection, until August 11. Maitland International Salon of Photography, until May 26. Props, Masks & Magic, by Andrew Antoniou, until May 19. 

Newcastle Art Gallery Sodeisha: connected to Australia. Floribunda: from the collection, until April 28. Saturday and Sunday, Art Cart: free art-making activity for kids of all ages, 10.30am to 12.30pm. Plus, Piano recital in the Art Gallery by Gerard Willems AM on Saturday, 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Bookings required.

Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery First Class 18, until March 31. Saturday: Drop-in Drawing for Teens & Adults, 1pm to 2.30pm. Sunday: Art Space, 10.30am to noon, for young children and their families.

Port Stephens Community Arts Centre Summer in the Bay; Holiday Jewels, until March 14.

Newcastle Art Space Still-Lifes, by Lydia Miller, until March 24. A Gallery 139 pop-up.

Timeless Textiles Big Ink, by Fiona Duthie, ends Sunday.

Rutherford Public School and High School Yearly Art Exhibition, Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm, Rutherford High School hall.  

The Lock Up Argo Internal Pressure, by Braddon Snape, until March 17. 

Cessnock Regional Art Gallery Approaches To Landscape, by Julia Francis, Jacquie Mather, Jenny Dimmock, Rebecca Rath, Guntis Jansons, Richard Stern, until March 31. 

Newcastle Studio Potters & Back to Back Galleries Tides of March, by Jannette Bickley & Helen Jackson, until March 24.

Hudson Street Hum Beyond The Mask: Imagery for International Women's Day, until March 13. 

Watt Space Gallery The F Word, by Alessia Sakoff, Donna Jorna, Katrina Holden, Leanne Schubert, Megan McCarthy, Melissa Bull and Michelle Wellham. A flock, a swarm, a herd, a school, a pod, by Deborah Redwood. If the trees could talk, what do you think they would say to us? by Courtney Heffernan. Art-Book-Work, by Sally Goodfellow. Until March 31.

The University Gallery Common Ground Pacific, by Greg Fuller, Jason Hicklin and Tracy Hill, until March 19. 

Museum of Clothing, Maitland 2018 HSC Students Design & Textile Work, until April 13.

Art Systems Wickham In Parallel, by Cliff Brigg, until March 24.

Newcastle Museum Underworld: Mugshots from the Roaring Twenties. More than 130 candid and compelling mugshots taken by NSW Police between 1920 and 1930. Until June 30.

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre The 46th Muswellbrook Arts Prize; Art Tracks II - Tracing the history of the Muswellbrook Arts Prize, until May 5.

Dogfight: The Musical A marine having a last night out in San Francisco before going to Vietnam is attracted to a waitress he meets; musical by composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Newcastle Theatre Company, at the NTC Theatre, Lambton. Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. 4952 4958.

Hermit Crabs and Meteors The life of a lonely young man, whose hermit crab has disappeared, changes when a meteor carrying strange creatures crashes through his roof; new comedy-drama by Novocastrian Tyler Atcheson. Bearfoot Theatre, at the Royal Exchange, Newcastle. Saturday at 7pm, plus 2pm Saturday and Sunday matinees. 4929 4969.

Nashville Live Popular American musical, with a compere taking the audience, with 44 classic country music hits, through the development of that music form. Mellen Events, at the Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Saturday, at 7.30pm. 4929 1977.

High Street Dramas - Street Theatre Saturday and Sunday, from 5pm. The Friends of Grossmann House invite the public to take a walk down the eastern side of High Street to experience some of the graphic stories of Maitland’s past. Follow the players as you stand in the places where sensational crimes, stirring speeches and a few tricks were played out. A collaboration with the Maitland Repertory Theatre. Meet at 5pm outside the theatre at the corner of High and James streets, event concludes with supper at Brough House, 73 Church Street, Maitland, at 6.30pm.  Some uneven walking. Bookings are essential: $35/$30 National Trust members. All proceeds go towards the ongoing maintenance of the National Trust properties – Grossmann and Brough Houses, and to the Maitland Repertory Theatre.

5 Sawyers Saturday, DJ Alessandro. Sunday, Adrianna Mac.

Anna Bay Tavern Saturday, 2 To The Floor. Sunday, Jacinta.

Argenton Hotel Sunday, Junior and Luana.

Australia Hotel Cessnock Saturday, Bad Paris.

Battlesticks Bar Saturday, Casey Bellamy. Sunday, Madelyn.

Bay Hotel Bonnells Bay Sunday, Matt McLaren.

Beach Hotel Saturday, Fuelstar. Sunday, The V-Dubs.

Belmont 16s Saturday, The Gaudrys, Megan Core, Tom Ballard and Luke McGregor. Sunday, The Blue Water Cowboys.

Belmont Hotel Saturday, Redline.

Belmore Hotel Saturday, Soundabout.

Beresfield Bowling Club Saturday, The Leadbellies. 

Blueys Nelson Bay Saturday, Jason Paris.

The Bradford Saturday, Steve Edmonds Band.

Burwood Inn Saturday, Bucko.

Cambridge Hotel Saturday, The Beasts (main room), Great Gable, Dulcie (warehouse). Sunday, Port Royal.

Catho Pub Saturday, Angie. Sunday, Phonic.

Central Leagues Club Saturday, Ryan Daley.

Central Hotel Stroud Saturday, Paula & Owen.

Cessnock Leagues Club Saturday, Dr. Zoom Duo.

Civic Theatre Saturday, Nashville Live.

Club Catalina Sunday, Robbie Urquhart.

Club Kotara Saturday, Jump.

Club Lemon Tree Saturday, Anthony Lee. 

Colliery Inn Sunday, Rox.

Commercial Hotel Morpeth Saturday, Kristo and King.

Crown & Anchor Hotel Saturday, DJ Standing Ovation, Matt Semmens.

Customs House Sunday, Zane Penn. 

Cypress Lakes Saturday, Karen O’Shea.

D'Albora Marina Sunday, Jordan.

Denman Hotel Sunday, Fatman Don't Dance.

Duke Of Wellington Saturday, Jungle Kings Duo.

East Cessnock Bowling Club Saturday, Dave Alone. Sunday, Reg Lindsay Memorial Talent Quest.

East Maitland Bowling Club Saturday, Triple Zero. Sunday, Andrew G. 

Easts Leisure & Golf Club Sunday, Emile.

Edgeworth Tavern Saturday, Outerphase.

Exchange Hotel Saturday, 2GoodReasons.

Finnegans Saturday, Ctrl Alt Del.

Gallipoli Legion Club Sunday, 2GoodReasons.

Gateshead Tavern Sunday, Gaz N Gaz.

George Tavern Saturday, Troy Kemp.

Grain Store Sunday, J.J King.

Grand Junction Hotel Sunday, Fish Fry & Pow Wow.

Great Northern Hotel Newcastle Saturday, Iguana.

Gunyah Hotel Saturday, Sunhill Drive. Sunday, Michael Peter.

Hamilton Station Hotel Saturday, Solid Effort, Cakewalk, Basil's Kite, Ridgemont High. Sunday, Melodie Jane.

Harrigan’s Pokolbin Saturday, Tim Pringle, Stiletto. Sunday, Grant Walmsley & Friends.

Hexham Bowling Club Saturday, The Hitpit. Sunday, Backbeat Duo.

Honeysuckle Hotel Saturday, The Search Party. Sunday, Mick Jones.

Hotel Delany Saturday, Zac and Ben.

Imperial Hotel Maitland Saturday, Marissa+1.

Jewells Tavern Saturday, Misbehave.

Kent Hotel Saturday, Pocket Aces. Sunday, Kristy James, Jungle Kings. 

King Street Hotel Saturday, Some Blonde.

Kurri Bowling Club Saturday, Kevin O'Hara.

Lake Macquarie Yacht Club Sunday, Cotton Sax and Strings.

Lambton Park Hotel Saturday, Benson. Sunday, Casey Bellamy.

Lass O’Gowrie Saturday, Heaps Gay.

Lizotte’s Saturday, Mr Soul 50 Years of Tom Jones. Sunday, Blues Brothers Rebooted (lunch), Ross Wilson, Benny Black (dinner).

Lochinvar Hotel Saturday, Darren Rolling Keys.

Lucky Hotel Saturday, The Gleesons. Sunday, Sunday Soul Sessions.

Mary Ellen Hotel Saturday, Love That Hat.

Maryland Tavern Saturday, The Levymen. 

Mattara Hotel Saturday, The Andy Show.

Mavericks On The Bay Saturday, Robbie T. Sunday, Greg Bryce.

Mavericks On Darby Saturday, Felix Quinn Music Duo.

Mezz Bar at Wallsend Diggers Saturday, All Access 80’s. Sunday, Chris Saxby.

Morisset Country Club Sunday, Murray Byfield.

Murray’s Brewery Sunday, Greg McKew.

Nag’s Head Hotel Saturday, Pete McCredie.

Nelson Bay Diggers Saturday, The Big Bang. Sunday, Joel Oakhill.

Nelson Bay Golf Club Saturday, Bobby C.

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Sunday, Ryan Daley.

Newcastle Hotel Saturday, Yolanda Be Cool.

Newcastle Jockey Club Saturday, Jordan, Pete McCredie.

Northern Star Hotel Saturday, Michael Peter, TK Stylz. Sunday, Mental As Anything, Little Scallywags, The Amazing Johnathan, Ignite Team, Holly Mae, Brien McVernon & The Rockets From Oz.

Paxton Bowling Club Saturday, Joel Oakhill.

Pippis At The Point Saturday, Front Cover Band. Sunday, Pete McCredie.

Premier Hotel Saturday, The New Cool Duo.

Queens Wharf Hotel Saturday, The After Party Trio. Sunday, Love That Hat, Wharf Life.

Railway Hotel Cessnock Sunday, Gen-X.

Raymond Terrace Bowling Club Sunday, Big Pete.

Royal Federal Hotel Branxton Saturday, Outlaw Avenue.

Royal Hotel Singleton Sunday, Zac and Ben. 

Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto Sunday, Greg Sherar.

Rutherford Hotel Saturday, Kelly Hope.

Seabreeze Hotel Saturday, Mardmax Trio.

Seven Seas Hotel Sunday, Bobby C.

Shaft Tavern Saturday, Dream Catchers.

Shoal Bay Country Club Saturday, Madelyn, Modern History. Sunday, Jason Bone, Mick Jones.

Shortland Hotel Saturday, Brien McVernon.

Soldiers Point Bowling Club Saturday, Sass & The Boss.

Stag and Hunter Hotel Saturday, Carl The Bartender, Boots Porter. Sunday, The New Savages.

Star Hotel Saturday, Hannah & Mike. Sunday, Jacob Neale Jazz Trio.

Stockton RSL Club Saturday, Nite Train.

Swansea Hotel Sunday, Brazillian Brothers.

Swansea RSL Club Saturday, Slam Tango. Sunday, Simon King.

Swansea-Belmont Surf Life Saving Club Saturday, Gerda.

Swansea Workers Club Saturday, Stu Morrison. Sunday, Oran Vir.

Sydney Junction Hotel Sunday, The V Dubs.

Tea Gardens Hotel Saturday, Wayne Dufty.

Tilligerry RSL Saturday, Layth Gunn.

Toronto Diggers Saturday, 40 Up Club.

Toronto Hotel Sunday, Boney Rivers.

Toronto Workers Saturday, Kaylens Rain.

Town Hall Hotel Saturday, Kristy James.

Victoria Hotel Hinton Saturday, Emily Smith. Sunday, Jake Folbigg.

Vincent St Kitchen & Bar Cessnock Saturday, Chad Shuttleworth Duo. Sunday, Craig Thommo.

Wangi Hotel Saturday, Craig Thommo. Sunday, Sami Cooke.

Wangi Wangi RSL Club Sunday, Hummdinger.

Warners At The Bay Saturday, The Years.

Warners Bay Sports Club Sunday, Steve Condon.

Westfield Kotara Saturday, Jessica Cain. Sunday, Jason Bone.

Wests Cardiff Saturday, Anthology.

Wests New Lambton Saturday, The Hot Yogi's. Saturday, Bjorn Again. 

Wests NEX Saturday, The Snape Trilogy.

Wickham Park Hotel Saturday, Little Cents, The Lamplighters. Sunday, One Man Dan, Carter & Mighty Rock.

Windsor Castle Hotel Saturday, Jason Bone.

A Dog's Way Home (PG) A dog called Bella sets off on a journey to find her owner.

Alita: Battle Angel (M) Cyborg Alita awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognise. 

Captain Marvel (M) Carol Danvers, a former US Air Force fighter pilot, has her DNA fused with that of a Kree during an accident, leading her to question her past when Earth is caught in a galactic war between two alien races.

Cold Pursuit (MA) The father of a murdered son sets out to dismantle a drug cartel one man at a time.

Flying The Nest (G) A plover chick is left behind when his family migrates.

Free Solo (M) Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's El Capitan Wall. 

Greta (MA) A young woman befriends a lonely widow with a deadly agenda.

Green Book (M) A working-class Italian-American bouncer takes on a job as a chauffeur for an African-American classical pianist.

Instant Family (PG) When Pete and Ellie decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. 

King Of Thieves (M) A crew of retired crooks pull off a major heist.

Mary Queen Of Scots (MA) Mary Stuart, considered by many the legitimate sovereign of England, attempts to overthrow her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. (Lake Cinema)

On The Basis Of Sex (M) The inspiring origin story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a passionate young lawyer who dedicates herself to ending gender discrimination when she takes on a ground-breaking case in 1975. (Lake Cinema)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (PG) Spider-Man crosses parallel dimensions and teams up with the Spider-Men of those dimensions to stop a threat to all reality. 

Stan & Ollie (PG) Laurel & Hardy, one of the world’s great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. 

The Favourite (MA 15+) This film won 10 Oscars at the 2019 Academy Awards. Set in 18^th century England, starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. (Regal)

The Lego Movie 2 (PG) The Second Part reunites the heroes of Bricksburg in an all new action-packed adventure to save their beloved city. 

What Men Want (M) A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear their thoughts.