Looking for what’s on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie or the Hunter Valley this July? You’ll find the best family-friendly events right here – from festivals and markets to theatre shows, free community events and everything in between.
Events are listed by date so you can easily plan your week or weekend, whether you’re heading out during the school term, the July school holidays, or just looking for something fun to do with the kids.
Please note: NAIDOC week runs from Sunday 5 – Sunday 12 July, 2026. If you’re looking for NAIDOC week activities, refer to our article Celebrate NAIDOC Week 2026.
🔖 Bookmark this page – we update it throughout the month so you can easily find what’s on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
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July at a Glance
- 1 – 19 July — Young Dobell Exhibition 2026
- 1 July — Story Explorers at Newcastle Museum
- Until 26 July — Snow Time in the Garden (from 27 June)
- 4 July — Aberdeen Highland Games | Water Mirror
- 4 – 19 July — Newcastle Winter Fun Fest
- 5 July — Harlem Globetrotters 2026
- 7 July — Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Children’s Discovery Day
- 7 July — Pre-School Art School
- 7 – 19 July — Young People’s Theatre Presents: A Wrinkle in Time
- 9 – 11 July — Where is the Green Sheep
- 9 – 12 July — Disney On Ice: Magic in the Stars
- 9 – 18 July — Hunter Drama Presents Matilda the Musical Jr.
- 10 – 19 July — Port Stephens Winter Festival | Hunter Drama Presents: Matilda Jr. The Musical
- 11 July — Rafferty’s Coastal Run | Stroud Brick & Rolling Pin Throwing Competition
- 11 July — Port Stephens Winter Festival: Family Fun Night
- 13 July — Hunter Region Botanic Gardens: Kids Bee Hotel Workshop
- 14 July — Film: Monsters Inc. at PACC | Illustration Workshop with Sami Bayly
- 16 July — Digitales: Storytime and Art
- 17 July – 5 August — Young People’s Theatre Presents: The Sound of Music
- 17 July — Hunter Region Botanic Gardens: Holiday Stories and Activities in the Rotunda
- 17 July — Village in the City: Winter Community Showcase
- 17 July – Pop Culture Parenting Live Show
- 18 July — Mr Snotbottoms Stinky Silly Show
- 19 July — Hunter Valley Winery Run
- 19 July — Port Stephens Winter Festival: Human Whale 2026
- 22 July — CDP Kids Presents Room on the Broom
- 24 July — Cosentino presents TRICKED – An Evening of Wonder
- 24 July – 2 August — The Magic Flute
- 25 July — Lake Mac POP BAM | Crafternoon at The Lockup
- 26 July — My Kids Market | Tocal Peek into the Past | Edgeworth Trains
July Events
Young Dobell Exhibition 2026
This annual exhibition showcases artwork by young local artists aged 5 to 18 from across the Hunter and Central Coast regions. It’s a lovely outing for families with budding creatives.
Date: Until Sunday 19 July 2026
Time: 9am – 3pm
Location: MAC yapang, Booragul
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
Snow Time in the Gardens
Ice skating, tobogganing, snowman building and amusement rides at Hunter Valley Gardens. A fun winter day out without the drive to the snowfields. Book tickets online in advance and check the forecast before you go, as the snow play zone is outdoors. Read more about Snow Time in the Gardens.
Date: Until Saturday 26 July 2026
Time: Gardens open 9am. Snow Time activities from 9.30am (last entry 3pm)
Location: Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Story Explorers
Join Newcastle Museum for stories and adventures on the first Wednesday of each month, during school terms, exploring different items in the Museum collection.
Date: Wednesday 1 July 2026
Time: 11.15am – 12pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: Aimed at ages 3-5 years, but all ages welcome!
Cost: Free
Website
Orange Picking
Want a fun day out? Go fruit picking with your family. Late June is the start of the navel orange picking season. Wander through 15 acres of orchards at Cedar Farm which is home to 3000 orange trees, that are a mix of mostly navel oranges.
Date: Open every day during the school holidays from 4 – 20 July then every weekend until closing in late August.
Time: 10am to 4pm
Location: Cedar Farm, Dooralong
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free entry. You’ll pay $2.50 a kilo this year for farm fresh navel oranges that you’ve personally picked
Website
Newcastle Winter Fun Fest
The NEWFM Winter Fun Fest returns to Nobbys Beach Reserve this July, and it’s shaping up to be bigger than ever. The festival brings carnival rides, live entertainment, a circus, a petting zoo, classic carnival food and loads of free activities to one of Newcastle’s best outdoor spaces. $5 admission.
Date: Saturday 4 July – Sunday 19 July 2026 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
Time: 11am – 8pm
Location: Nobby’s Foreshore, Newcastle
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Aberdeen Highland Games
A full day of Highland dancing, pipe bands, strongman competitions and novelty races in the heart of the Hunter Valley. Kids can join in the fun with events like the three-legged race and the Kilted Dash, and there are plenty of stalls for browsing too.
Date: Saturday 4 July 2026
Time: 9am – 4pm
Location: Jefferson Park, Aberdeen
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Water Mirror
This striking one-hour show combines Taiko drumming, acrobatics, contemporary ballet and live projection design into something genuinely impressive for older kids and adults alike.
Date: Saturday 4 July 2026
Time: 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Location: Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC), Cessnock
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Harlem Globetrotters 2026
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Newcastle Entertainment Centre this July, bringing a mix of jaw-dropping basketball skills and laugh-out-loud entertainment that’s a crowd-pleaser for kids of all ages.
Date: Sunday 5 July 2026
Time: Gates open 12pm, show starts 1pm
Location: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for pricing
Website
Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Children’s Discovery Day
Nature crafts, dip-netting, birds, bees, and plants are the this free-entry community day. There will also be market stalls, sausage sizzle, free jumping castle, and entertainment by Hunter School of Performing Arts band.
Date: Tuesday 7 July 2026
Time: 10am – 2pm
Location: Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Pre-School Art School
An expert tour guide leads little ones through the latest exhibition at the Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie, followed by story time and a craft activity inspired by the artwork. A great way to spend the morning getting creative with the youngest artists in the family.
Date: Tuesday 7 July 2026
Time: 10 – 11am
Location: Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, 1A First Street, Booragul
Age Group: suited to ages 0 – 6
Cost: Free, bookings preferred but not required
Website
Young People’s Theatre Presents: A Wrinkle in Time
Newcastle’s Young People’s Theatre brings Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved sci-fi fantasy to the stage this July, performed by a cast of young local actors. A good option for kids who know the story, and a great excuse to introduce it to those who don’t.
Date: Tuesday 7 – Sunday 19 July 2026
Location: Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Where is the Green Sheep?
If your little one (and you) knows every page of the classic picture book Where is the Green Sheep? by heart, grab tickets for this show. Monkey Baa Theatre Company is bringing their much-anticipated stage adaptation to Civic Theatre Newcastle, and it looks like a genuinely magical first theatre experience for the tiniest members of your family. Designed for children aged 1 to 6, this immersive visual theatre show follows three farmers on their quest to find the elusive green sheep.
Date: Thursday 9 – Saturday 11 July 2026
Time: Shows at 10am & 12.30pm
Location: Civic Theatre Newcastle
Age Group: Children aged 1 to 6
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Disney On Ice: Magic in the Stars
Mickey, Minnie and more than 50 Disney and Pixar characters take to the ice in this year’s brand-new production. A school holidays tradition that tends to sell out fast, so book ahead. Children under 2 are free on a lap. Read more about Disney on Ice: Magic in the Stars.
Date: Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 July 2026
Location: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Hunter Drama Presents: Matilda the Musical Jr.
Roald Dahl’s much-loved story gets the musical treatment, packed with big songs and larger-than-life characters. Great for primary school aged fans of the book or film.
Date: Thursday 9 – Sunday 19 July 2026
Location: Hunter Theatre, Cameron Street, Broadmeadow
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Port Stephens Winter Festival
Nine days of family-friendly events take over Nelson Bay and Fingal Bay, from the Family Fun Night opening celebration to the iconic Human Whale formation. Pick and choose the days that suit you, as the program ranges from free community gatherings to ticketed dining trails.
Date: Friday 10 July – Sunday 19 July 2026
Location: Nelson Bay & Fingal Bay, Port Stephens
Age Group: All ages
Cost: A mix of free and ticketed activities
Website
Port Stephens Winter Festival – Family Fun Night
The Port Stephens Winter Festival kicks off with a free, alcohol-free evening at Apex Park, with a car show drive-by, dance and rock ‘n’ roll performances, a roving magic act, food stalls and face painting. Bring a picnic rug and settle in for live music and illuminated puppets under the winter sky.
Date: Saturday 11 July 2026
Time: 4.30pm – 8pm
Location: Apex Park, Nelson Bay
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free entry
Website
Raffertys Coastal Run & Raffertys Kids Fun Run
A scenic trail run from the shores of Lake Macquarie to the rugged Catherine Hill Bay coastline. Choose from 12km, 22km or 35km distances, with a kids run also on offer on the day.
Date: Saturday 11 July 2026
Time: 7am – 3pm
Location: Raffertys Resort, Cams Wharf
Age Group: All ages (Kids Fun Run for ages 5–12, adult distances for 12+)
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Stroud Brick Throwing and Rolling Pin Competition
Kids and adults try their hand at throwing a brick, hurling a rolling pin or flinging a rubber chook at this quirky annual Stroud Showground event. The day kicks off with a parade at 10am.
Date: Saturday 11 July 2026
Time: From 10am
Location: Stroud Showground, Cowper Street, Stroud
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Kids Native Bee Hotel Workshop
Kids can learn about local native bee species before building their own bee hotel to take home. A good pick for primary schoolers, with bookings via Humanitix.
Date: Monday 13 July 2026
Time: 10am – 12pm
Location: Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae
Age Group: 8 and over
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Film: Monsters Inc. at PACC
A school holidays cinema session at PACC Cessnock showing the classic Pixar film. Great for little ones, and hard to beat at $5 a ticket (or $18 for a family of four).
Date: Tuesday 14 July 2026
Time: 10 – 11.30am
Location: Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC), Cessnock
Age Group: All ages, but best for younger kids
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Illustration Workshop with Sami Bayly
Local author and illustrator Sami Bayly, best known for her Illustrated Encyclopaedia series, is running a hands-on drawing workshop for kids aged 10 to 16 at Wangi Wangi these school holidays. Kids will learn to draw their own creature and get a peek into what life as an author-illustrator actually looks like.
Date: Tuesday 14 July 2026
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Location: Wangi Library Creative Hub, Wangi Wangi
Age Group: 10 – 16 years
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Digitales: Storytime and Art
A lovely indoor activity for little ones. Digital stories projected on the big screen followed by hands-on artmaking and shadow play, run by Lake Mac Arts at the Multi-Arts Pavilion, MAP mima.
Date: Thursday 16 July 2026
Time: 11am – 11.45am
Location: Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, Speers Point Park, Speers Point
Age Group: 2 – 5 years
Cost: Free, bookings required
Website
Holiday Stories and Activities in the Rotunda
A relaxed school holiday option at the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, with Aussie books read aloud in the Rotunda followed by fun activities, all included with normal garden entry. Bring a pillow and a snack, and book your spot via Humanitix.
Date: Friday 17 July 2026
Time: 10 – 11am
Location: Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Garden entry fees apply – check website for prices
Website
Village in the City — Winter Community Showcase
A cosy winter evening in Jesmond with food and market stalls, blankets, warm drinks, soft lighting and an indoor community showcase of music, poetry and short performances. A relaxed, free night out for families and neighbours to come together mid-winter.
Date: Friday 17 July 2026
Time: 4pm – 7.30pm
Location: Jesmond Neighbourhood Centre, Jesmond
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
Pop Culture Parenting Live Show
Pop Culture Parenting presents a brand-new live experience celebrating the beautiful chaos of raising kids. Join Billy and Dr Nick for a night of learning, laughter, and unapologetic tears.
Date: Friday 17 July 2026
Time: 8pm
Location: Civic Theatre Newcastle
Age Group: Geared towards parents. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Young People’s Theatre Presents: The Sound of Music
One of the most beloved musicals of all time comes to Hamilton’s Young People’s Theatre this July and August, performed by a cast of local young performers alongside the Lindsay Street Players. With multiple weekend sessions to choose from, it’s a great school holidays or winter outing for the whole family.
Date: Friday 17 July – Saturday 15 August 2026
Location: Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Mr Snotbottom’s Stinky Silly Show
If your kids are fans of all things gross and silly, this one’s for them. Mr Snotbottom brings his award-winning live show to Rathmines Theatre with an hour of slimy songs, gooey gags and interactive chaos.
Date: Saturday 18 July 2026
Time: 1 – 2pm
Location: Rathmines Theatre, Rathmines
Age Group: Best suited to ages 4 – 10 (children must be accompanied by an adult)
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Hunter Valley Winery Run & Kids Marathon
A scenic run through the vineyards of the Hunter Valley with distances to suit the whole family. From a 2km Kids Marathon to a full 42.2km for the serious runners.
Date: Sunday 19 July 2026
Time: 6.30am – 12.30pm
Location: Wandin Estate Winery, Wilderness Road, Lovedale
Age Group: All ages (Kids Marathon for children, adult distances for all fitness levels)
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Port Stephens Winter Festival – Human Whale 2026
Hundreds of locals gather on Fingal Bay Beach to form the outline of a 100m humpback whale, marking the migration of more than 40,000 whales past the coast each year. There are stalls from NSW National Parks, ORRCA and other marine groups, plus face painting and a sausage sizzle from the local Surf Life Saving Club.
Date: Sunday 19 July 2026
Time: 10am – 2pm (formation at 11.30am)
Location: Fingal Beach Surf Club & Beach Front, Fingal Bay
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free, bookings required
Website
CDP Kids Presents Room on the Broom
Based on the beloved Julia Donaldson picture book, this high-energy stage show follows a witch and her cat as they fly through a stormy wind and meet a cast of characters who all want a ride on the broomstick. At 55 minutes with no interval, it’s a great length for little ones.
Date: Wednesday 22 July 2026
Time: Shows at 10am, 12.30pm and 6pm
Location: Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Age Group: Recommended for ages 3+
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Cosentino presents TRICKED – An Evening of Wonder
Step into the mysterious world of Australia’s greatest illusionist, Cosentino. Witness the impossible as the ‘International Magician of the Year’ takes you on an unforgettable journey with his brand-new production, ‘TRICKED – An Evening Of Wonder’.
Date: Friday 24 July 2026
Time: 7.30pm
Location: Civic Theatre
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Lake Mac POP BAM: Pop Cultural Festival
Lake Macquarie’s pop culture festival is back. Cosplay, swordfighting, Star Wars characters, free-play gaming, anime workshops and more, all in one day.
Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
Time: 10am – 3pm
Location: Hunter Sports Centre, 43 Stockland Drive, Glendale
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Crafternoon at The Lockup
A monthly hands-on art-making session for kids and families at The Lock-Up in Newcastle, Crafternoons are inspired by what’s currently showing in the gallery, so each one is a little different. A good option if your kids like making things and you want something with a bit more substance than a standard craft activity.
Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm
Location: The Lock-Up, 90 Hunter Street, Newcastle
Age Group: Families with children
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
My Kids Market
A great place to snap up quality pre-loved baby and kids gear without the full-price tag. Stalls are packed with clothing, toys, equipment and more.
Date: Sunday 26 July 2026
Time: 9am – 12pm
Location: Newcastle Showground Exhibition Centre, Broadmeadow
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Peek Into the Past – Tocal Homestead
Heritage clothing parades, blacksmithing, sheep shearing and a musket march bring Tocal Homestead to life for one winter day. Fresh scones from a 200-year-old wood-fired oven make it worth bringing a picnic rug and staying a while.
Date: Sunday 26 July 2026
Time: 10am – 3pm
Location: Tocal Homestead, 957 Tocal Road, Paterson
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Ticketed – check website for prices
Website
Edgeworth Trains
Ride on a miniature train at Lake Macquarie Live Steam Locomotive Society’s monthly public ride day. There’s a variety of miniature trains such as steam and diesel and different rail routes (both elevated and ground-level) so you can easily spend a couple of hours watching and riding trains.
Date: Sunday 26 July 2026
Time: Trains from 12.15pm–3.30pm (weather permitting), park open from 9.30am
Location: Velinda Street, Edgeworth
Age Group: All ages
Cost: $3 per ride; children under 2 free
Website
What’s On Next Month?
Looking for more events in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter? Check out our What’s On Guide with information about events all year long. The guide provides a list of local family-friendly events organised by month.