Looking for what’s on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie or the Hunter Valley this June? 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, or just looking for something fun to do with the kids.
🔖 Bookmark this page – we update it throughout the month so you can easily find what’s on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
For more ideas, including special events, subscribe to our newsletter for weekly picks and last-minute ideas.
Look for this icon showing our Featured Events
June at a Glance
- 1–30 June — Lake Macquarie Dobell Festival 2026
- 1–5 June — You’re Kidding Me Family Expo, Charlestown Square
- 5–7 June — Merriwa Festival of the Fleeces
- 6–7 June — Harvest Festival, Central Coast
- 7 June — The Loxford Maitland Running Festival
- 12-13 June — Starstruck 2026: Out of the Ordinary
- 14 June — Maitland Heritage Fest Free Family Day
- 16 June — Wicked: PACC Cessnock Cinema Club
- 19 June — Village in the City — Refugee Week Community Celebration
- 19–20 June — Luminous, Maitland
- 19–20 June — Float Your Boat, Lake Macquarie
- 19–28 June — & Juliet
- 26 & 27 June — Shrek! The Musical
- 27 June — Newcastle Repair Cafe at Hunter Multicultural Communities
- From 27 June — Snow Time in the Garden, Hunter Valley Gardens
- 28 June — Whistle & Trick | Edgeworth Trains
Ongoing in June
These events run across multiple weeks in June.
Little Bang Discovery Club
Calling all preschoolers and their carers – do you have Wednesday mornings available? Have fun in June at Newcastle Museum with hands-on science for preschoolers: noticing, sorting, naming, collecting, comparing, questioning and experimenting! Your mini scientists will develop their skills over four sessions, each session building on the last one. This is a new offering from Newcastle Museum and will run every school term!
Date: Wednesday 3 & 10 June, 10.15 – 11.15am
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: 3-5 years and their carers. Recommended one carer per mini scientist.
Cost: $25 total per preschooler for the four sessions, carers free. Bookings required.
Website
Lake Macquarie Dobell Festival 2026
The Lake Macquarie Dobell Festival is an annual month-long arts festival inspired by the life and work of esteemed artist Sir William Dobell. The festival includes a range of events around Lake Macquarie including workshops, presentations and exhibitions addressing various aspects of Dobell’s life and work.
Date: Monday 1 June – Tuesday 30 June 2026
Time: Various – check website
Location: Various locations, Lake Macquarie
Age Group: Families with older children
Cost: A mix of free and ticketed events
Website
& Juliet
What if Juliet’s greatest love story was just getting started? The Broadway and West End smash hit explodes onto the Newcastle stage June 2026. Forget the balcony. Skip the poison. Juliet’s rewriting her story – louder, prouder, and packed with pop anthems you know by heart.
Date: Friday 19 – Sunday 28 June 2026
Time: Various
Location: Civic Theatre
Age Group: Recommended for ages 8+.
Cost: Tickets from $69
Website
The City That Made Surfest Exhibition
Celebrating four decades of Surfest through rare objects, footage and stories.
Date: On display until July 2026
Time: Newcastle Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
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 proper 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: Saturday 27 June – 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: From $31 child (4 – 15), $41 adult; family passes available
Website
June Events
You’re Kidding Me Family Expo
The Hunter’s largest parenting expo, You’re Kidding Me connects families with local services, programs and childhood experts, all under one roof at Charlestown Square. Free entry makes it an easy outing, and it’s particularly well suited to families with children under 8.
Date: Monday 1 – Friday 5 June 2026
Time: 9am – 1pm Monday – Wednesday, 9am – 1pm & 3pm – 7pm Thursday
Location: Charlestown Square Centre Court, Charlestown
Age Group: Best for families with children 0–8 years
Cost: Free
Website
Merriwa Festival of the Fleeces
One of the Upper Hunter’s most beloved community events, the Festival of the Fleeces fills Merriwa’s main street with market stalls, shearing demonstrations, free kids’ rides, a working dog display and the iconic Running of the Sheep parade. It’s well worth the drive. Read more about Festival of the Fleeces.
Date: Friday 5 – Sunday 7 June 2026
Time: Friday from 6pm; Saturday: 8am – 3pm; Sunday TBA – check website
Location: Merriwa town centre, Golden Highway, Merriwa
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free entry Saturday and Sunday; Friday Opening Night ticketed
Website
Harvest Festival
A great excuse for a Central Coast day trip, the Harvest Festival offers farm tours, pick-your-own fruit, archery, animal feeding and more across a range of properties in the hinterland. A mix of free and paid events means you can tailor the day to your budget. Read more about Harvest Festival.
Date: Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 June 2026
Time: Various times – check website
Location: Various locations, Central Coast
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Mix of free and paid activities
Website
The Loxford Maitland Running Festival
A family-friendly walk and run along the Maitland foreshore. Choose from 4km, 8km or 12km laps to suit your pace. A great way to get the family moving on a winter morning.
Date: Sunday 7 June 2026
Time: From 7.30am
Location: Maitland Regional Athletics Centre, Loxford, Maitland
Age Group: All ages
Cost: From $35 child, $45 adult (plus processing fee)
Website
Star Struck 2026: Out of the Ordinary
One of the Hunter’s biggest performing arts events, Star Struck brings together NSW public school students from Kindergarten to Year 12 for two nights of dance, drama and music at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre. It’s a polished arena-scale show and well worth a night out if you have a kid performing – or just love watching young talent shine.
Date: Friday 12 and Saturday 13 June 2026
Time: Shows at 11am & 7pm (Friday), 1pm & 7pm (Saturday)
Location: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
Age Group: All ages (performers K–12; suitable for families as audience)
Cost: Tickets from $42.70 (B Reserve)
Website
Maitland Heritage Fest Free Family Day
A free day out in Maitland’s historic Church Street precinct, with live music, heritage displays, kids’ activities, food stalls, carriage rides, free face painting and a treasure hunt spread across multiple venues. Kids will love the old-fashioned games, puppet shows and the chance to try on 1800s costumes.
Date: Sunday 14 June 2026
Time: 10am – 3pm
Location: Church Street precinct (multiple venues), Maitland
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Mostly free, some ticketed extras (carriage rides $20/person; Grossmann House self-guided tours $5/person)
Website
Wicked: PACC Cessnock Cinema Club
The hit movie musical, Wicked, comes to PACC Cessnock for a Cinema Club screening. With tickets at just $5 each, it’s great value for a family film night in the Hunter Valley.
Date: Tuesday 16 June 2026
Time: 6pm – 8.40pm
Location: PACC (Performance Arts Culture Cessnock), Cessnock
Age Group: Families with older children
Cost: $5 per ticket | $18 family of 4
Website
Village in the City — Refugee Week Community Celebration
A free community evening in Jesmond marking Refugee Week 2026, with food and market stalls, drumming, DJs, live percussion, indoor story circles, a mini tasting trail and movement activities. A warm, family-friendly event celebrating cultural diversity in the western suburbs.
Date: Friday 19 June 2026
Time: 4pm – 7.30pm
Location: Jesmond Neighbourhood Centre, Jesmond
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
Luminous
Maitland’s winter solstice festival transforms The Levee with light installations, fire displays, live performances and a fireworks finale over the Hunter River. Rug up and go – it’s free and genuinely impressive.
Date: Friday 19 – Saturday 20 June 2026
Time: TBC – check website
Location: The Levee, Central Maitland
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
Float Your Boat
Thousands of people line the shores of Lake Macquarie to watch a flotilla of brightly lit boats cruise past in this free annual favourite. Live music, food trucks and roving performers make the lakeside atmosphere well worth the trip on both evenings. Read more about Float Your Boat.
Date: Friday 19 – Saturday 20 June 2026
Time: 4.30 – 8.30pm both nights
Location: Various foreshore locations, Lake Macquarie
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
Shrek Jr! The Musical
St Philip’s Christian College Cessnock brings everyone’s favourite ogre to the stage in this fun, family-friendly production. A great outing for primary school-aged kids. The 10am Friday session is worth considering if you’re heading along with younger children.
Date: Friday 26 June – Saturday 27 June 2026
Time: Friday – 10am & 7pm, Saturday: 3pm & 7pm
Location: PACC (Performance Arts Culture Cessnock), Cessnock
Age Group: All ages
Cost: From $18 concession/child | From $24 adult (varies by session)
Website
Newcastle Repair Cafe at Hunter Multicultural Communities
Bring along clothes, small electrical items, household goods or a bike and the Full Circle Collective team will help you fix them for free. No bookings needed – just pop in.
Date: Saturday 27 June 2026
Time: 10am – 12.30pm
Location: Hunter Multicultural Communities, 2A Platt Street, Waratah
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
Whistle & Trick
Aria-nominated musical duo, Whistle & Trick are always ready to sing, dance, and cause a bit of mischief. Writing original music for kids and their big people, a Whistle & Trick show is bound to get the whole family up and moving.
Date: Sunday 28 June 2026
Time: 10.30am
Location: Civic Theatre
Age Group: This performance is suitable for all ages. Recommended for ages 2 – 8.
Cost: Standard tickets $41.75
Website
Edgeworth Trains
Monthly public ride day from the Lake Macquarie Live Steam Locomotive Society. Steam and diesel miniature trains on elevated and ground-level tracks. A relaxed, affordable outing for little train lovers.
Date: Sunday 28 June 2026
Time: Trains from 12:30pm – 3:30pm (weather permitting). The park is open from around 9:30am.
Location: Velinda Street, Edgeworth
Age Group: All ages
Cost: It costs $3 per train ride. Children under 2 years old are 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.