Sing along to all your favourite Christmas carols and songs when the Milawa Hall and Park Committee presents Carols in the Park on Sunday, 21 December in the Milawa Community Park.

An exciting lineup of artists have been brought together this year by Trevor Hourigan, with the event to be hosted by Australian country singer songwriter and local talent, Jade Gibson.

Joining Jade on stage will be Sing Australia, the Galen School Choir, Charlotte Bongers, Rebecca Scholte, Atty Carr, Denise O'Keefe, Tahli Gibson, Antonia Maher, Trevor Hourigan and the Pulsate Dance Force.

Santa will also be in the house, arriving half an hour before the carols start for those who would like to get their photos taken with the special guest.

Committee vice president Julie Hourigan said there will about 25 fundraising raffles over the night, with amazing prizes on offer thanks to generous support from sponsors.

She said people come from as far away as Melbourne to experience this special night, which is the committee's major event of the year.

"There are people who arrive as early as 4pm who set out their blankets and chairs and have picnic dinners and make a real night of it," she said.

There will be a variety of food and drinks available from 6pm courtesy of Milawa Rotary and vendors including ice cream and hot and cold drinks, with the entertainment to run from 7pm to 9.30pm.

Entry is free (byo chairs and rugs) and the event will move into the adjacent hall if there is rain.

*

What's on in brief

Christmas Cruise in Wangaratta

Santa and Mrs Clause will be cruising Murphy Street in an old dodge fire truck at approximately 6pm on Saturday, 20 December for the biggest Wangaratta Cruise Night of the year.

It is part of a family friendly event being hosted by the Wangaratta Rod and Custom Club, supported by the Rural City of Wangaratta, and made possible by the Wangaratta CFA for allowing the use of the old fire truck.

Spectators are kindly asked to park off-street to allow cruise cars to park and be shown on Murphy Street during the event.

*

Resident artists' exhibition at Art Gallery on Ovens

See a wide variety of artwork on display by all the resident artists in the exhibition Thirteen, which has opened at the Art Gallery on Ovens in the laneway off Murphy Street.

There are oil and acrylic paintings, drawings, pastels and mixed media works, along with sculpture, timber pieces and pottery, plus artist made calendars, cards, bookmarks and more.

Thirteen is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to 4pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm until 22 December.

*

Moyhu Lions Christmas Country Market

The next Moyhu Lions Country Market on Saturday, 20 December will be a Christmas celebration.

There will be a best dressed Christmas-themed outfit competition with prizes for adults and children to be won, and Santa will be making an appearance.

The bumper market will run from 8am to 12pm and feature over 30 stalls with a great range of gifts and seasonal produce, and there will be a Christmas hamper raffle.

*

Wangaratta Community Market on Sunday

The final Wangaratta Community Market for the year will be held on Sunday, 21 December at Moore Than Swimming, located at 11-13 Mason Street in Wangaratta, from 8am until 1pm.

There are a wide range of stalls to browse with new and used items, and this Sunday, there will be kid's face painting, and Santa will be there giving out lollies.

Stalls are available for just $20 each (no bookings required) and car boot sales are welcome for $15, with more information via the market's Facebook page or call Sheree on 0401 665 886, with the market to re-open on Sunday, 11 January in 2026.

*

Christmas celebration at Whitfield Recreation Reserve

The Whitfield Recreation Reserve will host a community Christmas barbecue on Sunday, 21 December from 6pm to late, with all welcome to attend.

There will be live music and entertainment for children including facepainting, with barbecue and soft drinks provided (BYO alcoholic drinks) and Santa is also expected to make an appearance.

RSVP is essential for catering purposes to kvccomplex@gmail.com or call or message Cathy on 0427 057 849.

*

Pleats of Matter at Wangaratta Art Gallery

An exhibition by Melbourne-based artist Kate V M Sylvester called Pleats of Matter is being held in Gallery 2 at the Wangaratta Art Gallery.

For this exhibition, Sylvester has created an immersive installation made from deconstructed, recycled t-shirts, meticulously unthreaded by hand to reveal the mass and structure of the jersey weave.

Her exhibition responds to the garment’s integrity, resulting in a form shaped by gravity, time, and environment, and it can be seen until 11 January.

*

Overland exhibition at Wangaratta Art Gallery

The first solo hometown exhibition of nationally acclaimed, Wangaratta-born artist Matthew Harris, is being presented at the Wangaratta Art Gallery until 18 January.

The Melbourne-based artist creates thought-provoking works in painting and sculpture that critically examine social power structures and historical narratives.

His exhibition, Overland unpacks the lasting impact of colonisation on the Wangaratta region and its First Peoples, in a new series of paintings informed by historical documents, alongside textile sculpture With a Warm Embrace, 2023; part of the Wangaratta Art Gallery collection.

*