White Hat can thoroughly recommend this vibrant seafood festival come street party. Enjoy mussels and other seafood cooked in a wide variety of ways all accompanied by one of Melbourne's best free jazz festivals. Street vendors combine with the market's own restaurants to provide plenty of variety from the cheap and cheerful through to chef-prepared restaurant dishes. Sit in the sun with a cold sangria and a hot mussel paella or enjoy a craft beer with wok cooked drunken mussels.

Details at Port Phillip Mussel Festival

Our rating - 4 Hats

Discover Scandinavia in Melbourne at the annual Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar in the beautiful gardens of the Swedish Church, Toorak. Festive atmosphere with stalls full of gorgeous items from Sweden, Denmark and Norway, especially imported for the Bazaar. Handicrafts, Scandinavian food, entertainment and lots of fun activities for the kids. Full information at Scandinavian Christmas Bazaar.

The Knox Festival is an annual free event with an emphasis on family-friendly activities. It features local artists and performers, markets stalls, rides, entertainment, cultural activities and plenty of food.

If you can only make it for part of the time, White Hat recommends the Saturday Evening Program from 5 until 9pm  where you can pay your respects to the Country Fire Authority Volunteers in their torchlight parade culminating in a fireworks display.

10am to 9pm Saturday 29th February 2020
10am to 5pm Sunday 1st March

Full details at Knox Festival.

Sydney Theatre Company’s ground-breaking one-person show makes its Melbourne debut, seamlessly blending live video and theatre to bring 26 characters to life.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a monumental work of Australian theatre and an odyssey of theatrical storytelling, featuring an exceptional performance from Eryn Jean Norvill.

This one-person show is an Olympic act of performance: a sole performer nimbly shapeshifting to play all of the dark tale’s 26 characters in an audacious cascade of theatrical transformations. A scintillating mix of cutting-edge contemporary theatre design, lush period drama, and astonishing live video, this vibrantly contemporary adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray is gripping, funny a landmark achievement in Australian theatre.

Full details and bookings at the Arts Centre website

Our rating - 5 Hats

Baz Luhrmann’s film comes to life on stage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. A theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and - above all - love.

HAMILTON is the story of America then, told by America now. A record-breaking masterpiece that has “transformed theatre and the way we think about history.” – The New York Times

Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, HAMILTON has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre – a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education.

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography.

Hailed by critics as “A reinvention of the musical” – Chicago Tribune and “A singular work of brilliance.” ” – Rolling Stone, HAMILTON has gone from theatrical rebel to cultural phenomenon.

Prices and bookings at the Hamilton website

When it comes to dynasties of musicians and composers, the Bach family is one of the most remarkable, crowned of course by the mighty Johann Sebastian. However, his forebears were more than competent at their trade as this concert demonstrates, while his two most prominent sons - Carl Phillip Emanuel and Johann Christian - explored new paths towards the ‘storm and stress’ style and Haydn and the rococo style and Mozart respectively

It was no surprise that when White Hat compiled our list top 100 concertos, J. S. Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins came out as number 1. Not even the best efforts of generations of juvenile violin students have been able to destroy this work. Imagine then how it shines when played by some of Australia's finest - the Australian Chamber Orchestra with Richard Tognetti (Director) and Anna Dowsley (Principal Violin) as violin soloists. Other fine soloists include Anna Dowsley (mezzo-soprano), Helena Rathbone (violin),  Erin Helyard (harpsichord & fortepiano) and Timo-Veikko Valve (cello) in C. P. E. Bach’s virtuoistic Cello Concerto.

• J. L. Bach Suite in G major: Overture
• H. Bach Sonata à 5 in F major
• J. C. Bach Meine Freundin, du bist schön: Ciaconna “Mein Freund is Mein”
• J. S. Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043 (one of White Hat's Top 100 Concerti)
• J. S. Bach Cantata “Widerstehe doch der Sünde” BWV54: “Widerstehe doch der Sünde”
• J. S. Bach Cantata “Ich habe genug”, BWV82: “Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen”
• Mozart (after J. C. Bach) Piano Concerto No.12 in A major, K.414: II. Andante
• J. C. F. Bach Sinfonia in D minor: I. Allegro
• J. C. F. Bach Die Amerikanerin: “Mein Herz fleucht ihr entgegen”
• C. P. E. Bach Cello Concerto in A major, Wq.172

Pricing and online ticket sales available on Australian Chamber Orchestra website

The six wives of Henry VIII reimagined into a high-octane 75 minute global pop musical entertainment.

Winners of 2 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, this show has been highly succesful on Broadway, the West End and the Sydney Opera House.

An artists' house museum - the former home and artists' studio of sculptor Karl Duldig (1902-1986) and his wife - artist and inventor Slawa Duldig née Horowitz (c1902-1975). Both artists fled the Nazis and ended up making a significant contribution to Australian life. You can read more about their remarkable background and the studio at Duldig Studio >>

The Heide Museum of Modern Art is a gallery, sculpture park and museum of important art and artists from Melbourne and beyond. White Hat recommends that anyone interested in Australian art, particularly that of the Heidelberg School, should pay a visit to this important site. More details at Heide Museum of Modern Art >>