Maitland Aroma Coffee & Chocolate Festival Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm, Riverside Car Park, St Andrews Street, Maitland. Far too many events and activities to mention here, so head to maitlandaroma.com.au to plan your weekend.

Cystic Fibrosis Race Day 11am, Newcastle Racecourse, Broadmeadow. A fundraiser for John Hunter Children's Hospital and John Hunter Hospital Cystic Fibrosis Clinics.

Saturday Night Italian Cinema 7pm, Event Cinemas Kotara. Screening of comedy/drama Perfect Strangers - a national phenomenon in Italy that had the nation asking: "How well do we really know those closest to us?". Tickets on sale now. All proceeds go to Motor Neurone Disease Association NSW.

CheerCon 2019 Saturday and Sunday, Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow. Cheerleading workshops, demonstrations, items for sale, competitions and more.

Stars and Science 3pm to 9pm, Speers Point Park, Creek Reserve Road, Speers Point. A Lake Mac STEAM event. Paint a starry night, take A Trip to the Moon, search the stars and become a scientist at Lake Mac STEAM Week's highlight event. Food truck and dinner options available. Register online.

Winter Wellness Expo and Live Your Passion 2.30pm to 4.30pm, The Place: Charlestown Community Centre. Learn about the latest in "low tox" living.

ARCHA Presents Pot of Gold Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 5pm, White Park Arena, Scone. An equine sport that combines reining, cutting and fence work (cow horse).

Central Coast Country Music Festival Saturday and Sunday, various venues including The Entrance.

2019 Variety of Chefs Gala Dinner 6pm, Newcastle Exhibition & Convention Centre. Chefs Jason Roberts, Mal Meiers, Chris Thornton, Mitchell Turner and Matt Skelton will cook up a storm and there will be raffles, entertainment, live music and an auction. It's a fundraiser for Variety - The Children's Charity.

Love Sea Food Tastes Port Stephens A month-long festival at venues in and around Port Stephens. Go to portstephens.org.au/loveseafood for details.

Toronto Foreshore Master Plan Community Workshops 10am to noon, Toronto Multipurpose Centre, 9 Thorne Street, Toronto. Help inform the future of the Toronto Foreshore Master Plan by sharing feedback on design principles and ideas for the area.

The 2019 Mai-Wel Celebrity Comedy Debate 6pm, Maitland Town Hall. Topic: Artificial Intelligence, Friend or Foe?

Suplex Presents: Explicit Wrestling 6.30pm, Newcastle Leagues Club. An over-18s event.

Wallsend Winter Fair 9am to 3pm, Wallsend. Market stalls, street eats, grand parade (9am), live music, performances, rides and more.

Open Day at Grossmann and Brough Houses 10am to 3pm, Church Street, Maitland.

Family History at Miss Porter's House Museum 1pm to 4pm, 434 King Street, Newcastle West. See how a century of memorabilia, household items, photographs and documents reveal stories of the Porter family. Working women, carriers, grocers, business people and active citizens were all part of this notable Newcastle West family whose stories are told in a special display. Adult $10, concession $8, family $25, children under 5 free.

Soul Food Lake Macquarie 10.30am to noon, Cameron Park Community Centre, 107 Northlakes Drive, Cameron Park. This month's theme is "The Sacred Balance" which explores humanity's physical and spiritual relationship with the environment. A free community event open to all.

The Levee Classic Car Display 10am to 6pm, The Levee Shared Zone, Maitland. Vehicles from the British Car Club Hunter Region Inc and the Maitland Hot Rodders.

Newcastle Volleyball Kids Come and Try Day 11am to 1pm, Nobby's Beach. For children aged 10 to 15.

Timberlina's Drag Off - Heat 2 6.30pm, The Exchange, Hamilton.

Newcastle Music Festival Festival Choir in Concert, 2.30pm at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle. Miriam Allan, the Christ Church Camerata, conductors Christopher Allan and Peter Guy. Fused - Contemporary Art and Music, 5.30pm at Watt Space Gallery, 20 Auckland Street, Newcastle. Tickets $15 at the door. Landscape of Music at MRAG, 6.30pm at Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 230 High Street, Maitland. Heather Price and Terence Koo. Firsts - Cumulus Trio in Concert, 7.30pm at Newcastle Art Gallery, 1 Laman Street, Newcastle. Grace Kim, Lerida Delbridge and Teije Hylkema.

She The Change 4pm, Secret Book Stuff, Newcastle. An evening of empowering storytelling from women.

Lake Mac Billy Cart Derby 8.30am to 4pm, 1^st Belmont Scout Group NSW, 52 Ernest Street, Belmont.

Love Magic and Behind the Wire Two one-act plays by Newcastle writers that look at people's responses to oppression - Michael Ewans' Love Magic, adapted from a classic Greek story, looks at a girl's response to being dumped by a boy after they've had sex; Carl Caulfield's Behind the Wire has a man in a detention camp being questioned about his allegiance to Australia. Stray Dogs Theatre, at the Royal Exchange, Newcastle. Nightly at 7.30pm from Wednesday, August 14, to Saturday, August 17, at 7.30pm. 4929 4969.

Please note: Markets are subject to cancellation at late notice due to adverse weather conditions

Kurri Kurri Community Markets Saturday, 8am to 1pm, Kurri Kurri Rotary Park.

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

Wyee Markets Saturday, 8am to 1pm, 114 Wyee Road, Wyee.

Dalwood Markets Saturday, 10am to 2pm, Dalwood Estate, 700 Dalwood Road, Dalwood.

Medowie Markets Saturday, 8am to 12.30pm, Bush n Bull Motel, Ferodale Road, Medowie.

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

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

Newcastle Food & Flower Markets Saturday, 8am to 2pm, 1 Rural Drive, Sandgate.

Mini Indoor Markets Saturday, 9am to 4pm, and Sunday, 10am to 4pm, Stockland Jesmond.

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

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

The Levee Street Gallery Saturday, 10am to 4pm, The Levee Shared Zone, Maitland. Visual Busking, Sketch Attack and life drawing workshops.

CStudios Art Gallery Gathering; Devine Spaces and Familiar Faces.

SEEN@Swansea Stories of Strength, 8am to noon, ends Sunday.

d'Albora Marina Gallery SALTED Art Trail, by Artisan Collective, until August 29.

Newcastle ArtSpace Saturday, 4pm: Stretched and Hung open day. Drawn and Quartered.

Lovett Gallery They Sent Me North: Female Convicts in the Hunter, until August 24.

33 Scott St Galleries Michelle Teear.

The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Cafe Welcome to the Jungle, until August 18.

Artdork Studios Vivid India: A Solo Photography Exhibition by Khara Deurhof, ends Saturday.

The All Story, Wickham Concepto, by Neil 'Pipes" McCann, until August 30.

Hunter Wetlands Centre Riversong: Four Seasons of the Rocky River, by Jan Clark, until August 29.

Cessnock Regional Art Gallery Girthy, With Slim Edges, ends Sunday.

Watt Space Gallery Substrate, ends Saturday. Fused.

The Lock Up An Immeasurable Distance, by Emma Fielden.

University Gallery Erasure, by Mazie Turner, Dan Nelson, Annemarie Murland, Katrina Holden, until August 24.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Stories from Wonnarua, until October 13. Operation Art; Charles Blackman: from the MRAG Collection, ends Sunday. My North, by Cutler Footway, until August 18. Somewhere Else, by Lottie Consalvo; The Nightingale and The Rose, by Del Kathryn Barton. Free Art Sunday.

Dungog Contemporary Two, by Amelia Vivash, Jo Katsiaris, Nathalie Duncan, Stephen Hobbs, Ken O'Regan, Phebe Parisia, Doodad & Fandango and Sarah Crawford, until September 1.

Art Systems Wickham Perspective, by Paul Munro, ends Sunday.

Brough House Maitland Children's Clothing 1900 to 1950, until September 7.

The Lock-Up An Immeasurable Difference, by Emma Fielden, ends Sunday.

Newcastle Art Gallery The sea calls me by name, by James Drinkwater, ends Sunday. Introducing: from the collection; Kilgour Prize 2019, until October 13.

Port Stephens Community Arts Centre Rivers, Lakes and Mountains, until September 10.

Belmont Library Natural World, by Sharon Thomas, ends Sunday.

Newcastle Studio Potters & Back to Back Galleries The Taste of Tea, until August 18.

Newcastle Museum Earthquake | Then and now and Again - 30 Years, until October 27.

The 101 Dalmatians (The Play) Dalmation Pongo and his female partner pursue the obsessive Cruella de Vil, when she has offsiders kidnap their litter of 15 puppies; adapted for the stage from Dodie Smith's children's novel. Young People's Theatre, at Young People's Theatre, Hamilton. Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. boxoffice@ypt.org.au; 4961 4895 (Saturday 9am to 1pm).

Disney's Beauty and the Beast Musical version of the classic story about a cold-blooded prince who has been transformed into an unsightly creature and must find a woman's love to revert to his human form. Metropolitan Players, at the Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Saturday at 1.30pm and 7.30pm. 4929 1977.

StageCon 2019 - Drama and Theatre Convention 9am, Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Full-day workshops with industry professionals.

5 Sawyers Saturday, DJ Searly.

Abermain Hotel Sunday, Jane Germain.

Adamstown Uniting Church Saturday, Opera Soiree, Miriam Allan, Muffat Collective. Monday, Daniel Rojas (CHILE) & Daniel Wallace-Crabbe, Sax Blue.

Anna Bay Tavern Saturday, Bliss Bomb.

Argenton Hotel Sunday, City Beats Duo.

Bar Beach Bowling Club Sunday, Graham, Corky and Will.

Bar Petite Saturday, Ashley Knight.

Battlesticks Bar Saturday, John Larder. Sunday, Dean Kyrwood.

Bay Hotel Bonnells Bay Saturday, Loose Bazooka.

Beach Hotel Sunday, Hot Fox.

Belmont 16s Saturday, Gen-X, The Aretha Franklin Songbook, Matt Gaudry. Sunday, Backbeat Duo.

Belmont Hotel Saturday, Kyle Cartner. Sunday, Pistol Pete.

Belmore Hotel Saturday, Dos Eager.

Beresfield Bowling Club Saturday, Rave On.

Burwood Inn Saturday, Austin Mackay.

Cambridge Hotel Saturday, The Gooch Palms, Surf Trash, Milky Thred, Kookshill. Sunday, Royal Chant, He Danced Ivy, Waster, Spoonhead.

Cardiff RSL Club Saturday, Sundays Record.

Catho Pub Sunday, Fuelstar.

Caves Beachside Hotel Saturday, The Big Bang Band. Sunday, Daniel Arvidson.

Cessnock Leagues Club Saturday, Joel Oakhill Duo.

Christ Church Cathedral Sunday, Miriam Allan, Christoper Allan, Festival Choir, Christ Church Camerata.

Club Charlestown Saturday, Loko.

Club Redhead Sunday, Craig Thommo.

Colliery Inn Sunday, Reg Sinclair.

Croatian Wickham Sports Club Sunday, Latinova.

Customs House Sunday, Zane Penn.

Cypress Lakes Saturday, Daniel Arvidson.

Denman Hotel Sunday, Sami Cooke.

Duke Of Wellington Saturday, Dean Kyrwood.

East Cessnock Bowling Club Saturday, Paul Watters.

East Maitland Bowling Club Saturday, Greg Bryce Band. Sunday, Jim Overend.

Easts Golf & Leisure Club Sunday, Anthony Lee.

Edgeworth Bowling Club Saturday, Shivoo. Sunday, Damnation - AC/DC tribute.

Edgeworth Tavern Saturday, Crawford Brothers.

Family Hotel Newcastle Saturday, The Shang, Holiday Basement.

Finnegans Saturday, Kyro.

Gallipoli Legion Club Sunday, After Party.

Gateshead Tavern Sunday, Whiskey Business.

George Tavern Saturday, Komiti Levai Duo.

Grain Store Saturday, Beth Gleeson. Sunday, JJ King.

Grand Junction Hotel Sunday, Lachlan X. Morris, Singlet.

Great Northern Hotel Newcastle Saturday, The Cassettes. Sunday, Karen O'Shea.

Gunyah Hotel Saturday, Mark Wells Duo. Sunday, Matt McLaren.

Hamilton Station Hotel Saturday, Carnal Viscera, Alchemy, Deiformity, Infested Entrails. Sunday, The SunBears.

Harrigan's Pokolbin Saturday, Gen-R-8. Sunday, ROX.

Hexham Bowling Club Saturday, The Snape Trilogy. Sunday, 2 Left Feet.

Hiss & Crackle Records Sunday, The Boatmen, Kazzie Wise, Hazy Lane, Aaron White & The Aaron Whites.

Honeysuckle Hotel Saturday, The Search Party. Sunday, Tim Harding.

Hotel Cessnock Saturday, Justin Banks, Shivoo.

Imperial Hotel Maitland Saturday, Paparazzi.

Iron Horse Inn Saturday, The After Party Duo.

Islington Baptist Church Saturday, Miriam Allan.

Jewells Tavern Saturday, Born Jovi tribute.

Kent Hotel Saturday, The Smarts. Sunday, Thread.

King Street Hotel Saturday, Just A Gent.

Lass O'Gowrie Saturday, Camino Gold, Polymer, Repeater.

Lizotte's Saturday, 1979 The Hits. Sunday, Arrebato Ensemble.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Sunday, Heather Price, Terence Koo.

Mary Ellen Hotel Saturday, Felix Quinn Band.

Maryland Tavern Saturday, Counterpart.

Mattara Hotel Saturday, Tim Harding.

Mavericks On The Bay Saturday, Boney Rivers. Sunday, Greg Bryce.

Mavericks On Darby Saturday, Ryan Daley.

Mayfield Ex-Services Saturday, Anthology.

Mezz Bar at Wallsend Diggers Saturday, The Years. Sunday, Ashley Knight.

Murray's Brewery Sunday, TK.

Nag's Head Hotel Saturday, Anthony Lee.

Nelson Bay Diggers Saturday, Cruzers.

Nelson Bay Golf Club Saturday, Anyerin.

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Sunday, Bobby C.

Newcastle Diggers Saturday, Deborah Sinclair.

Newcastle Regional Art Gallery Sunday, Cumulus Trio ft. Grace Kim, Lerida Delbridge & Teije Hylkema.

Northern Star Hotel Saturday, Madelyn, Michael Peter.

Paxton Bowling Club Saturday, Tim Usher.

Pippis At The Point Saturday, City Beats Duo. Sunday, Bernie.

Premier Hotel Saturday, Matt McLaren Duo.

Prince of Wales Hotel Saturday, Ferris.

Queens Wharf Hotel Saturday, Kazzie Trio.

Railway Hotel Cessnock Sunday, Troy Kemp.

Royal Federal Hotel Branxton Saturday, Crawfish Stew.

Royal Hotel Singleton Sunday, Rock Duty.

Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto Sunday, Lee Rolfe.

Rutherford Hotel Saturday, Louis Burt.

Sacred Space Singleton Saturday, Newcastle Wind Orchestra.

Seabreeze Hotel Saturday, Code Red.

Shaft Tavern Sunday, Austin Mackay.

Shoal Bay Country Club Saturday, The V-Dubs. Sunday, Danny & Jake.

Shortland Hotel Saturday, Jackson Halliday.

Stag and Hunter Hotel Saturday, Kristen Lee Morris & The Dirty Snakes. Sunday, Passport To Airlie band comp - heat 2.

St. John's Anglican Church - Cooks Hill Saturday, Andrew Blanch, Alchemy.

Swansea Hotel Saturday, Mardmax.

Swansea RSL Club Saturday, Maryanne Rex Duo.

Swansea Workers Club Saturday, Jungle. Sunday, David McCredie.

Sydney Junction Hotel Saturday, Misbehave.

Tea Gardens Hotel Saturday, Jayde Corner.

Tilligerry RSL Saturday, Jason Paris.

Toronto Diggers Saturday, 40 Up Club.

Toronto Hotel Sunday, Boney Rivers.

Toronto Workers Saturday, Amigos.

Town Hall Hotel Saturday, Scully.

The Umbrian Saturday, Heather Price.

Victoria Hotel Hinton Saturday, Hayden Johns. Sunday, Kazzie.

Vincent St Kitchen & Bar Cessnock Saturday, Dream Catchers.

Wallsend Winter Fair Sunday, Kaylens Rain Trio.

Warners At The Bay Saturday, Chad Shuttleworth Duo.

Warners Bay Hotel Saturday, Pocket Aces.

Wests Cardiff Saturday, Love That Hat.

Wests New Lambton Saturday, Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert, Rubber Bullet.

Wests NEX Saturday, Phonic Trio.

Wickham Park Hotel Saturday, Hot Fox. Sunday, One Man Dan, Fish Fry + Pow Wow.

Windsor Castle Hotel Saturday, Kaylah Anne.

All Is True (M) A look at the final days in the life of William Shakespeare. (Regal)

Annabelle Comes Home (M) Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artefacts room.

Bring The Soul: The Movie (PG) On the day following the final concert of their Europe tour, on a rooftop in Paris, BTS tell their very own stories from experiencing new cities to performing in front of thousands across the globe.

Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (MA) For three and a half hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of a rubber plantation called Long Tan, Major Harry Smith and his dispersed company of 108 young and mostly inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers are fighting for their lives, holding off an overwhelming force of 2500 battle-hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers.

Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (M) Lawman Luke Hobbs and outcast Deckard Shaw form an unlikely alliance when a cyber genetically-enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

Guess How Much I Love You - Christmas in July (G) Discover Christmas in July and share in the laughter and fun with Little Nutbrown Hare, his friends and family - Big Nutbrown Hare, Little Field Mouse, Little Grey Squirrel, Blue Bird and many more.

Here Comes The Grump (PG) Balloon kingdoms, dopey police dragons and happy wizards are exactly how Terry remembered his grandmother's whacky fairy tales. Except they are real and it's definitely not as cheerful.

Last Night (M) A late-night talk show host suspects that she may soon be losing her long-running show.

Palm Beach (M) Lifelong friends reunite for a party at Sydney's Palm Beach.

Poms (M) A woman moves into a retirement community and starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents. (Regal)

Red Joan (M) The story of Joan Stanley, who was exposed as the KGB's longest-serving British spy. (Lake Cinema)

Rocketman (M) A musical fantasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John's breakthrough years. (Lake Cinema & Regal)

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (M) Ajatashatru Lavash Patel has lived all his life in a small Mumbai neighborhood tricking people with street magic and fakir stunts. He sets out on a journey to find his estranged father, but instead gets dragged on a never-ending adventure. (Regal)

The Keeper (M) Bert Trautmann, a German prisoner of war, is sent to England at the end of WWII and becomes an English football legend at Manchester City.

The Lion King (PG) Simba idolises his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival.

The Public (M) An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.

Tolkien (M) The formative years of the orphaned author J.R.R Tolkien as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. (Regal)

Toy Story 4 (G) Woody and Buzz embark on a quest to find Bo Peep.

Wild Rose (M) A troubled Glaswegian young girl dreams of becoming a Nashville's country star. (Regal)

Yesterday (M) A struggling musician realises he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate timeline where they never existed.

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NEWS FROM NEWCASTLE'S CULTURAL SCENE