Hi! Here's what's happening across our Port Stephens backyard from Friday, 16th October to Thursday, 22nd October 2026.
With the kids back in the classroom, the weekend belongs to two of the region's big community celebrations – woodchopping and fresh oysters at the Karuah Oyster & Timber Festival, and three days of free dancing at the 26th Annual Rock 'n' Roll Festival in Nelson Bay. Midweek, local legend John 'Stinker' Clarke shares Broughton Island and lighthouse stories both on the water and at the SHIPWRECKED! exhibition.
Woodchopping at the 2025 Karuah Oyster & Timber Festival. Photo supplied by the festival.
💙 Community Health Partner: TerryWhite Chemmart Nelson Bay
Out and about enjoying the spring sunshine? Pop in and see the friendly team at TerryWhite Chemmart Nelson Bay for all your family health and wellbeing essentials – from trusted script dispensing and health advice to suncare, first aid supplies and beach-day necessities.
🐋 Ongoing Exhibitions, Cruises & Daily Fun
SHIPWRECKED! Maritime Exhibition
- Date: Daily, Friday 16th – Thursday 22nd October (closes Friday 23rd October)
- Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Where: Tomaree Headland Precinct, Shoal Bay
- Cost: FREE
Presented by the Tomaree Museum Association, this free exhibition features wooden model ships, recovered artefacts and underwater diving footage uncovering the sunken history of our coastline. Last chance – the exhibition finishes on Friday, 23rd October.
Sketches and Creative Textiles Exhibition
- Date: Daily, Friday 16th – Thursday 22nd October
- Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (Sunday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm)
- Where: Port Stephens Community Arts Centre, Nelson Bay
- Cost: FREE
Fine linework from local sketch artists sits alongside handcrafted weaving, quilting and fibre art in this inspiring gallery showcase.
Whale & Dolphin Watch Cruises with Moonshadow-TQC
- Date: Daily departures
- Where: Nelson Bay Marina
- Cost: Bookings essential (check booking office for rates)
Head out past the Tomaree and Yacaaba headlands with Moonshadow-TQC, or cruise the bay to meet our resident bottlenose dolphins.
📅 Daily Event Schedule
Friday, 16th October
🕺 26th Annual Rock 'n' Roll Festival
- Date: Friday 16th – Sunday 18th October 2026
- Friday: Robbie & The Rewinders from 7:00 pm, then Two Johnnys from 8:30 pm
- Saturday: Blue Suede Boppers from 7:00 pm, then 2 Good Reasons from 8:30 pm
- Sunday: Matchbox from 1:00 pm
- Where: The Auditorium, Wests Nelson Bay, 88 Shoal Bay Road, Nelson Bay
- Cost: Free entry and free entertainment
Presented by Wests Nelson Bay Diggers and the Nelson Bay Rock 'n' Roll Club, the festival draws dancers from across Australia, with three dance floors, live bands and DJ Steve between sets. Dust off a 1950s outfit or come as you are and enjoy the show.
Duelling Pianos at Shoal Bay Country Club
- Date: Friday, 16th October 2026
- Time: 7 PM - 11 PM
- Where: Shoal Bay Country Club, 35–45 Shoal Bay Road, Shoal Bay
- Cost: Ticketed (see link)
Two pianists go head to head, trading songs and taking requests from the crowd for a fun Friday night sing-along.
Saturday, 17th October
🦪 Karuah Oyster & Timber Festival
- Date: Saturday, 17th October 2026
- Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Where: Lionel Morten Oval, Karuah
- Cost: FREE entry
Karuah celebrates the oyster farming and timber heritage that shaped the town, with nine woodchopping events and heats on the NSW Axemen's Association calendar, an oyster eating competition, the Great Karuah Duck Race, 40-plus market and food stalls, and a new jumping castle for the kids.
Tilligerry Lions Club Markets: Tanilba Bay
- Date: Saturday, 17th October 2026
- Time: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Where: Kooindah Centre, 61 President Wilson Walk, Tanilba Bay
Local makers and small businesses, handmade gifts, plants, homewares and gourmet treats, plus a Lions Club barbecue and coffee.
Rock 'n' Roll Festival: Saturday Night
- Time: From 7:00 pm – Blue Suede Boppers, then 2 Good Reasons from 8:30 pm
- Where: The Auditorium, Wests Nelson Bay
- Cost: FREE
Saturday parkruns
- Time: 8:00 am
- Fingal Bay: Fingal Cycleway, Fingal Bay
- Medowie: Grahamstown Aquatic Centre, 3 Grahamstown Road, Medowie
- Raymond Terrace: Riverside Park, Hunter Street, Raymond Terrace
- Cost: FREE
Free, friendly weekly 5k community events – walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.
Sunday, 18th October
Legacy Markets: Nelson Bay
- Date: Sunday, 18th October 2026
- Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Where: Neil Carroll Park, Shoal Bay Road, Nelson Bay (Fly Point)
Held on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month, these waterfront markets support Port Stephens Legacy, which looks after the widows and families of deceased and incapacitated local veterans.
Rock 'n' Roll Festival: Sunday Afternoon
- Time: From 1:00 pm – Matchbox
- Where: The Auditorium, Wests Nelson Bay
- Cost: FREE
The festival wraps up with an afternoon session – a relaxed way to catch the dancers in action.
Mid-Week: Monday 19th – Thursday 22nd October
Cars & Coffee In The Bay
- Date: Monday, 19th October 2026
- Time: 9:00 am
- Where: Long Boat Cafe, Nelson Bay
The monthly meet-up for vintage, classic, muscle and sports car fans – all marques welcome for cars, coffee and a chat.
Introduction to AI: Raymond Terrace Library
- Date: Monday, 19th October 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
- Where: Raymond Terrace Library, 18a Sturgeon Street, Raymond Terrace
- Cost: $5 (booking required)
Part of Get Online Week, this Port Stephens Libraries session demystifies artificial intelligence and shows how to use it safely and confidently in everyday life.
Broughton Island Historical Cruise with John 'Stinker' Clarke
- Date: Wednesday, 21st October 2026
- Time: Departs 10:00 am (returns approx. 4:30 pm)
- Where: MV Spirit of Port, Wharf 1, Cruise Passenger Terminal, 40 Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay
- Cost: $149 per person
Moonshadow-TQC heads out to Broughton Island with local identity John 'Stinker' Clarke sharing the island's history along the way.
Shipwrecked! Talk: History of the Inner and Outer Lighthouses, Fingal and Broughton Island
- Date: Thursday, 22nd October 2026
- Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
- Where: Tomaree Lodge, Tomaree Headland Precinct, Shoal Bay
- Cost: FREE (bookings essential)
John 'Stinker' Clarke presents the next SHIPWRECKED! keynote, covering the history of the Inner and Outer Lighthouses and stories from Fingal and Broughton Island.
Moonhack at Port Stephens Libraries
- Date: Thursday, 22nd October 2026
- Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Where: Raymond Terrace Library, 18a Sturgeon Street, Raymond Terrace, and Tomaree Library & Community Centre, 7 Community Close, Salamander Bay
- Cost: FREE (registration required)
Both libraries join Moonhack, the international kids' coding event, with puzzles to solve and secrets to decode.
Exhibitions Open All Week
SHIPWRECKED! at the Tomaree Headland Precinct (9:00 am – 3:00 pm) and the Sketches and Creative Textiles Exhibition at the Port Stephens Community Arts Centre (10:00 am – 4:00 pm) are both open daily and free – perfect for a weekday outing. Don't leave SHIPWRECKED! too late, as it closes on Friday, 23rd October.
Event details are supplied by organisers and may change – please check with the organiser before heading out.
Looking for more local events? Browse the full What's On calendar!