Enjoy Council’s jam-packed January events calendar
Date published: 5 January 2024
Fill up your calendar with free activities and events this January, including arts exhibitions and outdoor children’s activities.
Townsville’s galleries are filled with world-class exhibitions to enjoy for free this month, including Sihot’e Nioge: When Skirts Become Artworks and ASIA Pacific Contemporary: Three Decades of APT at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and Mariw Minaral (Spiritual Patterns) at Pinnacles Gallery.
Each gallery is wheelchair accessible and is free to all visitors. Opening hours can be found on Council’s website.
Join in on some outdoor fun with the In The Deep End Story Walk at Citylibraries Riverway. The activity gives families with children five and under the chance to talk, read, sing and play their way through extra-large pages from the beloved Charlie Thomson book as part of the State Library of Queensland’s First 5 Forever early years literacy initiative.
Guided Story Walks will be held between 10am and 11am, and from 11:20am to 12:20pm from Monday 15 January to Thursday 18 January. The events will include community sprinkler swaps and giving away free shower timers on site as well as the Kids Alive Wise Owl giving away free Kids Alive do the Five books. All ages are welcome and no bookings are needed.
Join celebrated Australian author Nick Earls at his Short Story Toolkit workshops for children and teenagers on 5 January. Bookings are required and can be made on the What’s On Townsville website.
Is your young person a Pokémon fan? Get them along to Townsville Citylibraries Pokémon Get Together or one of the Pokémon Tournaments at Citylibraries Aitkenvale or Citylibraries Flinders Street. Bookings are essential for the tournaments and can be made on the What’s On Townsville website.
Townsville Citylibraries is also hosting the Coding Combat Challenge. No previous coding experience is required for this free activity for children aged eight to 12. Bookings are required for this month’s sessions from 10am to 11am on 8 January, from 2pm to 3pm on 10 January and from 10am to 11am on 12 January. For more information and to book in, head to the What’s On Townsville website.
Join Council’s school holiday program and create a “junk journal” using recycled and found materials to write, draw, paint or record memories. This workshop runs from 10am to midday on Tuesday 16 January and Wednesday 17 January. Bookings are essential and can be made on the What’s On Townsville website.
Citylibraries Aitkenvale is hosting its Get Connected: One to One sessions from 9:30am and 10:15am on Monday 8 January and Monday 15 January. These sessions give residents the opportunity to sit down with a tech enabler to run through useful information about your phone, tablet or laptop. Bookings are essential and can be made on the What’s On Townsville website.
Watch Sonic The Hedgehog 2 with the whole family for free on Friday 19 January at Riverway Movie Nights. The film kicks off at 7pm and a food truck and coffee van will be located on site.
Riverway Movie Nights are suitable for all ages and have disability parking and wheelchair accessibility.
Captions can be activated at most screenings for attendees with hearing impairment. To check if the service is available for the screening you are attending, call 13 48 10 at least three days prior to the event and let event staff know before 6:30pm on the night to activate captions.
Citylibraries Riverway will host Mas National’s Women In Non-Traditional Trades Workshop on Wednesday 24 January from 10am to 11am, giving women of all ages and backgrounds the chance to consider a career in a non-traditional role. Riverway Library has disability parking and restrooms and is wheelchair accessible, and also has a hearing loop and nappy changing facilities on site. Bookings are required and can be made on the What’s On Townsville website.
Reflect, respect and celebrate Australia with Council’s Australia Day events on Friday 26 January. The day will kick off with a fun run at Brigadier North Park at Jezzine Barracks from 6am, followed by a free Aussie breakfast at The Rockpool from 8am for the first 500 attendees, followed by the Australia Day Flag Raising Ceremony at Jezzine Barracks from 9am, Beach Day Out from 10:30am to 3pm along The Strand and Great Australian Bites from 11am to 2pm.
Great Australian Bites Townsville is presented by Townsville City Council in partnership with the Queensland Government and National Australia Day Council. The Flag Raising Ceremony is presented in conjunction with the Queensland Government, and Beach Day Out is presented in conjunction with the National Australia Day Council.
Community and Cultural Development Committee chairperson Ann-Maree Greaney said calendars across the city would be jam-packed with free events this January.
“There are so many high-calibre events on this January, there’s no excuse for your kids to say they’re bored. From Pokémon meet ups to career chats to our Australia Day events, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” Cr Greaney said.
“At Council we’re proud to deliver a range of high-quality events and activities to our residents and visitors for free. I’d encourage everyone to get out and about this month and enjoy all of the events that are on offer.”
For more information on events on in Townsville this month, head to the What’s On Townsville website.
