Enlighten Festival, Canberra Day and Balloon Spectacular make March month to remember

With the Night Noodle Markets under way from Friday, Enlighten Festival kicks off autumn and the biggest events held in Canberra since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Enlighten will see the return of large-scale projections on some of the capital's most iconic buildings, alongside a beer garden, live music and art installations set up inside the Parliamentary Triangle.

A new street art event will kick off Enlighten's opening weekend on March 4-6, with 35 artists transforming 30 Canberra walls and structures for Surface Festival.

Curated by one of Australia's most revered graffiti artists, PHIBS, attendees can take a guided tour of the capital's burgeoning street art scene or watch on as murals and artworks are created.

The festivities will step up on March 12 with Canberra's famed Balloon Spectacular filling the skies, minus the beloved Skywhale family which will be on a tour of regional NSW.

The celebration will continue on the evening of March 13 with a performance by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra at Commonwealth Park.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Lior will grace Stage 88 as part of the orchestra's free Sunday show, Symphony in the Park.

Party time has come just as density requirements have been scrapped and dancing has returned to the capital, with no current limits on events which have applied for the necessary exemptions.

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Canberra Day is slated to be bigger and better than ever on March 14, with funding from the cancellation of the Multicultural Festival reallocated to the cornerstone Enlighten event.

The celebration at Commonwealth Park will feature a huge line-up of chefs from around the world, hoping to fill some of those Multicultural Festival food cravings.

Canberra Region Tourism Leaders Forum chair David Marshall said locals had gained a new appreciation for what the ACT had to offer since the pandemic started.

"How many times have we asked people if they've been to the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery and they say, 'Not for a few years'?" he said.

"I think what we're finding is a lot of people are now starting to discover their own backyard - particularly when friends and relatives are visiting."

March is seemingly the month for art and culture, too, with several major exhibitions showing concurrently.

Running during Enlighten Festival, international exhibition Van Gogh Alive will tour to Canberra to make its temporary home on Parkes Place lawns from March 5-27.

The show takes thousands of works by the artist, including self-portraits The Starry Night and Sunflowers - and projects them onto walls and floors, accompanied by subtle scents and classical music.

The National Gallery of Australia will have four major attractions in March with Jeffrey Smart, Project 1: Sarah Lucas, Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now - Part 2 and 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial: Ceremony exhibitions running simultaneously.

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia will showcase its first original exhibition in two decades, Australians and Hollywood: a tale of craft, talent and ambition.

Exclusive to Canberra, the exhibition will celebrate Australian films with behind-the-scenes footage, costumes and props from the NFSA displayed for the first time.

Personal treasures from Australian film legends including Eric Bana and Paul Hogan will also form part of the exhibition.

Visit Canberra executive branch manager Jonathan Kobus said the next few weeks were shaping up to be a great time for both visitors and locals.

"It's a fantastic time to invite your friends and family to visit the capital," Mr Kobus said.

Tickets are now on sale for Australians & Hollywood: a tale of craft, talent, and ambition, which runs January 21 through to July 17. Visit nfsa.gov.au/hollywood to book.

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