17.8 C
Byron Shire
June 10, 2026

Four days of food, fun and festivities

Latest News

Myall Creek walk starts conversations and opens eyes to difficult history

The Walk 4 Stolen Children, Land & Lives has successfully concluded in Myall Creek, having completed 474km on foot from Ballina and visited a number of massacre sites along the way.

Other News

Return of Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifier at Teven Golf Club

Teven Golf Club will again host the opening event of the 2026 Ford NSW Open Regional Qualifying Series, with...

Ayusa Tea: clarity, energy, calm focus

Allie Godfrey At the New Brighton Farmers Market, it’s not just coffee drawing a crowd – there’s also growing interest...

Byron local Stephan Schnierer receives the Order Australia

Stephan Schnierer, a Byron local, has been awarded an Order Australia (OA) from the Kings Birthday honours list.

Interview with Peter O’Doherty

Australia’s legendary band Mental As Anything made an historic comeback in 2026 – the first in 25 years – as original founding members Peter O’Doherty and brother Reg Mombassa reunited, leading an exciting new lineup to perform once again under the iconic banner Mental As Anything.

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Let’s Disappear the Outrage Farmer

There’s super-offensive content making its way around the internet by someone who is NOT Indigenous and is NOT a comedian. I will not say her name. I will not identify her nor will I describe the content. If you think you know what I am talking about: good. And if you don’t: good. Let’s keep it that way.

Appeal to locate teen missing near Lismore

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage girl missing from The Channon, north of Lismore.

The Wet Fish

Ballina’s biggest weekend of the year is back, and it’s about to get seriously spooky (and a little spicy). From Thursday, October 30 to Sunday, November 2, The Australian Hotel transforms into a fiesta of colour, culture, music, and mayhem for the annual Day of the Dead Festival.

Kicking off the celebrations is Halloween Musical Bingo on Thursday night – expect a high-energy mash-up of spooky tunes, prizes, and plenty of laughs and singalongs to get you in the spirit, fun for all-ages. Then on Friday night, it’s all about the Halloween Dress-Up Party, featuring live music from the Versace Boys (8pm to 10pm), spooky raffles, and a prize for the best Halloween getup, so dress in your spooky best! It doesn’t stop there – DJ Rebeka Rabota takes over till 1am with dance-floor anthems and a few frightfully good beats.

Saturday keeps the energy high with DJ Femme spinning from 9pm till late on The Aussie’s all-new open-air stage, and just when you think you can’t party anymore, Sunday brings it home family-style. Kids eat free from 12 to 4pm, there’s free face-painting, a craft station for decorating masks and skulls in true Dia De Los Muertos fashion, a live flamenco guitarist from 12pm, and The Wet Fish taking the stage from 3pm. Enjoy Stone & Wood pints for the price of schooners all day long.

It’s a four-day fiesta of food, music, and good times – where everyone’s invited, costumes are encouraged, and memories guaranteed.

Don’t miss the Day of the Dead Festival – October 30 to November 2 at The Australian Hotel Ballina. Free entry all weekend.



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Emergency departments buckling under pressure

Nurses working at emergency departments (ED) across the state are continuing to feel the effects of increased presentations and very unwell people coming through their doors, with the latest health snapshot painting a worrying picture of NSW public hospitals.

New exhibitions opening at Lismore Regional Gallery

All are welcome to the official opening of four new exhibitions at Lismore Regional gallery this Friday evening, with live music and a talk from Melbourne artist Sarah Ujmaia.

Missing man

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a 35-year-old man missing from Tugun on the southern Gold Coast since 9 June.

North Coast Safe Haven closure

Safe Haven North Coast has provided effective mental health supports for people across the region since it was established in 2022, but is now running out of funding.