Cooktown Discovery Festival

The 2012 Cooktown Discovery Festival will take place from June 08-11

*******PLEASE NOTE THAT PROGRAMME IS NOT YET FINALISED....ITEMS WILL BE MOVED/REMOVED/ADDED WITHOUT NOTICE

All Weekend

Banks Florilegium Exhibition - curated by Sandy Lloyd, is on display daily from 9am till 5pm in the Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery at Nature's Powerhouse

Fashion Police

Not Festive enough??? Watch out for our Fashion Police – they may just find you

James Cook Museum - Open all weekend from 9am till 5pm

Historical Society Archive Centre open all weekend

CCAA Arts and Crafts - Come see our fantastic display of local arts and crafts

Cooktown District Art Society Annual Art Exhibition

Held at the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery, open daily

CWA Teahouse - Come and take the weight off your feet and be tempted by some of the ladies famous Scones and Cakes – 9am to 5pm daily

Re-enactment Association Boathouse

Come and see the wonderful display in the Boathouse

Friday 8th June 2012

5:30pm Welcome speeches from relevant dignitaries

Charlotte Street out the front of The Sovereign Resort

The Welcome To Cooktown Extravaganza

Come along and learn what is available in our beautiful town.....Watch in awe at some of the amazing talent that Cooktown has to offer....From Fashion Parades to Bellydancers....From Art Exhibitions to the Minuet

Please join us for 2012 Cooktown Discovery Festival Grand Opening

6:00pm Cocktails at the Sovereign - Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Come enjoy a Cocktail in the Balcony Bar Alacarte Menu available

Live Music at the Bowl's Club - Cooktown Bowl's Club, Charlotte Street

Come see Meimanher at the Bowl's Club

With all of the usual Friday Night Entertainment

7:00pm Family Movie in the Park - Bicentennial Park

Sponsored by the PACE Programme Gungarde
Come watch a movie under the stars in Bicentennial Park

Bring a chair or a rug, pack a picnic, and sit back and enjoy
(Movie title TBA)

7.00 p.m. Live Music at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Justfakicks are playing in the Sovereign Bar from 7pm

9:00pm – 2 a.m. Live Music at the Top Pub - Cooktown Hotel

Local band Roswell playing at the Toppie from 9pm Charlotte Street

Toppie open till 2am

Saturday 9th June 2012

7:00am Cooktown Bowl's Club Fun Run Cooktown Bowl's Club

Ages 8 – Adult

Three Categories – see entry forms for details Charlotte Street

Cash Prizes - $100 first, $60 second, $40 third

7:00am Market Stalls Lions Park - Charlotte Street

Local and visiting market stall holders featuring food and beverages, arts and craft, gifts and local produce

7:30am Banks Florilegium Botanical Walk - Nature's Powerhouse Come on a guided walk through our beautiful Botanical Gardens with Sandy Lloyd

8:30am Poet's Breakfast Nature's Powerhouse Vera's Café, Walker Street

Come and enjoy a relaxing breakfast at Vera's Cafe, situated in Nature's Powerhouse in the beautiful surrounds of the Botanic Gardens. Sit back and be entertained by our local bards. Fun for young and old. Visitors are more than welcome to join in as well....so dust off your poetry...or even your favourite poem and come along and share

9:00am Rides Anzac Park, Charlotte Street

Carnival rides for the young ones

9:00am Sideshow Alley Anzac Park, Charlotte Street

Come and support our local volunteer organisations at our home grown Sideshow Alley

9:00am Cooktown's Busking Competition Charlotte Street

Cooktown's Busking Competition will be happening up and down the main street – prizes awarded on Sunday afternoon

9:00am Tai Chi in the Park Bicentennial Park

Come join Marj and Company to start the day with Tai Chi down in Bicentennial Park by the picturesque Endeavour River Charlotte Street

10:30am Dancing in the Street Charlotte Street

Come join us for some wonderful traditional Australian Top Section bush dances – Please join us – Fun for everyone

11:30am Volunteer Organisation Novelty Obstacle Race
Boathouse Park, Charlotte Street
Come along and cheer for your favourite organisation as they race each other through our zany obstacle course to win money for their groups – proudly sponsored by the Sovereign Resort Hotel

Roaming Street Theatre

Once finalised will be slotted into spare timeslots in the Programme

Gold Delivery

Come follow our packhorse making his delivery of gold to the Old Bank

Bank Robbery

All does not go well for the Gold Delivery....much trouble afoot

12:00 noon Live Music at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Justfakicks are playing in the Sovereign Bar from 12 noon

Cafe Menu available

12:00 noon Cook's Crew - Cooktown Morris Dancers Charlotte Street

Performing around town and in the Grand Parade to raise money for the Cooktown Coast Guard

12:00 noon World's Biggest Liar Competition at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Tall stories abound in this competition and in this case the taller the better – come enjoy the fun at The Top Pub

1:00pm Live Music at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Local Band “Rough and Ready” performing during the course of the day

The Army Band Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Come see the Army Band perform in the relaxed atmosphere of the Top Pub

Pat Drummond in Concert Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Come and see Pat Drummond at the Top Pub for an up close and personal performance

1:30pm Pasta Eating Competition at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Think you have what it takes - Come join John from The Italian and take part in his

fantastic Pasta Eating Competition

1:30pm Dunk A Celebrity at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Come along and have a go at Dunking a Celebrity - Might even be able to dunk a publican – you never know your luck

2:00pm Dancing in the Street Charlotte Street, Bottom Section

Come join us for some wonderful traditional Australian bush dances – Please join us – fun for everyone

2:00pm Pie Eating Competition at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street
Come show what you have in the Traditional Aussie Pie Eating Competition

2:30pm Grand Parade Charlotte Street

The Grand Parade is being led yet again by the wonderful Army Band...starting at the Cooktown Bakery and making it's way down Charlotte Street is definitely an event not to be missed

Awards will be presented at the monument in Bicentennial Park

3:00pm The Annual Tug of War Competition at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Get your teams together to compete in the Annual Tug of War Competition held at the Top Pub

3:00pm Cemetery Tour Cooktown Cemetery, Charlotte Street

Tour Cooktown's historic Cemetery with Pastor Wayne Brennan

Make a donation to help the School's Chaplaincy Programme

4:00pm Cocktails at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Come enjoy a Cocktail in the Balcony Bar

5:00pm Cane Toad Races at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Come along and pick a toad.....give him a kiss for luck and then off they go

5:00pm Zumbathon for The Kidney Foundation Fishing Club Lease, The Esplanade

Come along and support this worthy cause. Help raise money for the Kidney Foundation with a view that is hard to beat.

6:00pm Dinner at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

A sumptuous dinner will be served in the Balcony Restaurant Enjoy our A la carte menu

6:00pm Farewell James, My Darling Musical Ship Bicentennial Park

Back by popular demand – come see our local thespians share with us the wonderful story of Farewell James, My Darling

6:30pm Pat Drummond in concert Bicentennial Park, Charlotte Street

Come down to the park and see Pat in Concert. Listen to Pat Drummond story teller extraordinaire, weave his magic.

7:00pm Belly Dancers at the Bowl's Club Cooktown Bowl's Club

Come see Magneva Ampela perform at the Bowl's Club Charlotte Street

Not to be missed – Come and see Cooktown's Newest Troupe

7:00pm Karaoke at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Come along and belt out your favourite tune in the Sovereign Bar Cafe Menu available

9:00pm Wet T-Shirt and Wet Jock Competition at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Not for the faint of heart....but definitely good for a laugh come join everyone at the Top Pub for these annual events

9:00pm Live Music at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel
Local band Roswell playing at the Toppie from 9pm till 2pm Charlotte Street

10:00pm Air Guitar Competition at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Come Strutt your Stuff at the Top Pub. Show us just how “wicked” your Air Guitar really is.

Sunday 10th June 2012

8:00am Market Stalls Lions Park, Charlotte Street

Local and visiting market stall holders featuring food and beverages, arts and craft, gifts and local produce

8:00am Breakfast with Pat at 1770 Restaurant 1770 at the Wharf

Join Pat Drummond for Breakfast down by the gorgeous Endeavour River – what a way to

start the day

8:30am Interdenominational Church Service Old Westpac Bank, Charlotte Street

Cooktown's Combined Churches hold an open air Service next to the Old Westpac Bank.

All Welcome.

8:30am Bowls – All Comers Welcome Cooktown Bowl's Club, Charlotte Street

Registration 8:30am for a 9:00am start. The cost is $8.50 and includes a BBQ Lunch

9:00am Rides Anzac Park, Charlotte Street

Carnival rides for the young ones

9:00am Sideshow Alley Anzac Park, Charlotte Street

Come and support our local volunteer organisations at our home grown Sideshow Alley

Roaming Street Theatre

Once finalised will be slotted into spare timeslots in the Programme

9:00am Cooktown's Busking Competition Charlotte Street

Cooktown's Busking Competition will be happening up and down the main street – prizes awarded this afternoon

10:30am 53rd Re-enactment of Cook's Landing Bicentennial Park, Charlotte Street

Presented by the Cooktown Re-enactment Association

Note: Those who wish to bring their own chairs to view the Re-enactment are asked to please sit up behind the footpath to ensure plenty of room for others to sit on the grass in front and allow good viewing for all...thank you

Cannon Firing Cooks Monument - Charlotte Street

The exciting honour of firing the cannon will go to our raffle winner. Drawn at the Photo Session – you must be present to win

Photographs and videos of our volunteer actors may be freely taken for personal use. However we would appreciate any commercial photographers and videographers to contact the Cooktown Re-enactment Association prior to any images being used on a commercial or professional basis...thank you

Photo Session with Re-enactment Cast Cooks Monument

Convict Wedding Cooks Monument

Come join the festivities of our own home grown Convict Wedding!

12:00 noon Live Music at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Local Band “Rough and Ready” performing during the course of the day

12:00 noon Live Music at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street

Come and kick up your heels with Cooktown's Favourite Hillbilly Goats

12:00 noon Annual Billy Kart Derby Cooktown Hotel, Walker Street

Get your kart ready for this annual favourite or come along to watch the thrills and spills! Presented by the Endeavour Lions Club of Cooktown

3:00pm The Truck Pull at the Top Pub Cooktown Hotel, Charlotte Street

Get your teams together for the Annual Truck Pull Mens, Ladies and Mixed or just cheer your favourite team along

4:00pm Prizes awarded for Cooktown's Busking Competition

4:30pm Live Music and Seafood Extravaganza at The Sovie Sovereign Resort

Come to the Sovereign Resort for our Seafood Extravaganza Charlotte Street

Listen to Chris Lloyd and eat your fill in the Balcony Restaurant

The perfect place to watch the Fireworks

5:30pm Onwards Children's Corroboree Bicentennial Park

Aboriginal Children's dance performance.

Compliments of the Aunties and Uncles Programme

Typsy Gypsies Bicentennial Park

Belly dancing and fire twirling extravaganza - Sit back and be amazed

Fireworks Over the Endeavour River Bicentennial Park

Presented by Cook Shire Council

Enjoy this wonderful free family event

7:30pm The Army Band Lions Park, Charlotte Street

The Army Band will perform in the park for your enjoyment while you wait for the Film Festival

7:30pm The Cooktown in a Minute Film Festival Lions Park, Charlotte Street

Presented by Asylum Productions

Bring a chair or a blanket along and sit back and enjoy

8:30pm Live Music at the Sovereign Resort Sovereign Resort, Charlotte Street
Come and enjoy the Army Band in the wonderful surroundings of the Sovereign Resort Bar

Monday 11th June 2012

9:00am Children's Day at the Park Lion's Park, Charlotte Street

Come along and unwind after a big weekend with Children's Day in the Park.

Fairy Party

Pirate Party

Kids Activity Tent

Story Corner

Pantos and Plays

More activities than you can shake a stick at

10:30am The Great Cooktown Bottle Race Coast Guard Pontoon to Kiosk

Tickets available from sellers during the weekend. Lots of cash prizes to be won! Presented by the Cooktown Anglican Church

See photos of the 2010 Cooktown Discovery Festival

More info .....

www.cooktowndiscoveryfestival.com.au