The Rotary Club of Dubbo Macquarie presents its annual Michael Egan Memorial Book Fair this weekend. The book fair had built a reputation for quality and affordable books which were generously donated by readers. Thousands of pre-loved books will be available for purchase, raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and cancer research and support services. Saturday, May 7. All day. Dubbo Showground. Entry by gold-coin donation.

The 2022 Dubbo Motor Bike Rally is set to attract hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts to the region this weekend. From Harleys to Hondas, Buells to Beemers and Piaggios to Posties, hundreds of bikes will be on display. There will also be a number of bike-related vendors, manufacturers and merchandise, alongside food and drink stalls. Saturday, May 7. 8am to 5pm. Talbragar Street (aka Bike Street Dubbo). Free for spectators.

The Buick Car Club of Australia is revving-up for its Dubbo rally and the streets will be choc-a-block with veteran and vintage cars from May 15 to 22. Buicks will cover a wide range of years from twenties through to seventies, and locals can view them all on display at a Show and Shine that will take place in the Dubbo RSL Club carpark on Saturday morning, May 21.

Aussie hip hop trio Bliss N Eso will perform in Dubbo at the Garden Hotel on Friday, May 6.

The route for the 2022 Outback Car Trek has been locked in. The trek will start at Parkes on Saturday, June 4, travelling through Nyngan, to White Cliffs, and Cameron Corner before moving into Queensland through Thargomindah, Scrubby Creek and Taroom. It will finish in Hervey Bay on Saturday, June 11.

Every year the Trek raises money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. However the trek also raises awareness of the organisation in each of the places it visits. To join the 2022 Outback Car Trek, or to get more information on the event, visit outbackcartrek.com.au.

Learn about someone whose life is very different to yours. Hear their stories and see through the stereotypes. Drag queen Betty Confetti is taking part in "Are you really going to ask that?", answering selected questions that have been submitted by the community. Friday, May 6. 6.30pm. CWA Hall, Robertson Park. Free.

Orange Theatre Company presents a brand-new musical version of the timeless classic. Head down the rabbit hole in Lewis Carroll's zany characters, mad tea parties, flamingo croquet on the lawn and tap-dancing playing cards. Join the ever-curious Alice, White Rabbit, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, the Mad Hatter, the mysterious Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts in an over-the-top entertaining musical for the whole family. May 6-8 and 13-15.Orange Civic Theatre. Tickets through Ticketek.

Liam Benson is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice incorporates performance, photography, video and textiles. Informed by the complex and multisensorial ways that horses interact, feel and connect, Benson's installation - Hello, good to meet you - offers a space where audiences can experiment together with non-verbal communication, dance and sensorial play. Opening celebration May 13, 6pm to 8pm. May 14 to July 24. 10am to 4pm. Orange Regional Gallery.

An enchanting musical and visual spectacular presented by highly acclaimed multi award winning international pianist Joseph Fimmano. Music of the Night is a tribute to the musicals, opera and the beautiful melodies of musical theatre past and present, presented by a collective of elite Australian performers. Sunday, May 22. 2pm. Orange Civic Theatre. Book through Ticketek.

Having been curtailed by COVID-19, Human Nature are back bigger then ever with a "new" tour, People Get Ready, Again - 2022 Reboot, which will bring together the very best elements of the Good Good Life tour and People Get Ready AAA tour into one new, amalgamated show. The Australian music mainstays and ARIA Hall of Fame inductees will perform original hit songs as well as their versions of Motown classics, with a few surprises thrown in. May 27 and 28. 7.30pm. Orange Civic Theatre. Tickets through Ticketek.

Orange Regional Museum is featuring a two-part Saturday workshop series with experts on how to "fix things". Learn about kintsugi, the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken, chipped and cracked pottery using lacquer and gold; or give clothes new life with visible mending, repairing garments with hand-stitching techniques that become a feature. Kintsugi for beginners, May 14, 10am to 12.30pm, $37.50 to $50. Visible mending, June 18, 10am to noon, $22.50 to $30. Orange Regional Museum.

The Orange Handmade Boutique Markets & Expo will feature the works of artisans and artists showcasing their works, as well as local and regional talent. There expected to be more than 60 stallholders taking part. June 4 and 5 Orange Ex-Services Club.

Clear your plans for this June long weekend as a Winter Jazz Festival is set to liven up the town. The festival will see a mix of internationally renowned and local artists perform in a series of close to 50 concerts at venues throughout the CBD. Ticketed venues will include The Civic Theatre, church spaces and local pubs and clubs. There'll also be a free venue that will feature local amateur musicians, including school bands. The festival will kick off on Friday June 3.

You can get your weekly fix of live music every Saturday this Autumn at Stockman's Ridge. Each Saturday from 1pm to 5pm you can enjoy live tunes from local musicians with views of the vineyard hills, delicious food and drinks in a relaxed country setting. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from Stockman's Ridge.

Acknowledging the anniversary of Bathurst's proclamation by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, the official Proclamation Ceremony at the Flag Staff highlights this year's Living Legends as well as recognising past residents at the Pillars of Bathurst. Wander along the Delightful Spot trail to learn about Bathurst's rich history on self-guided tours. Sunday, May 8. 10am to noon. Stanley Street.

Bathurst Waste 2 Art is an annual community art competition and exhibition that celebrates the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts. It aims to inspire communities to find innovative and creative ways to repurpose, recover, recycle and upcycle used materials and resources, diverting them away from landfill. Come and view the creative artworks on show. May 7 to 15. 10am to 4pm. Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

The Rockley Artisans Market Day will feature over 40 market stalls, meaning there will be a large selection of products to explore, devour or take home. Sunday, May 8. 9am to 1pm. Rockley Sportsground, Budden Street.

When 11-year-old Juniper May receives a petition signed by her entire class stating that she is "the most hated person in the school" her life is thrown into meltdown. After exhausting all other avenues, her parents' resort to ... a giant singing robot. Based on a true story, Robot Song illustrates the transformative nature of creativity that, when combined with unconditional love, becomes an unstoppable force. Wednesday, May 18. 6.30pm. Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

Cosentino is Australia's most successful magician, illusionist and escape artist, and he is bringing his show to regional NSW. Having won multiple Merlin Awards, come and see the showman in person and believe or be deceived. Sunday, May 15. 7.30pm. Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

Over 150 years ago, 13 Aboriginal men from Western Victoria packed their bats for a voyage to England and into the unknown. Risking illness and persecution, Australia's first international cricket team - including Australia's first Indigenous sporting hero, Johnny Mullagh - amazed the English crowds with astonishing talent, personality and grit. This stage production tells their story of strength, resistance, hope and possibility. Wednesday, May 25. 8pm. Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

Start your engines for top action on the track with the Bathurst 12 Hour which will be held over three days from May 13. Race fans are now able to buy their tickets for the Bathurst 12 Hour. People can purchase tickets for trackside access, grandstand seating and VIP event parking, which permits parking at the front gate of the event for a single day, the weekend, or all three days. Kids aged 12 years and under receive free trackside entry when accompanied by a paying adult. Visit www.bathurst12hour.com.au to find tickets.

The Bathurst Writers' and Readers' Festival is set to return to town from May 20 to 22. The program has yet to be released, but typically the event consists of three days of live streamed events direct from the Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF), along with a program of local author talks.

While it might not be on until September 18, the Edgell Jog is set to make an anticipated return after a two year hiatus. There will be major prizes for first, second and third male and female across the line. There will also be the inaugural Lou Shehade award, honouring the late long serving committee member. Under the COVID-19 safe format, there will be no limits on participants, just no milling around at the end.

The the 2022 Textures of One art prize and exhibition has attracted 68 entries. Guided by the theme With the theme of "Light and Shade" this yea, artists have been presented with a concept rather than a physical object to build their works around, which has produced some strong works. Get down and see it while you can. May 6 to 27. Platform Arts Hub, Blayney Railway Station.

The next Blayney Rotary Market is nearly upon us, with stalls offering everything from local produce including seasonal fruit and veg, organic meats, cheeses and eggs, to plants, clothing, cosmetics, jewellery, crafts and preloved goods. May 15. 8.30am to noon. CentrePoint Sport and Leisure Centre.

Club Millthorpe has some events coming up through the month of May. Saturday, May 7 is market night and Saturday, May 14 will be a night of jazz music featuring Pengopus. Saturday, May 21 will be a pool competition. $10 entry fee per person with $100 first prize. Names in by 2.30pm on the day. On Saturday, May 28 the club will host a trivia night. Tables of eight, $10 per person. Limited tables. Contact Kelly on 0438 663 631 to book.

On of Penrith Panthers' favourite all-time players, Royce Simmons, has hit the road to support dementia research and rugby league in the bush. Royce's Big Walk is a 300km trek walk from Goolagong to Sydney that is being supported by some of rugby league's biggest names, country communities and big business. The walk commences May 17 and will be in Blayney shire shortly after. May 18 - Cowra to Woodstock. Event: Carcoar Central Stock Exchange, 8.45am. May 19 - Woodstock to Carcoar. May 20 - Carcoar to Fitzgerald Mount. Event: Sportsman's dinner, Blayney Community Centre, 7pm. Tickets $50, available from The Royal Hotel (Blayney) 02 6368 2210.

Join the crowd and come along for the best afternoon tea in the Central West while supporting a good cause. A Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea event will be held at Tallwood Hall on Wednesday, May 11 from 1.30pm. Cost is $15 per person and includes entry into the lucky door prize.

The safe way to dispose of potentially hazardous household chemicals is at a Household Chemical CleanOut event. Held across NSW on specified dates, this free service allows for the safe disposal of household chemicals that could cause harm to human health and the environment if not done correctly. June 6. 9am to 5pm. Blayney Waste Facility, 4117 Mid Western Highway.

The Craft Cuppa 'n' Chat group welcomes regular and new participants. Bring along anything you've finished during lockdown to show others - there might even be a craft "catwalk" to show off the talent. Every Tuesday from 10am to 1pm ... except on the first Tuesday of each month. 10am to 1pm. Millthorpe CWA Hall, 21 Pym Street. $2.50. Contact Gwen on 0409 711 244 for further enquiries.

Get in quick to get your pick of the best treats at the Oberon Hospital Auxiliary's Mother's Day stall and raffle on May 6, held outside of IGA from 9am. Take your choice from craft items, delicious goodies and a chance to win one of three gorgeous Mothers Day baskets of luxuries. Get in quick - baked goodies from the kitchens of members are always popular and usually sell out. There have also been requests for another wood raffle. Thanks to a generous donor, the auxiliary's wood raffle will be held on June 10 at the usual spot, outside the IGA.

Head on down to the main pavilion at Oberon Showground to test your memories at a Mexican Trivia Night. The event is a fundraiser for the Oberon Inner Wheel Club Inc. The night will also feature prizes for the best dressed male and female and lucky door prizes. There will be nibbles and a two course dinner available, BYO. Saturday, May 21. 6pm. Bookings essential, call Melita Braun on 0419 628 007 to book your place.

The next Mudgee Fine Foods Mudgee Makers' Markets will taken place on Sunday, June 5. With a selection of items from dozens of stalls, there's something for everyone. The market will take place from 8.30am to 12.30pm at Robertson Park. These markets take place on the first Sunday of every month (excluding January and February).

Ok, it may not be held until October 29, but general admission tickets are on sale for the Wildflowers Festival in Mudgee. The festival will feature a who's who of Australian female musical talent. One stop on a wider tour kicking off in March, the Mudgee event at Craigmoor Wines features Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko, Deborah Conway, Alice Skye and Georgia June. Tickets to Wildflowers are on sale at wildflowerfestivalaustralia.com.au.

Business Mudgee and Pearl Daly-Swords of the Centre for Executive Development (CED) will host a People Leadership series. The two hour workshop will focus on mindset, tools, skillset and business topics. Details: dates: May 4, May 18 from 12pm to 2pm, cost: $250 each course, tickets: 123tix.com.au.

Held in the CWA rooms from 11am at 48 Market Street each first Friday of the month, the Mudgee CWA Day Branch host their meetings. Upcoming dates: May 6, June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2. Visitors and new members are always welcome. For more information, contact Genevieve on 0411 574 611.

Grenfell artist Helen Carpenter along with songwriters and artists from around the region will be travelling to Grenfell to showcase their works reflecting on the last two years. The exhibition will showcase work from across all mediums. You will see painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, moving image, animation, photography, glass and textiles. The exhibition will will be at the Grenfell Art Gallery until June 2 before moving onto galleries and venues around the Central West.

World famous Prima Donna Madame Anna Bishop revisits the colonies to thrill Canowindra with her ballads and opera with associate Charles Lascelles. She spins a ripping good yarn of her astounding world adventures. Sarahlouise Owens and Dr John Phillips as Anna Bishop and Charles Lascelles. Tickets $30 each. All Saints Church, Canowindra on Sunday May 21 at 3pm. Tickets at https://www.trybooking.com/BYQUK