Combine dinosaurs with Easter eggs and you've got yourself a recipe for happy kids.
Entry to Mega Creatures at Hunter Valley Gardens will be combined with an Easter egg hunt from Friday to Sunday.
On display will be prehistoric dinosaurs, crawling insects and mythical creatures, including a giant T-Rex, stegosaurus, triceratops and spinosaurus.
During the hunt, there will be thousands of brightly coloured non-edible eggs for kids to collect.
Whoever finds the golden egg will win an annual family pass to the gardens.
The Easter egg hunt is on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10am, 12.30pm and 3pm at the Frog Ponds.
The 10am hunt is restricted to children under 6. The other hunts are open to children under 15.
Each child under 5 can be accompanied by one adult. At the end of the hunt, each child receives a gift of Easter chocolate.
Easter egg hunt tickets are $2 and can only be booked online, after Mega Creatures tickets are bought. Numbers are limited.
Be aware that tickets to the hunt cannot be bought at the garden entry.
A meet the Easter Bunny event is also at the gardens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9.30am, midday and 2.30pm.
Band Championships
Newcastle will host the Australian National Band Championships over Easter.
The event starts on Friday at 9.30am and Saturday and Sunday at 9am.
The Band Association of NSW event is back after a four-year hiatus.
It features the best brass and wind bands from across Australia.
This event is held at Civic Theatre, Newcastle City Hall and Harold Lobb Concert Hall.
Grain and Grape Dinner
As part of Newcastle Food Month, First Creek Wines and Foghorn Brewery will present their beers and wines at an event on Thursday night.
A range of the alcoholic drinks will be paired with a four-course menu, sourced from local ingredients.
Experts from the two companies will present their beers and wines, including some rarities and special cellar releases.
A one-off collaboration between the two will also be launched exclusively on the night.
The event brings together the official beer and wine partners of Newcastle Food Month.
Tickets are $99 per person.
Emo For Easter
The Hamilton Station Hotel is going "Emo For Easter" with a lineup of pop-punk bands in their brand new band room.
The Sunday night event features the band Yours Truly, and local outfits Eat Your Heart Out, Collidescope and Lamphead.
Car Park Party
The Cambridge in Newcastle West will host an "Easter Sunday Car Park Party".
The lineup includes headliners The Rions, along with Peach Fur, Big Wheels, Saylor and the Flavour, and Tamara and the Dreams.
Sunday School DJ will be kicking off the afterparty.
High Tea
Cakeboi High Tea will be held at the "Ms Mary" venue at the Crystalbrook Kingsley in Newcastle on Friday and Saturday. The high tea is prepared by Reece Hignell (Cake Boi, Masterchef) and executive chef Matt Smith.
