Enlighten this year

There's no excuse for us to miss Enlighten - Canberra's annual festival of illumination. It's close enough for us to walk to, so we can pick our time and go more than once if we want. We walked over on Saturday evening - joining thousands of other Canberrans. We got there in time for the lights to be turned on at 8.00pm.

Outside the National Gallery Neil Dawson's hanging "Diamond" looked beautiful tonight - as the sun went down.

 The NGA's illumination was exciting this year - moving images for the first time - based on Tony Albert's I AM VISIBLE.

 The Portrait Gallery's illuminations used a similar idea to last year (animations based on portraits of onlookers). I liked the giant jelly fish!

 Questacon always puts on a good show .............

 We gave the crowded Noodle Markets a miss and stood fairly disappointed for a while waiting for the National Library's illumination to be more exciting.  There's nothing challenging about Enlighten, just a week or so of fun and pretty lights and a chance to enjoy something harmless alongside thousands of other people. 

We walked home afterwards back around the lake - in relative darkness once we crossed Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

Canberra Enlighten

Canberra Enlighten and the Night Noodle Market were already a week old before we found an opportunity to walk around the lake to the Parliamentary Triangle to join in the fun!

The High Court of Australia looked very pretty from across the lake but still very dignified in amongst the frivolity of Enlighten. 

We liked the entry to the Night Noodle Markets this year with their eye catching temporary overhead walkways. We'd decided to give the food at the market a miss this year - the queues are too long for us!

Our National Library of Australia turns 50 this year but we didn't think the illuminations this year quite did that milestone justice!

Questacon always has a STEM theme happening (of course).

 Old Parliament House's illumination celebrated 75 years of Women in the National Parliament which was a bit ho hum until one of the bright young things from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy started playing the Pauline Hanson rap (I don't like it") on full volume over a very powerful sound system.

The National Portrait Gallery illuminations are always fun......

 And the National Gallery of Australia continues to play it safe - no animation, just pictures from the collection - but I did like this frame!

It's still a thrill for us to be able to walk to all these events around the lake - so close to home.