The Yeoval Mulga Bill Festival, which incorporates a bicycle ride to celebrate the fact that Banjo Paterson spent his early childhood years living in Yeoval, is now in its 5th successive year. Enjoy a bike ride, bush food, poetry, art exhibition, music and much more. Check out www.mulgabillfestival.com.au for program details.

Grenfell's Henry Lawson Festival of Arts June Long Weekend (starts Tuesday June 8 to Monday June 14)and includes Poetry - Performance, Exhibitions, Heritage, Street Parade, Music, Circus, Sport and Community events. A full program of events is available from: www.grenfell.org.au/henrylawsonfestival

Festival highlights this year are: Poetry by Firelight, Tuesday June 8, 7.30pm, Dramatic Society Rooms.

Wallangreen Sculpture Garden Open Thursday-Monday, afternoons.

Art Exhibition Opens Thursday June 10, 7.30pm, Grenfell Art Gallery.

Photography Exhibition Friday-Monday, Upper Main Street Grenfell.

Festival Concert With local bands, folk musicians, Melissa Robertson,Miranda Foster and Bush Poet Geoffrey Graham. Friday June 11, 7.30pm, Henry Lawson High School, Book at Louisa's Locker 02 6343 1577.

Poetry on the Boards Saturday June 12, sign up from 9.30am, Railway Station.

Poetry Slam with Miles Merrill - come and compete in the heats of this state-wide comp on Saturday June 12, 3pm, Railway Station.

Grenfell Dramatic Society The Man in the Bowler Hat and The Dilemma of Deidre Dearheart, Sunday June 13, 7.30pm & Monday June 14, 2pm, Rose St Rooms tickets CJ Anderson 02 6343 1610.

Stuart Town (60kms north of Orange and 33kms south of Wellington) is the place to be on Saturday 3 April with events - Art Show, Parade, Cicrus West performance, billy boiling, food stalls and evening bush dance. A highlight will be Poetry in the Pub at 2pm where Blue the Shearer will entertain the crowds with his repertoire of Stuart Town poems. Blue has also printed a souvenir booklet, which will be available for purchase. Ben Penhall, a Stuart town talent, will entertain and special guest is Scotsman Martin Walsh - a published short story writer and Managing Ediotr of Pushing Out the Boat, the literary magazine of North-East Sctoland. He has read his work on BBC Radio. His stories are often set in remote corners of the world, especially West Africa, and sometimes involve animals (he is a zoologist after all). Among his characters are cranky cobras, telepathic flying frogs, scheming pelicans, bolshey geese, feisty humming birds, oversexed pigeons an occasionally God (although not in any religious sense). Come along and have a great time. Entry to Poetry in the Pub is by donation. For more details call 6846 8414.

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was born on February 17, 1864 and to celebrate his birthday Orange City Council, Central West Libraries, Central West Writers' Centre supported by The Central Western Daily and ABC Central West Radio announce the call for entries to the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. It is important to note that entries into the Prose (Short Story), Open Poetry and Children's Writing Awards categories of the competition do not have to be in the style of Banjo's writing. Entry forms are available from Central West Libraries branches, by phoning 6393 8120, email: writing@orange.nsw.gov.au or [download here]. Entry is $10 for adults and $5 for children per entry. The competition closes on Friday 16 April 2010 and winners will be contacted by phone on Monday 21 June 2010. There are cash prizes to be won and the winning Prose (Short Story) entry will be published in the Central Western Daily.