Things to do in Melbourne today

To celebrate the NGV’s major summer exhibition Between Two Worlds which will feature the endlessly fascinating works of Dutch graphic artist MC Escher, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins will be putting on a very special high tea experience. The Monochromatic High Tea will run for four weeks only at Sofitel’s first-floor café Sofi’s Lounge. Punters will be able to enjoy sweet treats inspired by MC Escher’s black and white works, including black sesame waffle cones with salted caramel, passionfruit and coconut chiboust, white chocolate opera slices with blackened coffee gel, and a special Escher’s Black Rose with raspberry sponge and blueberry jelly, rose and white chocolate mousse on hazelnut dacquoise.   All dishes will be served on custom-made Escher-esque high tea stands, so you can tuck into lime meringues with ash choux profiteroles, charcoal scones and an assortment of finger sandwiches in true Escher style. Each dish has been crafted by Sofitel’s pastry chef David Hann to bring out some of Escher’s most daring works.   Guests will also receive a glass of sparkling wine, Madame Flavour loose leaf teas and espresso coffee for $55 per person. You can also up the ante by signing up for free-flowing sparkling for $65, or replenished sweets and savoury dishes for $70, or high tea with Taittinger Champagne for $75 per person. Monochromatic High Tea is available on weekdays during the month of December, with two sessions at noon and 3pm.

Coburg Night Market get better every year and it's little wonder, considering that it was founded by the team behind the Queen Victoria Night Market in 2010.  Every Friday night from November 30 to December 21, Coburg Night Market will come alive with more than 85 food and artisan stalls, as well as live music and interactive entertainment. Melbourne’s diverse community is truly on show with the versatile dishes served up by the street food vendors. Run by Moreland City Council, over 30 food vendors will be dishing up delicious street food at the weekly night market. There will be vegan, vegetarian and halal-friendly options available too.  Much like the food available, music and entertainment have also been sourced from Melbourne's global communities. Each Friday, the night market will have two stages: one showcasing local independent record labels, and the other will have Hope St Radio on DJ duty. The market will take place right before Christmas, giving shoppers a great chance to pick up some artisanal gifts too.

Everyone who grew up in Melbourne understands the magic of the Myer Christmas windows. Every year the display is different, and every year the scenes make the children of Melbourne squeal with delight.  Melbourne Museum is creating a very special exhibition to celebrate the Myer Christmas windows of years gone by. The museum wants help in creating the exhibition, putting a call out for Melburnians to share their memories of the Myer Christmas windows. The exhibition itself will include more than 250 quirky and interesting characters from windows in past years. There will also be sketches, prototypes, props and animatronics. Many of these creations are based on children's storybooks, and they're sure to delight young visitors – and perhaps create pangs of nostalgia for those with their own memories of Christmas as children.

Think you can’t see the Moon indoors? Think again. Scienceworks has announced an exciting new exhibition for December, which lets visitors take in a replica of the Moon close up. Museum of the Moon is essentially a seven-metre diameter spherical sculpture that features large-scale NASA imagery of the lunar surface. It’s shown at a scale of 1:500,000, which means each centimetre of the sculpture represents five kilometres of the Moon’s actual surface.   Created by UK artist Luke Jerram, Museum of the Moon has travelled over the world in recent years. What’s cool about the installation is that it blends detailed lunar imagery, internally illuminated “moonlight” and a specially designed soundtrack created by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones. Virtual reality experience and game Opaque Space: Earthlight – Lunar Hub will illuminate the way you experience the moon, as well. This 40-minute experience will feature 20 minutes in-game and uses headsets and backpack PCs to allow players to move freely around the play space. Entrance to Opaque Space will have an additional charge.  There will also be an exciting range of public programs during the Museum of the Moon's residency. Entrance into the exhibition is included with museum entry (free for children and concession and $15 for adults).