The best things to do on the Central Coast this May

If you want to prove you can handle the heat, and a regular meal doused in sriracha is just another weeknight dinner for you, then listen up. A Chilli festival is blazing into town and it's set to be the hottest day on the Central Coast. Entry is free to this red-hot fiesta, and you can choose between a tough line-up of chilli-infused foods or just sign up to the chilli eating competition for a full feed. If you're just there to support a pal, plenty of non-chilli offerings will be available with food trucks serving up spice-free food, wine and beer. Keep yourself entertained by browsing the many market stalls or settle in and enjoy the live music. Head to Memorial Park on May 19 for this chilli-centric event.

Celebrate big ideas at this writers festival taking place across several picturesque locations on the Central Coast from May 29 to June 3. Whether you’re a writer, a reader or want to bring your kids along, there’s something for everyone at this fun festival. Listen in as author’s including Bri Lee and Michelle Seminara chat books and the healing power of nature; attend a Late Night Lit session where you can sip cocktails while watching established and emerging writers perform on open mic; hop aboard the Literary Cruise where two remarkable writers – James Bradley and Jeanine Leane – will talk about their work; join the publishing panels where you can learn about the necessities of agents, or partake in a memoir masterclass. There’s so much more to discover so browse the full program and reserve your spots now.

First Nations artist and dancer Shana O’Brien has crafted a new exhibition that explores the ways in which we all connect. By diving into emotional landscapes as a form of storytelling, and considering ways in which the viewer's eyes will be taken on a journey through her use of shapes, colours and patterns, her work aims to evoke the emotions in people that connect them to land and each other. Reserve your seat to this art show, which is taking place at Gosford Regional Gallery from May 25 to June 30, and learn more about O’Briens inner world and connection to her ancestors.

A woman, a dog, a campervan and plenty of wide open road. That’s what you can expect from this moving show about a woman who wakes up one day to find she’s missing her heart. Journeying with her dog down the ‘highway of lost hearts’, she goes in search of hers. From the mind of award-winning Darwin playwright Mary Anne Butler, this allegory of a country that’s lost its heart is a gritty yet magical ride starring theatrical powerhouse Kate Smith. Catch it at Laycock Community Street Theatre, Wyoming on May 18. Get your tickets here.

For those who can’t make the journey down to Sydney for this long-standing festival of literature, reading and ideas, don’t despair. Central Coast libraries will be live-streaming the event straight from Carriageworks so you don’t have to miss a minute. Over three days, you can hear from national and international authors – including Julia Baird, Viet Thang and Suzie Miller – as they discuss their latest books. Writers and journalists will make up panels to discuss important topics such as the meaning of life in a technological age, and the war on journalists. Plus, ABC legends Leigh Sales and Lisa Millar will unpack the craft of turning real life events into narrative. Find out more here.