There should never be any excuse for anyone in the Illawarra to say they have nothing on offer across a weekend.

Regularly, each week we prove time and again the diversity that is on offer and the community-minded nature of people in this region to put on the vast array of events.

This weekend there is a huge variety of events for families to chose from. Too many in fact to mention here alone.

The Sydney Writers’ Festival will be among the marquee events.

The festival comes to town with its Live and Local events, with a series of events happening at the venue while the festival is live streamed into the Wollongong Town Hall from Sydney.

Then there’s a major event with balls – protein balls.

Some of the fittest people around are showcasing their talents at the CrossFit Regional Pacific Games which will see about 4500 people every day at the WIN Entertainment Centre.

On Sunday, the Shellharbour City Council presents Cultural Treasures, a multicultural festival, which showcases the cultural diversity in the region.

The event at Reddall Reserve features multicultural performers, dance, cultural food, art and craft and workshops.

The Embrace Life festival, which focuses on health, wellbeing and spirituality, will be held at the Innovation campus of UOW at Fairy Meadow on Sunday.

It will feature yoga classes, workshops, demonstrations, music and stage performances, intuitive readings, wellness treatments and a marketplace consisting of natural health products just to name a few.

Also on Sunday, the Wollongong Botanic Gardens will be buzzing as part of the national open garden day program.

Interestingly, the national program took seed initially as an idea from Wollongong and is now celebrated across the country.

There will be an opportunity to take part in a range of free activities including guided garden tours on the electronic buggy, tours of the greenplan nursery as well as various workshops. 

A special feature of this year's event is the free screening of Before the Flood, a National Geographic film about climate change featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. 

The weather is going to be sensational this weekend. Get out and enjoy it.