Ballarat's biggest annual event will soon spring to life once again and you might be wondering how to make the most out of this year's Ballarat Begonia Festival.
Taking place from March 8-10 over the Labour Day long weekend in the beautiful Ballarat Botanical Gardens, there will be no shortage of entertainment on offer to suit everybody.
From stunning garden displays to captivating celebrity guests, brilliant family entertainment to the best local food and drink, interactive competitions to live music, and of course the PowerFM Begonia Festival Parade - the 73rd Ballarat Begonia Festival promises to be as big and bustling as ever.
And the best part about the entire festival for those on a tight budget? It is free to attend.
Whether it is your first time to the event, and you are wondering what all the fuss is about, or it is a fixture on your calendar every year, we are here to help you get the most out of the long weekend.
Check out everything you need to know below.
Entertainment
There is a dazzling array of entertainment lined up for this year's festival, certain to captivate audiences of all ages and interests.
The headline act, The Last Numbat, is a large-scale interactive performance installation that will make its debut on the east coast of Australia and is created by Australia's renowned puppetry company, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.
The main stage will be a hive of activity with a range of horticultural presentations and cooking demonstrations by television personalities such as Costa Georgiadis, Millie Ross and Mindy Woods. Ballarat's own Liam Downes from Black Cat Truffles will also grace the stage in a cooking demonstration not to be missed.
Other highlights include the Garden of Giggles, the 3BA Sound Garden, and the Snail Trail, just to name a few.
By entering the Snail Trail competition, you get the chance to win a custom garden sculpture by Tread sculptures, valued at $1200.
To fully explore all of the entertainment on offer, explore the program section on the Ballarat Begonia Festival website.
Getting there
Whatever your mode of transport, there are many ways to ensure attending the Ballarat Begonia Festival is as smooth and seamless as possible.
There will be free shuttle buses to and from Mair Street (near Coffee Place Lane), while the Wendouree train station is just a 900-metre walk.
A free carpark will be established off Wendouree Parade near the North Gardens, while there is also ample parking around the Botanical Gardens, both along Wendouree Parade and Gillies Street.
There will also be vintage tram rides running all weekend for your convenience along the 1.3 kilometres of the original track.
To learn more about how to get to the festival, plus all the information about road closures and shuttle bus times, visit the transport page on the Ballarat Begonia Festival website.
The Begonia Display
This year's Ballarat Begonia Festival proudly celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Robert Clark Conservatory, a beloved landmark in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.
Designed by renowned architect Peter Elliot, the Conservatory has been a showcase of breathtaking floral displays, a sanctuary of rare and exotic plants and a symbol of Ballarat's rich horticultural heritage since its opening in 1995. Over three decades, it has welcomed countless visitors, inspiring a love for nature and gardening in the community.
This year's begonia display is inspired by the timeless beauty of romance.
The stunning bursts of colour from the begonias will captivate the senses, making every step through the display a truly enchanting experience.
We invite you to wander, pause and immerse yourself in this romantic floral display.
To learn more about the display, visit the Begonia section on the Begonia Festival website.
Accessibility
Making the festival available for everybody to enjoy is an absolute priority and this year there will be a range of services available for everybody.
Travellers Aid will be available to assist people with disability or mobility challenges to access the event and with getting around the venue, including buggy transfers from the accessible carpark and wheelchair assistance within the festival.
Wheelchair ramps to allow access to the existing raised beds will also be established and can be located on the festival map.
For the young families, Parent Place will offer on-site breast feeding location, bottle heating facilities, access to change facilities and a sensory place. A Parent Pod will also be on the festival site and will contain a comfortable seat for feeding or pumping, a change table and microwave oven. They are heated, air-conditioned and come with sanitizer and paper towels.
The main stage will feature open captions for all stage presentations and cooking demonstrations. Reserved front row seating and wheelchair allocation will also be provided.
To learn more, visit the accessibility page on the Begonia Festival website.
Sustainability
This year's festival is greener than ever, with a renewed focus on eco-friendly initiatives.
There will be no plastic bottles sold at any of the food and drink trucks, however there will be multiple drinking stations available thanks to Central Highlands Water.
Recycling and composting stations will also be on-site to help keep rubbish out of landfill, with friendly staff on hand to help you sort it correctly.
There will also be a series of educational gardening workshops to learn sustainable gardening tips from local experts, while the Sustainable Garden display will showcase local businesses and apprentices as they highlight eco-friendly gardening practices
The PowerFM Ballarat Begonia Festival Parade
The traditional PowerFM Begonia Parade will return once again, beginning at 11am on Monday 10 March.
The parade will start at the South Gardens and travel along Wendouree Parade, concluding at the North Gardens.
The parade is expected to attract 10,000 spectators as they line both sides of the road to catch a glimpse.
This year's parade feature almost 50 community groups, schools and businesses, promising a vibrant and celebratory procession along Wendouree Parade.
For a full list of parade entries, visit the parade section on the Begonia Festival website.
