Celebrate the spring school holidays with an exciting range of free family-fun activities including Bloom After Dark, a gnome hunt in Eaglehawk's Canterbury Gardens and interactive events in Hargreaves Mall.
Spring is tulip time in Bendigo and the opportunity for residents and visitors to explore over 43,000 tulips in a rainbow of colours in Rosalind Park over the school holidays. The fun continues with Bloom After Dark's night activations from 6.30pm to 9.30pm each night, starting on Friday September 20. You can explore glowing tulip beds and giant interactive flowers along Pall Mall. The immersive soundscape of Sonic Bloom at the Conservatory will also be open daily until 9.30pm.
To celebrate The Year of the Dragon, the Yi Yuan Gardens at the Golden Dragon Museum will come to life nightly from 6.30pm to 9.30pm with a stunning tunnel of Chinese lanterns, floating flowers in the water. The main attraction is a 10 metre long illuminated Chinese dragon with sound and effects nearby adding to the atmosphere.
Another fun activity for families is the hunt for 12 cheeky gnomes at the Village of Gnomes at the beautiful Canterbury Park Gardens precinct. You can download a map to help you find the gnomes, which are located on a trail through the gardens to the award-winning Eaglehawk Playspace. The Village of Gnomes is on until Sunday October 6.
As part of the Bloom spring program, you can also get close to nature with the City's Climate Change and Environment team's wonderful array of workshops, walks and talks. All events are free and include Breakfast with the Birds, Plants and their Pollinators Walk, Nature by Night. Bookings are necessary.
The Harvest Moon Festival in the Dai Gum San Precinct from 3pm to 7pm on Friday September 27 (Public Holiday) is a cherished cultural celebration in numerous Asian countries to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest and to bring well wishes among family and friends. The festival will have multicultural food, music, lion dancers and appearances from two dragons Gwong Loong and Yar Loong.
At the Bloomin Good Market from 10am to 2pm at Sidney Myer Place on Sunday September 29, local businesses have banded together so you can love your local with great produce available. Meet the makers and shakers, savour treats and enjoy live music after visiting the tulip displays in Rosalind Park.
On Saturday October 5, the Vegecareian Festival at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is the ultimate vegetarian celebration with a festival of food, fun and furry friends. There will be guest appearances from Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia and Diana Chan from MasterChef. Pet blessings will also be taking place.
On Sunday October 6 from 2pm to 3pm, the Sonic Bloom series continues with a captivating collaboration led by local Creative Producer Aimee Chapman, whose work in sound art aims to connect audiences with their environment and each other through deeply resonant soundscapes. For this performance, Ms Chapman joining forces with Aviva Endean, a clarinettist and sound artist. This is a free family event in the Conservatory Gardens in Rosalind Park.
Hargreaves Mall will be a hive of activity this school holidays with free events suitable for children of all ages. Families can enjoy face painting, dancing dragons, LEGO Mosaic Build, Alice in Wonderland Disco, juggling and acrobats, Bloom Art for kids and Roller Disco.
Director Strategy and Growth Rachel Lee said spring was a great time to get out and about in Bendigo.
"The spring school holidays is a perfect opportunity to make the most of the free outdoor adventures and activations that will keep kids entertained. Our program has a wide variety of fun activations in Hargreaves Mall, the gnome hunt in Canterbury Park and the after dark activations, including a large illuminated Chinese dragon in the beautiful Yi Yuan Gardens," Ms Lee said.
"All of these activations are important to draw people to the city centre during the day and in the evenings. Residents and visitors are encouraged to support local businesses where you can.
"It also encourages visitors to book with our local accommodation providers and extend their stay so they can see enjoy Greater Bendigo during the school holidays, perhaps take in a show, dine, and shop."
Other school holiday activities taking place include:
- Layers of Blak free exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery celebrates the creative outcome of the Koorie Heritage Trust's second year of the Blak Design program, showcasing jewellery from eleven Victorian First Peoples artists
- Rob McHaffie: We are family free exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery brings to the fore his observations of everyday surroundings
- The Resilience Project's 3 Happy Tricks at 11am on Thursday September 26 at The Capital teaches primary-aged kids positive mental health strategies through music, stories and plenty of laughs
- You are a Doughnut from the creators of The Alphabet of Awesome Science is an award-winning family show with a unique biology tour of the human body with songs and dancing. It is at 10am and 1pm on Thursday October 3
- Signor Baffo is an interactive comedy where he causes chaos in the kitchen. It is at 11.30am on October 6 at The Engine Room. Suitable for 3 and over
- Bendigo's Discovery Science & Technology Centre has more than 100 interactive exhibits to explore together with the relaxing Planetarium, the Kaleidoscope and Vertical Slide
- The Central Deborah Gold Mine tour is perfect for families with children over three years. Or pan for gold and eat a miner's lunch
- Jump aboard one of Bendigo's iconic trams or check out the new Tram Café that has had a floral spring makeover for a perfect selfie
- School holiday fun at a Bendigo Pottery workshop includes wheel throwing and decorating classes suitable for all ages and skills level
