Ballarat Heritage Weekend 11 - 12 May 2013

Ballarat Heritage Weekend, held over the Mother's Day weekend in May, offers a huge program of free entertainment, activities, tours, and experiences. Designed each year to showcase different elements of our shared heritage and the rich historic assets of Ballarat.

Starting from the historic Lydiard Street Mining Exchange, follow the trail through Ballarat's most impressive heritage buildings, many of which are not normally open the public. Along the way, activities, live music and street performers will amuse the young and young at heart. If you are willing they will take you on a nostalgic journey of the City's bygone entertainment highlights and past times.

For a faster tempo, you can ride a double decker bus, cruise the Lake on the Begonia Princess or get on Steamrail Victoria's Y Class Steam Engine out to Lal Lal and back. Take a National Trust guided tour along our famous streetscapes, explore our murky past on the night time Ghost tour, or simply wander along at your own pace.

For more information, click here.

Ballarat Begonia Festival 2013

Join Costa Georgiadis and a host of leading Australian garden experts such as Melissa King, Rohan Anderson and Allen Gilbert at the 2013 Ballarat Begonia Festival. 

The 2013 program is set to delight with a huge range of garden talks, demonstrations, tours and markets, free entertainment, kids activities and the beautiful blooming Begonia Display.

The Ballarat Begonia Festival 2013 will be held over the March Labour Day long weekend, Saturday 9 to Monday 11 March, at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and Lake Wendouree Forshore, 10am-5pm daily.

Click the link for further information:www.ballaratbegoniafestival.com

Ballarat Antique Fair 2013

The Ballarat Antique Fair is back on the March Long weekend.

The event opens on Saturday the 9th of March 2013 at 10:00am to 6:00pm, then Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and Monday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

It will be held at the Ballarat Badminton Stadium, at Dowling Street, Wendouree.

With 100 Dealers from all over Australia, we will bring you a huge range of quality antiques and collectables from all over the world, including antique furniture, jewellery, china porcelain, antique and vintage prints, heaps of collectable as well as vintage clothing and accessories. Our dealers have been all over the world to find you the special and unique pieces that you must have.

This year we will have a brand new exhibition – The Vintage Bridal Exhibition. Come and see the beautiful one of a kind vintage wedding dresses, look at how wedding dress evolve and how they influence modern design. It’s an exhibition you don’t want to miss.

With new improved cooling this year, the Ballart Antique Fair will be the perfect place to be this March long weekend. For more information, visit www.ballaratantiquefair.com.au or contact us on 1300 303 800.


WHERE: The Badminton Centre, Dowling Street, Wendooree, Ballarat

From: Saturday 9th of March 2013  To  Monday 11th of March 2013
Time: 10am

Australia Day 2013

Australia Day 
Saturday 26 January, 2013

Celebrate Australia Day at Lake Wendouree

On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.

Celebrate Australia Day on Saturday 26 January with family and friends at Lake Wendouree.

With a new venue near the Adventure playground, pack a picnic, rug and chairs and enjoy a great line up of local bands and performers on the main stage and grab a bite to eat from one of the food stalls.

Sing along to theWe Love Rock n Rollshow early in the evening before enjoying one of Melbourne’s most sought after bandsZydeco Jump. The line-up promises to be an energetic prelude to the 3BA Power FM Skyworks Spectacular that will light up the night sky just after dark. 

Live music

A mix of local and regional talent will be on stage from 5pm featuring:

Local bands:

• City of Ballarat Brass Band (annual performance - 35 piece brass band)
• Sing Australia Choir (60 plus members)
• Guest artists:‘We love Rock n Roll’ Children’s Show – Gillian Eastoe (ABC for KIDS) and Terry Murray
• Zydeco Jump (Blues / Zydeco / Cajun)

Food and beverages 

• Coffee / tea / hot chocolate / cold drinks
• Community BBQ
• Ice Cream and Snow Cones
• Vegetarian menu options
• Snack food – nachos, hot dogs, donuts and fairy floss
• Wood fired pizza
• Baked potatoes

Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony

The 2013 Australia Day awards and Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony will be held on Australia Day eve, Friday 25 January. The 2013 Australia Day Awards will be presented in three categories: Citizen of the Year; Young Citizen of the Year and Community Activity of the Year. 

Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields 2013

Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields

18th Annual Festival

Friday 11 January to Sunday 20 January 2013

The program for Festival 2013 will be comprised of:

* 23 recitals in Ballarat and the region
* demonstrations on heritage church organs
* visits to historic and tourist sites
* social functions and dinners

THIS VERY SPECIAL ANNUAL EVENT FOR LOVERS OF FINE MUSIC WILL BE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE BALLARAT REGION !

Festival 2013 will commence in St Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat on Friday, 11 January at 8pm and finish on Sunday, 20 January with the final recital also in St Patrick's Cathedral at 8pm.
The program appears below and it once again features classical music to suit all tastes ... and a few surprises!

For more information and program details, follow the link below.

www.ballarat.com/organs