25 WAYS TO ENJOY WONDERFUL WINTER IN BALLARAT

5 THINGS TO DO AT THE BALLARAT WINTER FESTIVAL

Rug up and embrace the cold as the beloved Ballarat Winter Festival returns. There’s plenty of winter-themed events, activities, and entertainment to warm you heart, soul, and belly.

1. Warm up this winter with the return of Ballarat's Hot Choc Showdown. This deliciously indulgent event once again brings together over 30 local cafes, restaurants, bakeries and bars in a friendly competition to crown Ballarat Winter Festival's favourite hot chocolate.
   27 June – 19 July
2. Get your skates on in the heart of the city at the pop-up ice rink. Featuring child-friendly, sensory, and the always popular themed sessions. Book your tickets now.
   27 June – 19 July
3. The iconic Christmas in July spectacle Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill is back with a shimmering light show, falling snow, mulled wine, delicious gingerbread treats, pantomimes, and theatre shows, arts and crafts and more.
   26 June – 19 July
4. Feats of magic and wonder await at Kryal Castle’s Knights of Fire, along with spectacular jousts, flaming swords, magical potions, sword fighting and axe throwing lessons, live performances plus so much more.
   27 June – 12 July
5. Support small businesses at The Design Exchange Winter Market. Wander and shop the curated selection of amazing independent designers, artists and creators and discover artisan food and producers to the sounds of talented musicians.
   27-28 June

5 WAYS TO FILL YOUR BELLY

Get comfortable with these winter warmers – think gooey melted cheese, piping hot soups and perfect pies, warming red wine and spirited cocktails.

1. Hunt for a different kind of gold at Black Cat Truffles by Liam Downes then enjoy a six-course menu by the award-winning chef. You’ll also get tips on how to get the best of your truffles.
2. What’s better in winter than indulging in flaky, buttery pastry filled with piping hot goodness? How about 30 different varieties… Take the challenge this August and taste some of the region’s most delicious pies during Ballarat’s Best Pie. Keep an eye out for some unique flavours you won’t want to miss.
3. Head inside a 19^th century grain house and discover Ballarat speakeasy bar Grainery Lane. Here you’ll find great tapas, an original saloon bar (the only one of its kind in Australia) and a drinks menu that offers traditional cocktails as well as handcrafted gin distilled on-site.
4. Check out the Wonderful Winter Igloos at the Market Hotel and indulge in a grazing feast filled with delicious winter favourites. This year, they are also offering a range of special event experiences — Sunday afternoon high tea; book club book-nooks with cheese and charcuterie; gin, whiskey and wine tasting nights; and DJ party nights.
5. Rug up and head to the Western Hotel's Carpark After Dark for food vans, crackling fire pits, live music, and kids' activities.

5 WAYS TO GET YOUR CREATIVITY FIX

Explore galleries, be immersed in the city’s emerging art scene and so much more.

1. Ballarat artist Kate Gorman is exploring the impact of tourism, suburban growth and progress on Victoria's coastal landscape through her new exhibition, Sirens, at Backspace Gallery. Her delicate, half-human sculptures are designed to charm and lure the viewer into the artist's underlying sense of environmental peril.
   30 May – 12 July
2. Ross Creek Gallery proudly presents Ballarat Drawers 2026. This inaugural exhibition brings together six Ballarat-based artists – Bren Luke, Kim Anderson, Peter Cougle, Alison Parkinson and Georgina Gould-Hardwick – to showcase the diversity, skill and vitality of contemporary painting in the region.
   6-28 June
3. The 2026 HSBC Spanish and Latin American Film Festival is bringing the fiesta to Ballarat this winter with a curated selection of 30 films from Spain and Latin America showing at Palace Regent Cinemas.
   12 June – 5 July
4. For the first time in a decade, the World Press Photo exhibition is coming to Victoria – and it's all thanks to the Art Gallery of Ballarat. Each year, the World Press Photo contest highlights the outstanding work of photojournalists and documentary photographers from around the globe. The gallery will host the globally acclaimed exhibition at the Ballarat Mining Exchange.
   8 August – 20 September
5. Take a peek at Perridak Arts, a gallery dedicated to showcasing the works of local First Nations artists. Perridak means ‘platypus’ in Wadawurrung language and the gallery is an initiative of the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative.

5 COZY FIREPLACES TO WARM UP BESIDE

After your winter adventures, find a spot beside one of many roaring fireplaces around town and indulge in Ballarat’s world-class eat and drink scene.

1. Head inside the historic warehouse now home to Hydrant Food Hall and discover a cosy wood fire taking centre stage and a seasonal menu just as impressive.
2. Head just out of town and you can sip on a glass of red while you take in the aroma of maturing wines at the Michael Unwin Wines cellar door, all while you soak up the views of the surrounding vineyard.
3. Named after Australia’s first Chinese restauranteur, all-day eatery Johnny Alloo serves delicious specialty coffee, thoughtfully-selected wines and hearty yet refined eats. Our pick? The eggs benedict featuring local Salt Kitchen jamon.
4. Pop by brewpub Aunty Jacks for a casual pot and some warming comfort food by the fire. While you’re there, sign up for Beer School. An hour of tasting and learning is a mighty fine way to enjoy an afternoon.
5. Sit down by the fire at cocktail bar and social club Renard and nibble on pepper leaf flat bread with hummus, burnt butter and espelette with your favourite cocktail in hand.

5 WAYS TO EXPLORE BEYOND BALLARAT

Venture a little further afield and experience the quirky and quaint villages that surround our city.

1. The historic Buninyong Town Hall plays host to the seasonal Buninyong Village Market. Wander the village, stopping at local stores and cafes before exploring more than 50 stalls selling handcrafted items, plants, and food.
   29 August
2. If you are a certified red wine lover, take the Road to Red which is a self-guided trial through the Pyrenees, taking in well-known cellar doors including Blue Pyrenees, Taltarni Vineyards, Summerfield Winery, Wayward Winery and Sally’s Paddock, just to name a few.
3. Take the short drive to Smeaton where you’ll find Tuki. Head to the ponds and try your luck at catching a trout which the team will prepare and cook for you. Or experience a slice of textile history at the Creswick Woollen Mills.
4. For wine and cheese platters, you can’t go past St Anne’s Winery in Myrniong. And get closer to nature and stay right under the stars at The Garden of St Erth.
5. Golden Plains is renowned for its iconic festivals and open spaces. Once here, you can’t beat a ride along the 53km Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail on which you’ll pass paddocks and eucalypt forests, native grasslands and bush alive with birds and wildflowers.

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