Inspo for Mother's Day in Ballarat

Looking for a unique way to say "thanks Mum" this Mother's Day?

Treat your special lady to one of our region's hands-on workshops and masterclasses, covering everything from gin blending and jewellery making to screen printing and basket weaving.

For the adventurous mammas, how about a hot air balloon flight or a ride on a vintage steam train?

Or for a little bit of luxury, book her in for one of the city's high tea experiences.

Read on for our ultimate guide to what's on in Ballarat this Mother's Day weekend (13-14 May)...

Saturday 13 May

Experiences

• Sunrise hot air balloon flight over Ballarat with Picture This Ballooning from 5.50am
• Steamrail Victoria's Eureka Express steam locomotive ride from Melbourne to Ballarat and return
• Jewellery Making with Found Objects at the Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades (Bradshaw Street, Golden Point) from 9am-4.30pm
• Basket Making – Coiled Basketry Workshop at the Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades (Bradshaw Street, Golden Point) from 9.30am-4.30pm
• Block printed tote bag workshop with Tegan Crosbie at The Workshoppery (25 Barkly St, Ballarat) from 10am-12.30pm. Learn how to personalise a canvas tote bag with hand-carved stamps
• Spoon-making workshop with Sylvia Nevistic in her private studio from 10am-4pm
• Special edition Mother's Day workshop at Ivy&Coco (40 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat) at 1pm. Use your own intuition, favourite colour palettes or your unleashed creativity to hand-paint a vase or pot 
• From Wax to Wearable Jewellery workshop with Claire McArdle at Windflower (131 Sturt Street, Ballarat) at 3pm. Learn about the process of lost wax casting to make personalised silver jewellery
• The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Mendelssohn, Mozart and More at Ballarat's Civic Hall at 7.30pm

Food & drink

• Special Mother’s Day croissant at 1816 Bakehouse (16-18 Armstrong Street North) filled with pistachio custard and raspberry coulis, and dipped in a raspberry and sour cream glaze. Available Saturday 13 May and Sunday 14 May only.
• Mother's Day Food & Wine Festival at Kryal Castle (121 Forbes Road, Leigh Creek) from 10am-6pm. Enjoy some of the region's best food, wine, cider and craft beer, along with live music, workshops, kids' activities, wine tastings, Baroque horse show and more
• High tea at Sovereign Hill's historic sheep farm, Narmbool (440 Horsehill North Rd, Elaine) at 11am and 2pm
• High tea at Craig's Royal Hotel (10 Lydiard Street South, Ballarat) at 2pm

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Sunday 14 May

Experiences

• The Basics of Screen Printing at the Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades (Bradshaw Street, Golden Point) from 10am-4pm
• Gin blending masterclass at Mrs Baker's Still House (606 Elmhurst-Glenpatrick Road, Elmhurst) at 11am. Harness the scientist within as you use beakers and test tubes to blend your own gin and bottle it in one of Mrs Baker’s elegant apothecary-style bottles
• Mother's Day races at the Ballarat Turf Club from 11.30am
• Kaleidoscope Love workshop at Pinot & Picasso Ballarat (204 Sturt Street, Ballarat) at 2pm. Explore the use of shapes and colour as you paint a collaborative masterpiece across 2-4 canvases
• Mother's Day Soiree presented by Victorian Opera Emerging Artist Prize winners Alastair Cooper-Golec and Syrah Torii plus the Ballarat Choral Society in Loreto College’s Abbey Theatre at 5pm

Food & drink

• Buffet breakfast (6am-12pm) or high tea (1pm-4.30pm) at Mercure Ballarat (613 Main Road, Golden Point)
• Mother's Day brunch (9am-12pm) or lunch from 12pm at The Shared Table (317 Learmonth Street, Buninyong)
• Mother's Day Food & Wine Festival from 10am-6pm at Kryal Castle (121 Forbes Road, Leigh Creek)
• High tea at Le Petit Ballarat (223 Mair Street) at 10.30am and 1pm
• High tea presented by The Green House Ballarat and Kittelty's at Botanica Ballarat (2/20 Elizabeth Street, Delacombe) at 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
• High tea at Sovereign Hill's historic sheep farm, Narmbool (440 Horsehill North Rd, Elaine) at 11am and 2pm
• High tea at RACV Goldfields Resort (1500 Midland Highway, Creswick) between 11am and 2pm
• High tea at Mitchell Harris Wines (38 Doveton Street North, Ballarat) at 11.30am-1.30pm and 2pm-4pm
• Special three-course lunch at Lola at The Provincial Hotel (121 Lydiard Street South, Ballarat) at 11.45am and 2pm
• Gin high tea at Kilderkin Distillery (14A Hill Street, Mount Pleasant) from 12pm
• Four-course lunch at Hotel Canberra's Vesta x Jigs restaurant (812 Macarthur Street, Ballarat )
• Two-course Mother's Day lunch at RJM's Wine Bar (95 Mair Street East, Ballarat) from 12.30pm
• High tea at Craig's Royal Hotel (10 Lydiard Street South, Ballarat) at 2pm
• High tea with a twist at Aunty Jacks (315-317 Mair Street, Ballarat) at 3pm-5pm
• Speciality cocktails at Roy Hammond (24-28 Armstrong Street North, Ballarat) including Dawn Song, Granny’s Marg and Affogato.

Main image: Gin blending masterclass at Mrs Baker's Still House