Things to do in Ballarat this Christmas

Ballarat is getting into the Christmas spirit with a festive line-up of food and drink, live music, markets, workshops, exhibitions and Insta-worthy moments.

FOOD & DRINK

• Christmas high tea at Mitchell Harris Wine Bar (Sunday 3 December at 11am and 1.30pm)
• Journey into the World of Champagne with The Champagne Dame at Sip Champagne Bar (Sunday 3 December from 2pm-4pm)
• Carols by Barrels at Hop Temple (6, 13 and 20 December from 4pm)
• Whisky on the Goldfields – Songs, Stories and Tastings with Amie Brûlée at Kilderkin Distillery (Friday 8 December from 7.30pm-9pm)
• High tea at Narmbool (Sunday 10 December at 2pm)
• Black Cat Truffles by Liam Downes: Christmas in the Truffiere (Saturday 23 December and Sunday 24 December at 11am)

FOOD & DRINK ON CHRISTMAS DAY

• Three-course lunch at Craig’s Royal Hotel (12pm-3pm)
• Buffet lunch at Mercure Ballarat Hotel (12pm-3pm)
• Three-course lunch at The Bunch of Grapes Hotel
• Three-course lunch at The Boatshed Restaurant ***Fully booked***
• Lunch at The Blue Bell Hotel ***Fully booked***
• Dinner at Hotel Canberra Ballarat ***Fully booked***

FOR THE KIDS

• Christmas Art Trail
• Santa’s Post Office in Albert Street (between Grill’d and Parent Place)
• Fairy and Unicorn Weekend at Kryal Castle (2-3 December from 10am-4pm)
• Free Christmas workshops at the Art Gallery of Ballarat – Make a starry Christmas tree (5 December), creative Christmas cards (8 December), handprint keepsake bauble (12 December), and fingerpaint Christmas cards (15 December)
• Christmas-themed animal farm at Creswick Woollen Mills (14-24 December)
• Santa at Kryal Castle (16-17 December from 10am-4pm)
• Ballarat’s Stone Santa (16-24 December)
• BCMA’s singing and dancing Christmas elves in the CBD (10-24 December)
• Giant candy canes (22-23 December) and bouncing elves (16-24 December) in the CBD

INSTA-WORTHY MOMENTS

• Floral reindeer and Santa’s sleigh in the Sturt Street Gardens
• Giant Christmas bauble in Sturt Street
• Candy Cane Lane in Hop Lane
• Giant crystal star in Sturt Street’s Queen Victoria Square
• Ballarat’s cedar Christmas tree in the Sturt Street Gardens

MARKETS & SHOPPING NIGHTS

• Creswick Twilight Market at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre (Friday 24 November from 5pm)
• Christmas shopping night at Sovereign Hill (Friday 24 November from 6pm-8pm)
• SpringFest Ballarat Market Sunday at Lake Wendouree (Sunday 26 November from 10am-4pm)
• Barkly Square Global Markets – Christmas Market at Barkly Square (Friday 1 December from 4pm-8pm)
• Christmas Fest by the Lake at Pleasant Street Primary School (Friday 1 December from 4pm-8pm)
• Boutique Christmas Market at Buninyong Gift House (Friday 1 December from 4pm-8pm)
• The Bridge Market in the Bridge Mall (Saturday 2 December from 9am-1pm)
• The Design Exchange Christmas Market at the Ballarat Mining Exchange (Sunday 3 December from 10am-3pm)
• BMI Summer Maker and Community Market at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (Sunday 3 December from 10am-2pm)
• Reworn Market at the Ballarat Mining Exchange (Thursday 7 December from 5.30pm-8.30pm)
• Ballarat Nightlife Market’s Christmas Shopping Night at TBC (Friday 8 December from 4pm-9pm)
• Ballarat Farmers Market at North Gardens Reserve, Lake Wendouree (Saturday 9 December from 9am-1pm)
• Buninyong Village Christmas Market at the Buninyong Town Hall (Saturday 9 December from 3pm-7pm)
• Christmas market at Botanica Ballarat (Sunday 10 December from 9am-2pm)
• Ballarat Farmers Market’s Twilight Christmas Market at North Gardens Reserve, Lake Wendouree (Friday 15 December from 4pm-8pm)
• Beaufort By Twilight in the Beaufort township (Friday 15 December from 5pm-8pm)
• The Bridge Market in the Bridge Mall (Saturday 16 December from 9am-1pm)
• Creswick Market at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre (Saturday 16 December from 9am-1pm)
• Talbot Farmers Market in Scandinavian Crescent (Sunday 17 December from 9am-1pm)
• Avoca Riverside Christmas Twilight Market at Avoca (Sunday 17 December from 3pm-9pm)
• Ballarat Nightlife Market’s Christmas Spectacular Market at City Oval (Friday 22 December from 1pm-8pm)

WORKSHOPS

• Candle-making workshop (Christmas theme) at The Essential Candle Co (Saturday 4 November at 2pm)
• Pinot & Picasso x Aunty Jacks: Christmas Edition at Aunty Jacks (Sunday 5 November at 1pm)
• Introduction to needle felting at the Australian Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades (Saturday 11 November at 10am)
• Christmas corn dollies workshop at the Australian Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades (Saturday 18 November at 10am)
• Paint & Sip – Textured Art (Florist’s Choice) at Pinot & Picasso Ballarat (Sunday 26 November from 2.30pm-5.30pm)
• Paint & Sip – Neon Nights (You Wish Jellyfish) at Pinot & Picasso Ballarat (Sunday 26 November from 2.30pm-5.30pm)
• Vases, Blooms & Bubbles at Ivy&Coco (Friday 1 December at 6pm)
• Victorian Christmas decoration workshops at Sovereign Hill (2-23 December)
• Gin School – Distill your own gin at Kilderkin Distillery (Sunday 3 December from 2pm-5pm)
• Paint & Sip – Christmas in a Cup at Pinot & Picasso Ballarat (Friday 8 December from 7pm-10pm)
• Christmas candles and cocktails with The Essential Candle Co at Aunty Jacks (Saturday 9 December at 12.30pm)
• From Wax to Wearable Jewellery with Claire McArdle at Windflower (Saturday 9 December at 3pm)
• Christmas wreath workshop at Ceres Homestead (Saturday 16 December from 2pm-4pm)
• Paint & Sip – Shelf on an Elf at Pinot & Picasso Ballarat (Friday 22 December from 7pm-10pm)
• Paint & Sip – Happy Hour at Pinot & Picasso Ballarat (Saturday 23 December from 7pm-10pm)

LIVE MUSIC

• The Jezabels, Middle Kids and Alex Lahey at Kryal Castle (Friday 24 November from 5pm)
• Taylor Made: A Celebration of Taylor Swift at Kryal Castle (POSTPONED – new date TBC)
• 2023 Gold Country Music Festival at Kryal Castle (POSTPONED – new date TBC)
• Spilt Milk music festival at Victoria Park (Saturday 2 December from 11am-11pm)
• Bjorn Again – Thank ABBA for the Music at Civic Hall Ballarat (Saturday 2 December at 8pm)
• Eureka Sunday Live: Coda Chroma and Meraki Minds at the Eureka Centre Ballarat (Sunday 3 December from 12.30pm-3pm)
• A Christmas Fanfare with Melbourne Bach Choir at Ballarat Central Uniting Church (Saturday 9 December from 2.30pm-4.30pm)
• Carols at the Courthouse at Creswick’s Apex Park (Saturday 9 December from 6pm-8pm)
• Maximum 80’s at Kryal Castle (POSTPONED – new date TBC)
• Blues, Brews and Barbeque with Wilson and White at Hop Temple (Sunday 10 December from 1.30pm-4pm)
• The Spirit of Christmas show at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (Monday 11 December at 1.30pm)
• Motown Mistletoe with Motor City Sounds at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (Saturday 16 December from 7.30pm-10.30pm)
• Blues, Brews and Barbeque with Wilson and White at Hop Temple (Sunday 24 December from 1.30pm-4pm)

EVENTS & SHOWS

• Western United v Adelaide at Mars Stadium (Sunday 26 November at 5pm)
• Tom Gleeson: Gear at Civic Hall Ballarat (Thursday 30 November at 7.30pm)
• Western United v Wellington Phoenix at Mars Stadium (Saturday 2 December at 5.30pm)
• 2023 Sportsbet Ballarat Cup at the Ballarat Turf Club (Saturday 9 December from 10am-6pm)
• Christmas and Croquet holiday event at Taltarni Vineyard (Saturday 9 December from 12pm-5pm)
• Twilight Friday at the Ballarat Wildlife Park (Friday 15 December from 5.45pm-8.30pm)
• A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland at the Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts (Friday 15 December at 7.30pm)

EXHIBITIONS

• Leila Jeffreys: Nature is not a place to visit. It is home at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (24 October – 4 February)
• Anzara Clark: Where the light enters at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (26 October – 3 December)
• Tamara Bekier: Between Worlds at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (4 November – 28 January)
• Significant Others at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (4 November – 11 February)
• Whereabouts: Printmakers Respond at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (18 November – 4 February)
• MADE YOU LOOK! by Geoff Wallis at the Post Office Gallery (6 December – 9 February)
• Layers of Blak at the Art Gallery of Ballarat (9 December – 10 March)