YOUR MARCH LONG WEEKEND PLANS SORTED

Wondering what to do this Labour Day long weekend (9-11 March)? Invite your favourite people to town and pick your must do's from the list below – there's more than enough happening to keep everyone smiling!

FESTIVALS

The city’s showpiece event every March is the Ballarat Begonia Festival at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Running 9-11 March, this free outdoor event has something for everyone, from garden enthusiasts and food lovers to young families with curious outdoor explorers.

At this year's festival you'll find:

• the world premiere of SWAY’s new show These Things
• demonstrations and talks by River Cottage Australia host Paul West, Gardening Australia presenters Hannah Moloney and Jerry Coleby-Williams, and MasterChef Australia alumni Courtney Roulston
• more than 500 begonia plants on show in the Robert Clark Conservatory, plus the debut of a new begonia
• the opening of the newly-restored fernery
• family activities and roving entertainment
• food trucks and market stalls
• the Power FM Begonia Festival Parade on Monday 11 March at 11am

Explore the full program at ballaratbegoniafestival.com

Meanwhile, Kryal Castle will celebrate all things unicorn at its popular Unicorn Festival from 9-11 March.

Think unicorn rides, unicorn meet & greets, unicorn-themed arts and crafts, unicorn-themed food, face painting, show bags, live performances and more.

Use the code UNICORN10 to get 10% off pre-booked tickets at kryalcastle.com.au

Other Ballarat attractions including Sovereign Hill and the Ballarat Wildlife Park will also be open throughout the long weekend.

And don’t forget Sovereign Hill’s sound and light show AURA, which will be on Friday 9 March and Saturday 10 March at 8.45pm.

PICK YOUR OWN SUNFLOWERS AT DUNNSTOWN

The start of autumn also marks the 2024 opening of Dunnstown’s Pick Your Own Sunflowers.

Described as Victoria’s original and biggest sunflower field, the family-run farm is expecting a bumper crop of 3 million sunflowers this year.

And don’t miss the special Sunflower Festival on Monday 11 March from 10am-8pm.

Think live music, face painting, farm animals, Clydesdale horse rides, market stalls, food trucks, coffee and more.

MARKETS

• A special two-day Ballarat Farmers Market at Lake Wendouree’s North Gardens Reserve as part of the Ballarat Begonia Festival (Saturday 9 March and Sunday 10 March from 9am-4pm)
• Ballan Farmers Market in Inglis Street (Saturday 9 March from 9am-1pm)
• Artisans’ Market at Beaufort’s Art Trax Gallery (Saturday 9 March from 9am-3pm)
• Clunes Farmers & Makers Market in Fraser Street (Sunday 10 March from 9am-1pm)

EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT

• Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency
• Scotty So: Queen of Begonias and Hai Kot Tou
• Layers of Blak (closes 10 March)
• Georgia MacGuire: Onemda
• Angela Brennan: Tête-à-tête & Vis-à-vis
• Next Gen

FOOD & DRINK

• Fiore Festa at Ragazzone (Saturday 9 March and Sunday 10 March)
• Fever-Tree x Itinerant Spirits masterclass at Itinerant Spirits (Saturday 9 March at 1.30pm)
• Cocktail masterclass at Roy Hammond (Saturday 9 March and Sunday 10 March at 2.30pm)
• G&Tea at Grainery Lane (Sunday 10 March from 2pm-4pm)

WHILE YOU’RE HERE…

• Ballarat’s Biggest Book Fair at St Andrew’s Church Hall (Saturday 9 March – Monday 11 March from 10am-4pm)
• Begonia Creative Series – free kids’ art workshops with the Art Gallery of Ballarat and Green Earth Kids at Stockland Wendouree (Saturday 9 March and Sunday 10 March from 11am-2pm)
• Ballarat Lyric Theatre presents Annie at Civic Hall (Saturday 9 March at 1.30pm and 7.30pm, and Sunday 10 March at 1.30pm)
• Clunes Historic Vehicle Show at the Clunes Showgrounds (Sunday 10 March from 9am-4pm)
• Chamber of Music at the Buninyong Uniting Church (Sunday 10 March from 4pm-6pm)
• All My Lifetime It Was There – Paul Lambert at the Eureka Centre (until 31 March)
• Anything Goes art show presented by The Ballarat Society of Artists at Mercure Ballarat (until 24 March)
• 40 and Fabulous! Embroidery Exhibition presented by The Embroiderers Guild Victoria Ballarat Branch at St Patrick’s Hall (9-11 March)
• Labour Day Monday Racing at Ballarat Turf Club (Monday 11 March from 12pm-6pm)

Check out all the events over the Labour Day weekend here.