The spectacular Ballarat Begonia Festival is coming back in 2024. Take a day trip or enjoy a weekend escape to this regional city, and admire thousands of pretty plants. The free outdoor event will feature magnificent flower displays, celebrity presenters, roving entertainment and more. The festival will return over the Labour Day long weekend, from Saturday March 9 to Monday March 11.
Ballarat Begonia Festival
This enchanting flower festival takes place every year. Wander over to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, and admire the begonia display in the Robert Clark Conservatory. Horticulturalists nurture the begonias for ten months of the year, and their collection is the rarest in the southern hemisphere. This time around, the begonia display will pay homage to the redevelopment of the Ballarat Fernery, which is set to open in time for the festival. See a signature collection of rare begonias, and a display inspired by the spiral shapes of fern fronds.
Other festival highlights include:
Begonia Parade
The 2024 Power FM Begonia Parade will return with over 30 community groups, schools and local businesses taking part in a procession along Wendouree Parade. This event will take place on Monday March 11.
Family entertainment
The kids will have plenty of fun, with activities like a giant maze, arts and crafts and face painting. Integra Tiny Town will make a return, with mini cubbies for kids to explore. There will also be a live butterfly tent and bug exploration zone.
During the festival, you’ll see plenty of roving entertainment, including bees, butterflies and ladybugs on stilts meandering around the gardens.
Talks and demonstrations
Throughout the three-day event, there will be celebrity presenters and industry experts sharing their knowledge, including Paul West, Hannah Moloney, Courtney Roulston and Jerry Coleby-Williams.
Market
Browse through plenty of market stalls, featuring a variety of plants, flowers and other garden-related gifts.
Food and drink
The Ballarat Begonia Festival will have two precincts with food trucks in case you get hungry. Sip on local beers, wines and spirits from the Begonia Bar.
The full program will be announced in early 2024. For more information, click here.