Whisk yourself away to the coast this summer for the Portarlington Mussel Festival. Every year, 30, 000 people journey to this seaside town to celebrate and try their delicious mussels. On top of the famous seafood, there will be market stalls, wine tastings, exhibitions, cooking demonstrations and entertainment. It’s all happening on Saturday January 14.
Portarlington Mussel Festival
What started as a street festival in 2007 has grown into one of Victoria’s most popular community festivals. Set against the backdrop or Portarlington Beach, you’ll discover over 200 stalls, serving up cooked mussels, local produce and wares. After that, head over to the pier and check out the mussel boats in action. They’re selling fresh mussels for you to take home.
The festival will also feature local beer and wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, classic car displays and exhibitions featuring local art and photos. Throughout the day, local musicians will take over multiple stages, with performances from Soul Sister Swing, Jimi Hocking, Blue Wax Trio, Trojan and more. The kids will also have plenty of fun, with heaps of roving entertainment to discover.
Port Phillip Ferries
Complete your day out with the VIP Ferry Mussel Package from Port Phillip Ferries. They will sail directly from Docklands to Portarlington Pier, dropping you off in the heart of the festivities. The VIP Ferry Mussel Package includes return tickets from Docklands and express entry into the event, so you can avoid both the traffic and the crowds. VIP ferry packages are also available from Geelong.
There will be multiple services running throughout the day, so you can stay at the festival for as little, or as long, as you like.
VIP tickets cost $44 for adults travelling from Docklands, and $26 for those travelling from Geelong.
Otherwise, if you’d prefer to drive straight to the festival, it’s $5 entry for adults.
For more information about the ferry services, click here.