News Alert |

Registrations for this year’s Power FM Begonia Parade close Thursday 24 January (schools 1 February).

Now is the time to rally your workplace, school, sporting, performance or musical organisation or community group and register for the 2019 Power FM Begonia Parade.

One of few community parades still running, the Begonia Parade is iconic and a highlight of the Ballarat Begonia Festival.

The parade is a popular community event with more than 10,000 people coming to watch local businesses, schools and community groups unite to celebrate Ballarat’s diversity and community spirit.

This year’s parade, sponsored by Power FM, will be once again be broadcast live.

The 2019 awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Mayor’s Choice Award

• Best Schools Entry

• Best Community Entry

• Best Business Entry

• Best Musical Entry

The parade will be held on Monday 11 March at 11am from the South Gardens. It will conclude at 12noon at the North Gardens.

Registrations to participate in this year’s festival close Thursday 24 January, however, schools will have until 1 February to apply.

For more information, or to apply visit ballaratbegoniafestival.com/parade

Background

The Ballarat Begonia Festival is one of Australia’s oldest and most popular community events.

The festival was launched in the autumn of 1953 by local Ballarat residents who were keen to highlight and celebrate the growing post-war prosperity of their town and the local region.

The inaugural Ballarat Begonia Festival was opened by Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies and was an 11-day program of events that included archery demonstrations, square dancing and floral displays.

A young Queen Elizabeth attended the festival in 1954 to admire the floral displays, and the Queen Mother visited a few years later.

Over the decades the festival has included just about everything from car rallies, to sheep dog trials and talent quests.

The prestigious Begonia Queen competition ran until the 1990’s and was broadcast live on TV.

The 2019 Ballarat Begonia Festival will be held between 9-11 March 2019.