News Alert |

The City of Ballarat has added an all-time favourite to its Christmas list this year with a Twelve Days of Christmas window trail.

The City has commissioned six local artists to re-interpret the twelve days of Christmas as a nod to the traditional concept of Christmas windows. The project has paired artists with local businesses and empty shop front spaces to create a colourful and creative new addition to the Christmas experience.

Starting with the Partridge in a Pear Tree at Central Square and continuing down Sturt Street through to 12 Drummers Drumming in the Bridge Mall, the Christmas window trail is sure to have little noses pressed against shopfront windows.

The collection of temporary artworks incorporates references to Ballarat’s heritage including Lake Wendouree, black swans and the Royal South Street eisteddfod.

The Christmas windows trail is one of many Christmas-themed activations and events spread throughout the CBD this year, designed to encourage visitation and spend and build on Ballarat’s reputation as a truly creative city.

Zlatko Balazic has combined his engineering and creative skills to bring Nutcrackers to life for his window display 11 Pipers Piping, his interpretation inspired by the first ever Australian Pipe Band Championships held in Ballart in 1907. Zlatko’s enchanting display also includes an animated toy drum drumming. While over at Collins Bookshop on Lydiard Street, local artist Emily Van Der Molen has incorporated tinsel, watermelon and pavlova for her very visual stories of six special geese laying. Audiences will delight in finding the six cheeky geese in Emily’s window. Further along the trail, Deb Klein’s dimensional paper engineering work brings another perspective adding to the rich and diverse offering of the displays.

“The Christmas Windows art trail, combined with the new giant bauble, the Gingerbread House, and an old-fashioned red phone booth to call Santa makes for a very interactive and memorable Christmas experience in Ballarat this year,” the Mayor said. The Christmas initiatives are part of Council’s Creative City Strategy.

The 12 Days of Christmas Window Displays can be found at:

 Central Square - Shop 3, ground floor and 18 Armstrong Street South

 The Mining Exchange and Collins Book shop fronts - 8B,16 and 22 Lydiard Street North

 Playing in the Attic - 119A Sturt Street,

 Parent Place 39 Sturt Street, and

 Shops12-14 and 55 in the Bridge Mall.

Visit christmasinballarat.com.au to download the trail map and a full list of Xmas events.