News Alert |

Heading to this year’s Ballarat Begonia Festival? Here's everything you need to know about getting there.  Last year more than 60,000 thousand people attended the festival over the Labour Day long weekend, with many visitors travelling from across the state.  Attributing to the festival’s success each year is the ease of transport and parking services available to visitors. 

2020 Ballarat Begonia Festival road closure and other important information  Road closure  Wendouree Parade will be closed from Carlton Street to St Aidans Drive on Monday 9 March between 6.30am –12.30pm for the Power FM Begonia Parade.    Festival park in the North Gardens (from Wendouree Parade) will be open and accessible for the duration of the parade, due to road closures please approach carpark from the north.    Allergic to animals?  This is a courtesy reminder that some groups participating in the Power FM Begonia Parade on Monday 9 March include some furry friends including dogs and horses.    Accessible parking  Accessible parking is available in North Gardens, access via Nursery Drive. Permits must be shown and displayed. Please note the carpark will be open on Monday 9 March during the parade, please approach carpark from the north. 

General parking  North Gardens is available for festival parking, access via Wendouree Parade. A gold donation will be collected raising money for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. 

Cycling to the gardens?

We have introduced a dedicated area to keep your bike in the North Gardens, access via Nursery Drive. Parking is at the riders own risk and riders should be reminded to BYO bike lock.    Arriving by train?  A free festival shuttle will meet V/Line train services arriving from Melbourne at 9.44am; 11.44am; and 3.44pm. The festival shuttle will depart from the V/Line Coach Terminal 10 minutes after the train arrival at the Ballarat Railway Station. The return shuttle will depart from the Ballarat Botanical Gardens along Gillies Street at 9.54am, 11.54am, 1.54pm and 3.54pm to meet the following services back to Melbourne: 10.50am; 12.50pm; 2.50pm; 4.45pm. 

For more information about parking and transport visit ballaratbegoniafestival.com 

A history of the Ballarat Begonia Festival  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.     2020 Festival highlights 

Power FM Begonia Parade (along Wendouree Parade) from 11am, Monday 9 March Begonia Display in the conservatory Hear from our special celebrity guests Sophie Thompson, dirtgirl (Get Grubby TV) and Costa Georgiadis (Gardening Australia) Watch MasterChef favourites Poh Ling Yeow, Anushka Zargaryan and Ballarat local Tim Bone work their magic in an open-air kitchen. Live entertainment across three music stages Delight in discovering dishes from around the world at the 20+ food trucks Relax with The Forge Pizzeria in the Begonia Courtyard Quench your thirst in the Begonia Bar with local beers from Red Duck Brewery and Cubby Haus Brewing, wines from Wightwick and gin from Kilderkin Distillery  Super Sandpit  Let your kids roam free on the obstacle course or during the kids' CrossFit classes  Pot-A-Plant Activities with BotaniKids  Purchase a plant or two at the Gardener’s and Creative Designer’s Markets  Check out Tiny Towns – a selection of adorable cubby play spaces including a fire station and milk bar. Inspiring builders will also have the chance to build their own tree house to take home  Friends of the Botanical Gardens Plant Sales Nursery  Fish Hatchery Tours  Spinners and Weavers demonstrations  Ballarat Woodworkers Guild Exhibition 

Visit the Ballarat Begonia Festival website for more information.  This free event is held at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens over the Labour Day long weekend – 7-9 March, 10am-5pm.