Knights, lights, and icy disco nights

PRESENTING vibrant, bright lights, fire jousts and cold, glassy ice, the three-week-long Ballarat Winter Festival will warm crowds with family fun.

Running until Sunday, 18 July, residents and visitors are encouraged to rug up to embrace the city-wide mid-winter program of events and attractions, including the Town Hall-adjacent all-day ice rink, which will invite skaters to shimmy and shake during Friday and Saturday-night disco sessions.

The captivating Winter Wonderlights projection show at Sovereign Hill returns, as flaming sword tricks, jousting, and the Snow Queen Neva entertain Kryal Castle crowds, and the southern hairy-nosed wombat, Honey Bun, and critically endangered tiger, Satu, draw crowds to the Ballarat Wildlife Park.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said the Festival is a chance to embrace the district’s famously freezing but magical winter conditions during the school holidays.

“With the Design Exchange Market, the clothes-swap and upcycling workshop at the Mining Exchange, art exhibitions and book-signings, winter workshops that include candle-making, painting, and a truffle hunt…experience, there is plenty to enjoy,” he said.

“We are thrilled to welcome back visitors from Melbourne to our city for Ballarat Winter Festival and we hope to see the city buzzing with visitors and locals alike, getting out and supporting local businesses.”

The ice-skating rink will open every day at 9am until 8.30pm, offering a sensory session every Thursday, also at 9am. Disco mode engages from 9pm to 10pm on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Bookings are essential. Visit ballaratwinterfestival.com.au for more information, tickets, kids’ games with Festival mascots The Yarrowees, and lists of all-ages experiences and activities.