Gifts, tunes and cuppas at festive emporium

OVER the next two Friday nights, the one-hundred block of Sturt Street has your Christmas shopping sorted.

With gifts, live music, coffee and baked goods, the Ballarat Christmas Emporium will come to life from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on the 11th and 18th, having launched last week.

All the action will be at Homeground Café & Bakery, gifts and stationery store Playing in the Attic, Sothis Books & Sartorial, and the Mechanics’ pop-up shop, all between 117 and 125 Sturt Street.

Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute’s venues and facilities coordinator, Sam McColl said the festive experience is an opportunity to bring accessible live music back to the CBD in an outdoor, COVID-safe way.

“We wanted to run an event that incorporates the nice weather and supports our tenants leasing the shops at the front of our building to give back to them,” he said.

“We thought a shopping experience down this end of Sturt Street, with the café, the open shops and some live music, would attract people to shop locally and support local business in the lead-up to Christmas.”

The Mary Gardens, a sister duo, will play this Friday bringing a mid-century, vintage vibe, while Amy Brulee on the double bass will join Geoff McArthur on guitar the next week.

Playing in the Attic’s Trudy McLauchlan is enjoying the opportunity to open at different hours and see some new faces, while the festive tunes and local talent play in the background.

“Being able to celebrate this time of year with the live music makes the shopping experience even more special,” she said.

Students of Soundcheck Studios, a new local artist development school, each performed for 30 minutes at last week’s shopping night.