Five opportunities for summer fun

SUMMER is in full swing in the Ballarat region and there are plenty of opportunities to try something new and escape the heat during a staycation.

Here are some places to visit and things to see this January.

Get ready to rumble at the rodeo

The Ballarat Rodeo is rolling into the Ballarat Showgrounds on Friday 2 January with a full day of world-class rodeo action.

Australia’s best cowboys and cowgirls will battle in bull riding, saddle bronc, bareback, and barrel racing.

Food trucks, bars, and kids’ activities will be available as well as live music in the evening.

Tickets can be purchased at nationalrodeoco.com.au.

Explore art at Backspace Galley

Although the Art Gallery of Ballarat is closed for upgrades, there is still a chance to explore an exhibition at Backspace Gallery.

Located on Mair Street, Tas Wansbrough’s Fragments of Healing is on display until Monday 26 January.

Through sculptures, Wansbrough continues the ancient Greek tradition of creating votive offerings to express hope, seek restoration, or mark the divide between suffering and relief.

The exhibition asks visitors to consider how repeated actions, such as cutting, carving, and sanding, can be ritualistic and a tool of resilience.

For more information, visit the Art Gallery of Ballarat website.

Forage and feast at a festival

Commerce Ballarat and the Central Highlands Growers & Producers Hub’s Forage and Feast festival will be returning for another year with opportunities to experience local food, drink, and fresh produce from across the Ballarat, Moorabool, Golden Plains, Hepburn and Pyrenees regions.

Running from Monday 12 January until Sunday 15 February, there will be masterclasses, tastings, curated degustation lunches, dinners, farm tours, and more.

Attendees are invited to discover what the Central Highlands region has to offer during a season that is traditionally quiet.

For more information about the festival, visit centralhighlandsgrowers.com.au.

 

Take a ride along Djuwang Baring

Explore the 60-kilometre network of newly constructed mountain bike trails east of Creswick.

Named Djuwang Baring which means long track in the Dja Dja Wurrung language, it includes a range of skill-rated riding experiences.

The trail head at Hammon Park is in walking distance of Creswick’s town centre and has a bitumen pump track.

There is a variety of segments for diverse skill levels and they are colour-coded based on difficulty.

Enjoy the beautiful Botanical Gardens

Ballarat’s Botanical Gardens opened in 1858, making them one of the oldest in Victoria.

Here find flowering plants, exotic trees, floral bedding displays, marble statues and the Robert Clark Conservatory’s seasonal displays.

While at the gardens, stop by the Ballarat Tramway Museum where visitors can ride one of the 100-year-old trams, which were used in Ballarat until 1971.

The museum is open Tuesdays from 10am until 3pm and weekends from 11am until 4pm.

The Botanical Gardens are open every day from 7.30am until 9pm.