Vintage fest to turn back time

THE city is set to time travel with the return of an award-winning festival next month.

The 10-day program for this year’s Ballarat Heritage Festival has been released, organised by City of Ballarat staff.

Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the events planned are about celebrating all things old-fashioned.

“We really have discovered an event that is uniquely Ballarat and we love to showcase our complex and rich history every year,” he said.

“The Ballarat Heritage Festival is a huge event on our calendar that brings a lot of visitors to our city, but also delights locals and instils a sense of pride.

“We encourage Ballarat residents to attend the festival but also invite their friends and family to come along as well, because we know… friends and family visitation is vital for the Ballarat economy.”

More than 50 events are expected to be delivered by community groups as part of the program which has been held annually since 2006, initially as Ballarat Heritage Weekend.

Highlighted events include the Candlelight Concerts which will showcase film music at Civic Hall, Craft Lab’s four-day workshop, and the Ballarat Antique Fair.

Staff at Sovereign Hill will also take part, with their Heritage Harvest Weekend celebrating seasonal food cultivation practices, while three-course meals and handcrafted materials will be on offer with The Great Takeaway.

About 20,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival.

The Tweed Ride has been a fixture of the event since it started in 2012, and founder and organiser Liana Skewes said it’s always blended well with the theme.

“Like the other events, it’s a way to activate the history and culture of the city by interacting with it in a really purposeful way,” she said.

“The ride is a chance for people to wear clothes they might not get the opportunity to because they’re so specific, while giving them a sense of purpose with thrifting and going vintage-shopping.

“After all the years of doing this, we have a really established route and a way to experience this city by bike.

“I’m trying to bring new stuff to the event this year and hoping it gives people a new way to enjoy it. When we started this we had about seven people. Last year we had around 130.”

The Ballarat Heritage Festival will run from Friday, 19 to Sunday, 28 May.