Festival’s musical plants aim to hit the right note

NEXT month’s Ballarat Begonia Festival will add the sound of music to its garden, with an installation to entertain children and those young at heart.

This year’s festival will feature The Musical Plants by Playable Streets.

With the use of digital sensors, patrons will be able to make sounds through touching plants, offering a creative way to engage with the environment.

“What’s exciting about 2026 is the way the program invites curiosity,” Ballarat mayor Tracey Hargreaves said.

“Experiences like the Playable Streets installation create carefully designed opportunities for hands-on engagement, encouraging people to experience creativity and nature in new and imaginative ways.

“It’s a festival built in collaboration, and that shared effort is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

Cr Hargreaves said the festival was a major attraction for Ballarat.

“The Begonia Festival is something people genuinely feel connected to,” she said.

“It’s part of growing up in Ballarat, and part of what draws people back.”

As for the festival’s titular feature, there will be about 600 begonias on display in the Robert Clark Conservatory.

The begonias will be arranged with Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ and butterfly props to produce walls of colour.

This year’s festival will also attract an array of food and horticultural experts.

Stage highlights are set to include horticulturalists and sustainability experts in Chloe Thomson, Formidable Vegetables, Sophie Thomson and Gardening Australia presenter Clarence Slockee, along with food personalities such as chef Matthew Evans and Mabu Mabu chief executive Nornie Bero.

There will be a gardener’s market, food and drink, family friendly installations and the festival’s parade.

The festival will run at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens from 10am to 5pm on 7 to 9 March.

Entry is free.

For more information, head to ballaratbegoniafestival.com