Begonia Festival Parade entries close soon

Now is the time to register your community group or business to participate in the popular PowerFM Begonia Parade, with entries closing on Sunday 4 February.  

The iconic community event will be held on Labour Day, Monday March 11 from 11am-12pm as part of the Ballarat Begonia Festival. Held at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the parade will span the route from the South Gardens to the North Gardens precinct at a leisurely pace.  

While there is no set theme for the parade, participants are encouraged to showcase their group or business in creative, vibrant and colourful ways. Previous years have seen custom-built floats, embellished vehicles, large groups marching in unison and even whimsical floating creations.  

This year, awards will be presented in the following categories:  

• Mayor’s Choice Award  
• Best School Entry
• Best Community Entry  
• Best Business Entry  
• Best Musical Entry  

Parade participants must complete an application form, nominate a primary contact on behalf of the group or business, attend a pre-parade briefing session, and maintain public liability insurance. The full list of requirements for parade entries is available on the parade application form.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the popular community event represented the heart and soul of Ballarat.

“Every year it’s fantastic to see the creativity of our city on display through the vibrant floats, costumes and vehicles,” he said.  

“I’d encourage as many community groups and businesses to get involved as possible — the parade is a wonderful opportunity to gather together and commemorate the people, groups and business that make our community a great place to live.”  

For more information about the Ballarat Begonia Festival, visit the website. To make an entry application for the PowerFM Begonia Parade, see the parade application form.