Everything you need to know about the Ballarat Begonia Festival

It is finally upon us – the Ballarat Begonia Festival is back for another year. 

The 2023 festival, being held from 11-13 March, is shaping up as one of the most action-packed editions to date and is certain to have something for everybody. 

Featuring live music, brilliant performances, delicious food and drinks, markets, celebrity guests, activities and workshops and of course, the stunning Begonias and garden displays, the Begonia Festival promises three days of fun for all.  

And the best part – it is free to attend. 

If you are wondering how to make the most of the festival, we have outlined everything you need to know below. 

The Begonias 

Without doubt the focal point of the festival every year, the Begonia display will see up to 1000 magnificent flowers on display in the Robert Clark Conservatory. 

The bright floral arrangement is the result of 10 months of work, culminating in a sensational sight that you can’t afford to miss. 

Begonias have been synonymous with Ballarat since the late 1800’s and to this day we still celebrate this magnificent genus 

To learn more about the Begonias, visit the Begonias page on the Begonia Festival website. 

The Green House Ballarat stage 

All eyes will be on the Green House Ballarat stage, which will be the central platform to host a wide array of entertainment, celebrity chefs, live music and engaging masterclasses. 

On Saturday and Sunday the stage will run from 10am to 5pm, while on Monday the action kicks off from midday. 

Be sure to stop by to catch some of the headline acts.  

Integra Family Zone 

Family activities will run across the entire festival weekend, from 10am to 5pm every day. 

Integra Tiny Town is a great way for the young (and young at heart) to explore their own mini city. 

Featuring an array of cubbies to explore, it promises a play-based environment encouraging role-play, community engagement and lots of fun. 

Other family activities will include: face painting; sports zone; obstacle course; giant garden games; BotaniKids at the Gatekeeper’s Cottage; Kid Power - a sensory friendly activity presented by Picture Thinking and the City of Ballarat Early Learning team (Saturday and Sunday only); Food is Free, Little Sproutpot planting (Monday only); face painting and plenty more. 

Entertainment 

World-renowned performing arts company, SWAY, will be the stars of the show and will put on a show not to be missed. They will present Bloom! A colourful and spirited aerial spectacle performed atop 15-foot sway poles. 

There will also be live music on the Green House Ballarat stage, featuring local singer/songwriter BJ Humphrey, local Sonika act Grove and Melbourne-based soul act Fulton Street, both of which will perform on Monday, 13 March. 

There will also be live DJ sets in the Begonia Courtyard all day, where you can grab a famous Tim’s Toastie and a delicious Begonia cocktail from the Kilderkin Bar and enjoy the tunes. 

Celebrity chef Mark Olive, landscape architect Natasha Morgan, expert beekeepers Amanda Collins and Scott Denno, sessions on indoor plants and vegetable gardens by Munash Organics and the Green House Ballarat and much more – there will be no shortage of entertainment on hand. 

To read more, visit the entertainment page on the Begonia Festival website. 

Food and drink 

There will be more than 20 food trucks located in two large food lawn areas within the festival site, open 10am to 5pm daily. 

The food will hail from all corners of the globe and with options to suit all dietary requirements, you are certain not to go hungry. 

Also, don’t forget to visit the Kilderkin Bar to find a beverage to wash it all down. 

To read more, visit the food and drink page on the Begonia Festival website. 

Markets 

The festival will play host to more than 20 market stall holders, including local nurseries, selling a range of flowers, plants and garden gifts.  

For those keen to bring home a piece of the festival, begonia plant sales will be on offer daily. 

The Ballarat Farmers Market is running for two full days of the Ballarat Begonia Festival this year, located in the North Gardens Reserve. 

The market will operate 9am–5pm on Saturday, 11 March and 10am–5pm on Sunday, 12 March. 

More than 80 stalls will be in attendance featuring coffee van, hot food stalls, craft, art, clothing, wine, gin, cider, bread and cakes, jam, fudge, home wares, plants, hats, leather goods, pottery, pet clothing and treats and much more! 

To read more, visit the markets page on the Begonia Festival website. 

A sustainable focus 

The City of Ballarat is striving to make the 2023 Ballarat Begonia Festival the most environmentally sustainable Begonia Festival yet.  

Building on the work of previous festivals, sustainability will be a major focus during the festival this year, with the City of Ballarat aiming to reduce the environmental footprint generated when hosting major events. 

Festival goers are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles and ‘Choose Tap’ at this year's festival, as well as reusable coffee cups to help reduce waste.  

To read more about the sustainability focus at this year’s Begonia Festival, follow this link. 

Getting there 

Planning your trip to Ballarat for the Ballarat Begonia Festival?  

This year’s event has a large range of transport options to get you and the family to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens for the three-day festival.   

From buses and trams to scooters and bicycles, car parking and walking routes there are many different ways in which you can get to the event this long weekend.    

To learn about all of the transport options, follow this link. 

Accessibility 

The festival focuses on accessibility to ensure everybody is able to enjoy the occasion. 

The Green House Ballarat stage will have Closed Caption (CC) for all stage performances excluding the three music sessions on Monday, 13 March.  Reserved front row seating and wheelchair allocation provided. 

There will also be wheelchair ramps throughout the event area and accessible parking in North Gardens. 

A breast-feeding location, bottle heating facilities, access to change facilities and a sensory place at our parent place pop up, will be located in the Integra Family Zone     

To view the location of all the ramps, visit the Begonia Festival map and to read more about accessibility visit the accessibility page on the Begonia Festival website. 

The Power FM Begonia Parade 

The traditional Power FM Begonia Parade will return once again, beginning at 11am on Monday 13 March. 

The parade will start at the South Gardens and travel along Wendouree Parade, concluding at the North Gardens. 

For the safety of the public and parade participants and to reduce traffic congestion, the following road closures will apply for the duration of the Power FM Begonia Parade: 

Carlton Street (if turning left from Gillies Street or right from Crocker Street): 8am to 12pm (or until safe), traffic will be able to turn left into Gillies Street from Carlton Street. 

Corner of Carlton Street and Wendouree Parade to St Aidans Drive: 6:30am to 12:30pm (or until safe). 

In addition, there will be no parking available on Wendouree Parade between Nursery Drive and St Aidans Drive from 6.30am to 1pm (inclusive) on the day of the Parade.