Mayor’s Message - Friday 14 February 2025

It’s always an exciting time of year as the Ballarat Begonia Festival approaches. This beloved annual event delights locals and visitors alike with incredible entertainment, family friendly activities and of course, the most stunning display of begonias in the southern hemisphere.

For 10 months of the year, the City of Ballarat’s horticultural team grows and nurtures thousands of begonias of over 700 varieties, all housed in the Robert Clark Conservatory.  

This is just the start of what is one of the city’s largest events and represents an intregral part of Ballarat’s story, showcasing the city’s natural assets with an array of events, displays, activities, demonstrations and attractions across three days.

While we welcome back some of our favourite activities to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, each year also brings something new and innovative for the crowds to enjoy.

This year there will be a renewed focus on conservation of native flora and fauna, highlighted by headline act ‘The Last Numbat’. This large-scale, interactive performance installation uses puppetry to tell the story of the decline of the endangered Australian marsupial.  

Ballarat’s own award-winning chef Liam Downes will showcase his commitment to paddock-to-plate cuisine, demonstrating his love for truffles grown from his own farm through presentations on the main stage.

And returning after a long hiatus, landscape architect, environmental educator, author and television presenter Costa Georgiadis will be here to share his all-consuming passion for plants and people.  

Extending beyond the grounds of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the Begonia letters will be on display in Sturt Street from February 28. Designed by Jenna Oldaker, each of these letters is based on a native plant that the Wadawurrung community uses.  

And for the grand finale, the PowerFM Ballarat Begonia Parade will feature a vibrant procession of community groups, schools and businesses celebrating the spirit of the festival.

It’s easy to see how the festival plays a significant role in attracting visitors to Ballarat, promoting our city as a vibrant, active and nature-based destination.  

The City of Ballarat is excited to deliver this event for our community and it all starts on Saturday 8 March. You can start planning your Labour Day long weekend by viewing the full program online at ballaratbegoniafestival.com

- Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves