February 21st, 2025Ballarat Begonia Festival preparations beginning to bud

Anticipation is building as the City of Ballarat’s biggest annual event of the year draws closer.

The 73rd annual Ballarat Begonia Festival is now just a couple of weeks away, with tens of thousands of people expected to flock to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens for the three-day festival held over the March Labour Day long weekend.

The Ballarat Begonia Festival offers a diverse range of free activities, entertainment, and educational experiences for all ages.

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

The Ballarat Begonia Festival’s full program is now available online at ballaratbegoniafestival.com and was officially launched earlier this month.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves says the festival had cemented itself as the city’s premier event over many decades.

“The Ballarat Begonia Festival is an absolute treasure on our events calendar and every year delights our locals and visitors alike,” she said.

“The entertainment that will be on show this year is absolutely incredible and we can guarantee that it will be an event that has something for everybody.

“From the guest presenters on the main stage to the family friendly activities, from the food and drink offerings to the incredible garden displays, and of course the PowerFM Ballarat Begonia Parade – this is an event not to be missed.”

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release