August 13th, 2026Swiss Italian Festa returns to celebrate the heritage that shaped Hepburn

The Swiss Italian Festa will return to Hepburn Springs in October, bringing together food, wine, music, history and community for a celebration of the unique Swiss Italian heritage that helped shape the region.

Running across the weekend of October 23–25, with the traditional Heritage Dinner commencing celebrations on Thursday, October 22, this year’s Festa will place renewed emphasis on the stories, families and traditions of the Italian-speaking Swiss settlers whose influence remains an important part of Hepburn Springs today.
The 2026 Festa is being driven by a reinvigorated committee with a clear ambition: to grow the event, strengthen community involvement and once again make the Swiss Italian Festa a major attraction for both locals and visitors to the Hepburn Shire.
The story behind the Festa is one worth celebrating. Italian-speaking Swiss migrants arrived in the district during the gold rush era and went on to leave an extraordinary mark on the culture, architecture, food, agriculture and identity of Hepburn Springs and the surrounding region. Generations later, descendants of many of those pioneering families still call the district home.
In 2026, the Festa will bring that heritage to life through traditional food, wine, music, entertainment, family activities, cultural displays and special events held throughout Hepburn Springs.
The celebrations begin ahead of the main weekend with the official Festa Poster Launch at the Mineral Springs Hotel on Thursday, August 27, providing the community with its first taste of what is planned for October.
Festa week will then begin with the Heritage Dinner at the Swiss Mountain Hotel on Thursday, October 22, celebrating the people, stories and traditions behind the region’s Swiss Italian history.
On Friday, October 23, the Mineral Springs Hotel will host the official 2026 Swiss Italian Festa Launch, before the Festa’s major community celebration takes over the Mineral Springs Reserve on Saturday, October 24.
Saturday will be the centrepiece of the weekend, with the reserve coming alive with Swiss Italian food and flavours, local wines, music, entertainment, cultural activities and experiences for the whole family.
The celebrations will continue throughout Sunday, October 25, when Hepburn’s local businesses will become part of the Festa experience by hosting their own special events, activities and offerings.
It is an opportunity for visitors to explore the village, support local businesses and experience the hospitality and character of Hepburn Springs beyond the main Festa grounds.
A series of additional events and community fundraisers will also be held in the months leading up to the October Festa weekend, helping build momentum while raising funds to support the event.
Importantly, organisers want the 2026 Festa to belong to the entire community.
Local families, schools, businesses, community organisations, volunteers, producers and sponsors are being encouraged to become involved and help celebrate a story that is uniquely Hepburn.
The Swiss Italian Festa is more than a festival. It is an opportunity to celebrate where Hepburn Springs came from, share that heritage with a new generation and invite visitors from across Victoria to experience it for themselves.
Swiss Italian Festa 2026 – October 23–25. Link: www.swissitalianfesta.com
The Local is a proud media partner of the Swiss Italian Festa.