Local primary schools help Snail Trail sculptures come out of their shells for the upcoming Begonia Festival

The Snail Trail is officially returning to the Ballarat Begonia Festival in 2026, becoming a permanent feature after last year’s success.

Ten local primary schools will take centre stage as they transform a series of custom-made snail sculptures into colourful works of art, each reflecting the creativity and imagination of Ballarat’s youngest artists.

The trail encourages visitors to move through the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, explore different festival spaces and enjoy an engaging activity suitable for all ages.

It will also operate as a scavenger hunt, where participants will decipher clues leading them to specific locations around the festival to identify each snail.  

Match all the snails with their correct locations and be entered into a prize draw.

Visitors can also vote for their favourite snail, with the winning school receiving a $1,000 School Art Supplies voucher.

City of Ballarat Councillor, Jay Morrison said the Snail Trail brings joy, movement, and creativity to the festival.

“We’re excited to bring this feature back this year” he said.

“Having local primary school students lead the artwork makes it even more special, and I can’t wait to see their concepts come to life.”

This week, Cr Morrison visited St Francis Xavier Primary School, where the Year 6 Art Leaders eagerly accepted their plain white snail sculpture. The students will spend the next two weeks bringing their snail’s story to life through colour and creativity.

Their story centres on Claude Monsnail, a charming traveller who has journeyed from Giverny, France, to holiday in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Drawn to the vibrant begonias and especially the beautiful waterlilies, Claude feels right at home among the gardens’ blooms.  

Over the coming weeks, the students will bring Claude to life by painting him with the iconic waterlilies of the Botanical Gardens.

Each participating school has created an original story to inspire their snail’s design. The narratives range from heartfelt to humorous, with some exploring themes of confidence and friendship, others celebrating nature and local community, and some imagining snails with artistic talents or adventurous personalities.  

These stories shape each sculpture’s design, giving every snail a distinct identity and connection to its school.

The other participating schools include Mt Clear Primary, Ballarat Christian College, Cape Clear Primary, Little Bendigo Primary, Lumen Christi Delacombe Primary, Pleasant Street Primary, St James Parish Primary, St Thomas Moore Primary and Warrenheip Primary.

All ten snail sculptures have now been delivered to their respective schools, with students across Ballarat set to transform them over the coming fortnight before they slide into their temporary home in the Botanical Gardens for the festival.

The completed Snail Trail will be unveiled at the opening of the Ballarat Begonia Festival. Each sculpture will be accompanied by its story, turning the trail into a journey to uncover each snail’s tale and adding a touch of magic and storytelling to the festival experience.

The 2026 Ballarat Begonia Festival is free to attend and is open from 10am-5pm from 7-9 March.  

For full program details, visit ballaratbegoniafestival.com.