Winter in Ballarat | ourballarat winter 2023
Winter is a great time to invite your friends and family from outside the region to Ballarat. From the well-known Winter Festival to Ballarat’s hidden gems, Ballarat In The Know has all the information you need to become the ultimate host to your friends and family visiting from out of town.
Local hospitality hero John Harris believes Ballarat is a great place to live and visit.
“Ballarat has all the benefits and services that you expect of a large regional town, but there is a unique sense of Ballarat being a small community where you are greeted by friendly faces and a warm smile wherever you go,” he says.
“We look out for one another and support each other where we can.”
Supporting local businesses and tourist operators, particularly during the winter season, is a significant role of the Ballarat In The Know website, which was launched late last year.
Statistics show that Ballarat locals play an important role in attracting tourists to the region — almost 50 percent of tourists to Ballarat are motivated to visit by their local friends or family, who they also look to for inspiration of things to do and places to eat and drink.
The Ballarat Winter Festival attracts significant numbers of tourists to Ballarat. The popular Winter Wonderlights event draws close to 100,000 people to Sovereign Hill, with many more visitors enjoying the ice-rink in town, Kryal Castle’s Knights of Fire or attending Ballarat Wildlife Park.
However, there’s plenty more to do in Ballarat after the Winter Festival finishes. Here’s some of John Harris’ favourite things to do in Ballarat over the winter season.
Favourite place to eat
The legendary institution L’Espresso for breakfast or lunch and plenty of cool jazz and soul tunes and vibes.
Favourite places to visit
We love The Foundry for the best gifts and homewares in town. In winter there’s nothing better than visiting one of the city’s amazing wine bars and sitting by the fire with a glass of red wine… there’s a great one here at Mitchell Harris.
Favourite nature fix
A hot or leisurely lap of Lake Wendouree is a must, beautiful anytime of the day – you’ll find me there most mornings. Alternatively, walk the dog or take the bike out along the Yarrowee River Trail either to Gong Gong Reservoir and/or out to Magpie.
A hidden gem
Comfort of Strangers bar is a favourite hidden gem. Torquil has an amazing selection of exotic wines, spirits and beers from around the world. Other spots include the winding tracks and wide, open spaces of Victoria Park, catching a local artist or favourite band at Volta, or wandering up and down the middle of Sturt Street and admiring the streetscape, statues and memorials along the way.
The Ballarat Winter Festival will be held from June 24 - 16 July.
City of Ballarat Council Plan Alignment
The projects, initiatives, and ideas in this article align with the following goals of the City of Ballarat Council Plan 2021-2025:
Goal 5
A strong and innovative economy and city