A celebrity line-up will headline the 2024 Ballarat Begonia Festival.
Returning over the Labour Day long weekend (9-11 March 2024), the free festival will feature demonstrations and talks by:
- River Cottage Australia host Paul West
- Gardening Australia presenter and sustainable gardener Hannah Moloney
- MasterChef Australia alumni Courtney Roulston
- Gardening Australia presenter and horticulture/begonia expert Jerry Coleby-Williams
Held in the iconic Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the three-day event will celebrate the city’s rich horticultural heritage and signature collection of rare begonias.
This year's Robert Clark Conservatory display will pay homage to the redevelopment of the Ballarat Fernery – one of Australia’s oldest ferneries which is set to open in time for the festival.
Visitors can expect to see an exciting display inspired by the spiral shapes of fern fronds.
Other festival highlights will include:
- giant BEGONIA letters in the Ballarat CBD featuring the work of Wadawurrung Traditional Owner and artist Billy O’Toole
- the 2024 Power FM Begonia Parade on Monday 11 March
- family entertainment including a live butterfly tent and bug exploration zone, giant maze, arts and crafts, and Integra Tiny Town's mini cubbies
- roving entertainment including giant bees, butterflies and ladybugs on stilts
- local beers, wines and spirits at the Begonia Bar, plus two food truck precincts
- market stalls with a range of plants, flowers and garden-related gifts
