endless fun and festivity

Our region is known for its love of culture, sport and community spirit and this autumn, there are plenty of events to prove it.

Easter Traditions Continue

Easter in Bendigo is a special time. Since 1871, the community has spent the long weekend out and about on the streets, enjoying the extensive activities and events on offer as part of the Bendigo Easter Festival.

Everyone’s favourite Easter activities will be returning for another year. Be sure to explore the more than 200 stalls at the Rotary Market, search for eggs during the Vision Australia Easter Egg Hunt, and seek thrills through the Bendigo Bank Carnival Central rides and games. Making its festival debut is Kaleidoscope, a mirror maze experience designed to disorientate the senses through a symphony of light and sound. Another unmissable event for the kids is the Paw Patrol shows and meet-and-greet on the main stage in Rosalind Park.

But, as usual, the Gala Parade and the Torchlight Procession will be the highlights of the festival, showcasing the breadth of artistic talent and cultural diversity in the community.

After two years of COVID-19 cancellations and changes, then a partly rained-out festival in 2022, locals are looking forward to once again experiencing the full festival they know and love.

The Bendigo Easter Festival takes place from April 7 to 10. For the full schedule of events, visit bendigoeasterfestival.org.au

Such is Life. And such is Bendigo Writers Festival ’23, a packed program of excellent writers presenting memorable discussions from every possible angle – just like life.

With a nod to Australia’s first acclaimed novelist, Joseph Furphy, our Such is Life Festival gathers together more brilliance than a Bendigo goldmine, so prepare to be dazzled.

80 EVENTS ACROSS 4 DAYS

125 SPEAKERS • 7 VENUES

Creative Kids Program

BENDIGO EXCLUSIVE:

Nick Horny author of Fever Pitch, High Fidelity and About a Boy

Live onscreen with host Benjamin Law onstage in Ulumbarra

View the program and book your tickets at bendigowritersfestival.com.au

Gallery Looks Out For Parents

Any parent knows how hard it can be to take a baby to a place where quietness is usually desired, such as the movies or a museum. When your child cries, it feels like every other patron is judging you for daring to disturb them.

To help out parents and allow them to engage in a cultural experience without needing to find child care, Bendigo Art Gallery is once again offering free Stroller Tours. Parents, carers and their babies are invited in before opening hours for an exclusive private walk through the gallery’s exhibitions. Four tours will be offered in the first half of the year, and prior knowledge of art is not required. It is simply a chance to experience the gallery and its art in a judgment-free zone, where crying babies are more than welcome.

Bendigo Art Gallery’s Stroller Tours take place on the first Tuesday of every month, between March and June. To book a free ticket, head to bendigoregion.com.au

Writers Bring Bendigo To Life

May is the time of year most adored by Bendigo’s bibliophiles. The chilly weather provides the perfect excuse to snuggle up and read under a warm blanket, but it’s also when some of the world’s best writers come to town for four days of thoughtprovoking and stimulating conversation about the written word. The Bendigo Writers Festival returns in early May, and it promises to be the best festival yet. Paying tribute to Joseph Furphy, considered Australia’s first celebrated novelist, the City of Greater Bendigo and partner La Trobe University have curated 70 events around the theme Such Is Life.

In one of the most highly anticipated events, acclaimed author Nick Hornby will beam live into Ulumbarra Theatre from London for a Bendigo-exclusive discussion about his recent novel, Dickens and Prince. Other featured authors include Helen Garner, Tom Keneally and Victor Kelleher.

Junior book lovers aren’t short of fun at this year’s festival, with the first day dedicated to the free school program Word Spot. On Saturday and Sunday, Dudley House will also be home to the Kids’ Place, a special new series of children’s events and activities curated by Cecile Shanahan.

Another exciting new feature is Professor Clare Wright’s series of weekend sessions, Ideas and Society. Attendees can also grab their favourite writer’s works at the festival bookshop, managed by Bookish Bendigo.

The Bendigo Writers Festival takes place from May 4 to 7. To view the complete program and purchase tickets, head to bendigowritersfestival.com.au

Legendary Opera Hits Ulumbarra

Opera lovers won’t want to miss this. Over six weeks in March and April, the biggest opera ever is making its way to Bendigo. Ulumbarra Theatre will host Richard Wagner’s epic four-part, 15-hour Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle), which has never before been staged in regional Australia.

The German music drama was completed by Wagner in 1874, after more than two-and-a-half decades of writing. It premiered in 1876 at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany, where it has continued to be performed almost every year since. Ring Cycle’s story was inspired by Norse mythology, and has gathered a legion of dedicated fans who travel the world for performances. After concert versions and stagings of individual parts, the Melbourne Opera is producing the full cycle for the first time, exclusive to Bendigo. A 90-piece orchestra will accompany an all-Australian cast, which will perform the libretto in Wagner’s native German. The Bendigo season offers the opportunity to purchase tickets to individual operas, or for the most dedicated, full cycle tickets are available, allowing two consecutive weekends of operatic bliss.

The Ring Cycle will be performed in three cycles between March 24 and April 30 at Ulumbarra Theatre. For tickets, visit bendigoregion.com.au

Bendigo Bank Referral Program

Bendigo Bank is a proud Platinum Sponsor of Bendigo Health Fundraising & Foundation and has committed its long-term involvement with Bendigo Health to support paediatric services for children in our region. The Bendigo Bank Referral Program allows each new eligible Bendigo Bank loan referred by Bendigo Health to assist your regional health service. You can help by bringing your banking across to Bendigo Bank, which will then contribute funds to our hospital’s paediatric services at no cost to you when you mention Bendigo Health.

Bendigo Bank will make a payment to Bendigo Health for the following services when you indicate you’d like your banking to support Bendigo Health: home loans and home equity loans; personal loans; business loans; business overdrafts; credit cards; equipment loans; chattel mortgages; leases; asset purchases; and novated leases.

Terms and conditions apply. No personal information regarding loans or accounts is provided to Bendigo Health.

To find out more, visit your local branch and tell them you’d like your banking to support Bendigo Health (referrer code 40589), phone 1300 236 344 or visit www.bendigohealthfoundation.org.au/banking-for-good

Ice Cream Dreams Come True At The Gallery

These school holidays, explore a world of icecream and fun at the Bendigo Art Gallery. To support the exclusive Australiana: Designing a Nation exhibition, artist Kenny Pittock has created an Ice-cream Zone, full of ice-creamthemed activities for the whole family.

The installation 100 Ice-creams invites you to find your favourite tasty treats, and you can dream up a flavour of your own through video and drawing activities led by Kenny. There will even be a mural of a giant Rainbow Paddle Pop, which is sure to invoke playful nostalgia in viewers.

Curated and presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australiana: Designing a Nation exhibition will run exclusively at the Bendigo Art Gallery from March 18 to June 25.

The free Ice-cream Zone can be accessed during gallery opening hours in the April school holidays. No bookings are required. For more information about the exhibition, visit bendigoregion.com.au

A Perfect Weekend At Vin Du Van

If you’re after a day of casual elegance, take a drive out to Mandurang and visit Vin du Van Estate. Named by RACV as one of the five best new Victorian wineries in 2022, the recently renovated family business boasts beautiful views and even better wines.

Previously known as Lynnevale Estate, Vin du Van has operated for the past two years as a working vineyard with a cellar door, bistro and bed and breakfast. It has quickly developed a reputation for having a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for any occasion, especially weddings.

The cellar door is open from 11am to 5pm on weekends and public holidays, allowing visitors to indulge in tastings of the estate’s small-batch varieties of white, red and rosé wines. There’s also plenty of delicious food at the bistro, and you can even bring your furry friend along.

If one afternoon at the estate hasn’t satisfied you, book into the unique onsite GlamourVAN accommodation. Vintage campervan Nellie provides a cosy place to spend the night, with capacity soon set to double with new van Polly.

From the lovely wines to the stunning scenery, there’s so much on offer at Vin du Van Estate, and the team can’t wait to welcome you for an unrivalled vineyard experience in the Bendigo region.

Vin du Van Estate is located at 83 Cahills Road, Mandurang. For bookings, call 03 5439 3635 or email info@vinduvanestate.com