It’s time once again to celebrate our heritage with the 2021 Ballarat Heritage Festival.

In this year’s festival, the City of Ballarat is breathing new life and intrigue into our celebration of heritage with an expanded festival program and extended dates.

From heritage beer school and Instagrammable public art installations to craft demonstrations and progressive lunches, this year’s extended 24-day program sees the return of festival favourites as well as a range of new and exciting initiatives to discover – all COVID-safe.

Enjoy a self-guided augmented reality walk at your own pace and take a glimpse at Ballarat through the eyes of those who came before. Follow the trail with your phone in hand to uncover scenes from Ballarat’s past.

Admire makers at work and learn how these skilful creatives are continuing the tradition of rare trades unique to the region as we embrace Ballarat’s status as a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art. View weaving demonstrations, belt and bag making, wood carving, possum skin cloak making, eel trap weaving and jewellery making.

This year our city’s love for our heritage will be on show through an extensive program of events and other offerings. Stories of our history will be told through new immersive technologies, hands-on experiences, demonstrations and community programs.

We’ve lived through an incredibly difficult time in our recent history, so I invite you to look back on our shared past to experience and learn from the lessons of yesteryear. By looking to our heritage, we can discover and draw from our unique strength and resilience.

The City of Ballarat is proud to present the 2021 Ballarat Heritage Festival. I encourage you to dust off your tweed, oil up your retro bikes, sign up for the very entertaining Beard & Stache Competition or take a ride on a heritage steam locomotive. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us to embrace past innovations and take lessons from the past to help create a better collective future.

When: Friday 7 May to Sunday 30 May 2021

Where: Ballarat, Victoria

For more information: https://ballaratheritagefestival.com.au/