Five Events in Regional Victoria Worthy of a Road Trip This Spring
Five Events in Regional Victoria Worthy of a Road Trip This Spring
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Loving Melbourne is easy — the high-calibre coffee, the burgeoning food and wine scene, the motley street art and those famous laneways. It's a city which hooks you with its effortlessly cool edge, which makes it mighty hard to leave. But, we're here to tell you, Victoria's culinary and cultural scene extends well beyond this buzzing metropolis. In fact, there's a multitude of exciting events happening far outside of Melbourne's perfect grid.
To help you out, we've curated a list of the very best things to eat, see and do in regional Victoria this spring. Take it from us — the air is crisp, the undulating hills mighty relaxing and this lineup of events is super enticing. From blockbuster art exhibitions to food and wine festivals of mammoth proportions, you'll easily find your happy space away from the bustling city streets.
So, jump in the car, chuck on your regional Vic Spotify mix — be sure to include Cut Copy, The Avalanches, Crowded House and other Victorian musicians — and get ready to discover a different side of this wonderful state.
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The largest-ever showcase of living Australian artists will casually drop by Ballarat this spring, with the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA) in town till Tuesday, November 6. There’ll be 150 artists coming from all reaches of Australia, making up 65 solo exhibitions. Taking place in over 14 different venues across Ballarat, BOAA will reflect on what it means to be Australian and tell stories of our country’s past, present and future. It’s also a celebration of Australia’s multiculturalism, with the event boasting a strong focus on Indigenous talent.
In addition to the great art, the BOAA Band Wagon will be making the rounds and pumping great tunes. There’ll also be a living sculpture fashion parade, an evening program called BOAA Dark — which is kind of like a mini Dark Mofo — and a lake sculpture walk that will see Lake Wendouree transform into an outdoor gallery featuring 26 sculptures.
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If you’re eager to make the most of the Melbourne Cup public holiday, turn it into a long weekend and make tracks to the port city of Geelong for Toast to the Coast 2018. On November 3 and 4, the leading wineries from around the Surf Coast, Moorabool Valley and Bellarine Peninsula will open their cellar doors and tribute the unique Geelong wine region with a good old-fashioned vino-palooza.
Toast to the Coast has been attracting hardcore sippers and swirlers for nearly two decades. There’s a shuttle bus taking driving out of the equation and you’ll be given a commemorative wine glass which doubles as your passport to free wine tastings and ensures the vino flows thick and fast.
Each winery puts its own bespoke spin on the event, with gourmet local fare to keep your stomach happy and live music acts to make sure you are thoroughly entertained. Gear up to try a bunch of new releases, as well as the region’s signature drops.
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Gather round wine lovers, it’s time to salute the effusive Italian spirit of the King Valley winemakers. Centred on the King River, the King Valley is famous for producing some of the best wines in Victoria. Now, you have the chance to sample the primo drops from the region at the La Dolce Vita Wine and Food Festival.
Across the weekend of November 17–18, 11 of the valley’s leading wineries will come together to celebrate with top-notch drops, plenty of bubbles, wine spritzes, prosecco popsicles and scrumptious dishes from locally renowned chefs.
For $25, you’ll be able to get in on the action and sip your way through a multitude of tastings. And, while your tastebuds are having a ball, your ears also get a special treat with a range of live music to accompany all that eating and drinking. It’s a three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you won’t have to worry about the car once you’re there — jump on the shuttle bus and enjoy being taken around from winery to winery, free tasting to free tasting.
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Escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and discover the hidden wonders of the Macedon Ranges as it plays host to the Macedon Ranges Wine and Food Budburst Festival across November 17–18. Over the weekend, uncover the region’s best drops as 30-plus wineries fling open their cellar doors and put more than 100 different wine styles up for the tasting.
Most of these wineries are family owned, too, which gives you the chance to meet the makers behind the magic and to learn first-hand from Victoria’s finest artisans of wine. Accompanying all the great vino will also be live music and your choice of different winery lunches and dinners. From cheese platters and Turkish meze to woodfired pizzas and lamb shoulder sliders — you’ll be more than covered food-wise.
Grab a weekend festival pass for $22.50 online or $25 at the cellar doors — we recommend buying online as they are expected to sell out. Passes include your own tasting glass and a festival passport guide so you won’t miss any key activities. The festival has pre-planned transport for you, too, with a number of bus options available.
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Patricia Piccinini’s otherworldly pieces have popped up all across Australia, and now it’s the TarraWarra Museum of Art‘s turn to host. The not-for-profit public art gallery has announced an almost four-month-long showcase of the artist’s efforts from November this year — including the return of her unmissable installation work The Skywhale. The 34-metre-long, animal-shaped hot air balloon will float through the sky in the lead up to the exhibition’s opening, so keep an eye out.
Called Patricia Piccinini and Joy Hester: Through love…, the exhibition will display from November 24, 2018 to March 11, 2019. It’ll not only focus on the woman with an incredibly distinctive view on all things weird and wonderful — and on the thin line between humanity and animal-kind that’s ingrained in her creative portfolio — but also on fellow Australian artist Joy Hester.
In both camps, attendees will be treated to something either rare or brand new. Much of Hester’s work is rarely seen, though her famous couple-focused series Love 1949 and Lovers 1955–56 will be on display. As for Piccinini, she’ll be represented by both new and existing large-scale pieces.
For more spring places, spaces and events to discover in regional Victoria visit Your Happy Space.
