If you're looking for an excuse to venture out of town for some regional autumn adventures, you'll find it about an hour's drive north of Melbourne. Over four weeks, the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival is set to fire up all your senses with another region-wide program of interactive art, garden tours, markets, music, and top-notch food and drink.
Showcasing the Macedon Ranges' many diverse charms, the fun is unfolding across several local villages from Friday, April 5–Sunday, April 28 — and the offerings are endless. The famed Macedon Ranges Autumn Pie and Tart Trail will have you hunting down and sampling all kinds of pastry perfection, the Edgy Veg Trail is set to showcase the area's plant-based gems and a series of Tipple Trails lets you unearth local goodness of the liquid variety.
And for the first time, young and old explorers can embark on the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival Treasure Trail. Gather up some food from the festival and follow clues around the region as you pass through eight picturesque picnic spots. Those who complete the trail will also go in the running to win festival goodies.
Throw in a few tours through historic gardens, food-filled farmers' markets, mushroom foraging workshops, artist-led painting classes and lots of live music pop-ups, and you might just decide to relocate here for the entire month.
Images: Chloe Smith Photography for Visit Macedon Rnges