Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill

Overview

Australia might not ever see a real white Christmas, but at least we've got some pretty solid local alternatives. One of those is Sovereign Hill's annual Winter Wonderlights festival, which returns to transform the regional tourist attraction into a frosty wonderland from June 29 to July 21.

Located in Ballarat, just a 90-minute drive from the CBD, the annual Christmas In July festivities promise wintery fun for all ages across a program of entertainment, art and food. By day, catch theatre performances, old-school pantomimes and Christmas craft workshops, while faux snow tumbles down at regular intervals. There'll be vendors selling traditional Christmas decorations, and others dishing up Euro-style treats to warm your cockles.

After dark, the precinct comes alive with a vibrant, large-scale light projection show splashed across 25 different buildings and guided lamp-light tours winding through the town. Over 15 kilometres of fairy lights are set to grace Sovereign Hill's gardens, while the European street market is sure to offer up some treasures of its own.

Of course, the food and drink offering is looking equally cosy – think, traditional bites from the European Christmas marquee, limited-edition lemon meringue drops, and a Wonderlights Celebration dinner at New York Bakery.