Ballarat Begonia Festival (City of Ballarat)

17/09/2026

CALLING ALL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Applications for the 2027 Ballarat Begonia Festival are now open:

- Power Fm Begonia Parade
- Community Floral Displays
- Not-For-Profit Food Vendors
- Creative Pathways Program

Whether you’re serving up delicious food, selling unique products, or creating a beautiful garden or floral installation, we encourage you to apply.

Learn more > https://bit.ly/4gKiClb

02/09/2026

BEGONIA FUN FACTS

🌺The Ballarat Botanical Gardens have been growing Begonias since the late 1890s.

🌺Begonias are grown by the Ballarat Botanical Garden horticultural team at our nursery here in the gardens.

🌺We grow over 240 different tuberous Begonias and 300+ unique non-tuberous Begonias.

🌺The Begonias require some form of attention for 10 months of the year, to have them on display for approximately 4 to 6 weeks – but we think they are worth it.
In total, we grow over 3,000 Begonias in pots!

View more fun facts here > https://bit.ly/45KHC5y

24/08/2026

🌸 Applications Now Open 🌸

The Ballarat Begonia Festival is a vibrant celebration of horticulture, creativity and community and we’re always looking for passionate people to be part of it.

If you’re a food vendor, market stallholder, gardener, or community group, there are plenty of opportunities to showcase what you do and connect with thousands of festival visitors.

Learn more > https://bit.ly/4gKiClb

16/07/2026

Applications Now Open 🌸

Applications for the 2027 Ballarat Begonia Festival are now open:
- Food Vendors
- Garden and Horticultural Stallholders
- Sustainable Garden Displays
- Creative Design of Outdoor Art Installation Project: Large Begonia Letters

Whether you’re serving up delicious food, selling unique products, or creating a beautiful garden or floral installation, we encourage you to apply > https://ballaratbegoniafestival.com/get-involved

11/07/2026

The colours of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Image captured by

02/07/2026

Who knew we had a Zoo in Ballarat? 🐒🦍🐘

It was located in the Ballarat North Gardens for 43 years from 1917 – 1959.

Former Ballarat citizen and pioneer, Henry Ben Jahn, left his entire estate, about 11,000 pounds, to the City of Ballarat for the purpose of establishing a 'menagerie' in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Remnants of the animal enclosures, historic concrete structures from the 1940s, are still present at the north end of Nursery and Zoo Drive. This black and white image was taken circa 1923 when the Ballarat Zoo was open 2-5pm daily and 10-5 on Saturday.

The entrance fee was 3 pence.

📸: Victorian Collections | Federation University Australia Historical Collection

29/05/2026

Vote #1 Ballarat as Victoria’s Top Tourism Town!

After winning bronze in 2024 and silver in 2025, we're again in the running for the coveted prize – but we need your help!

Show your love for Ballarat at https://bit.ly/4wXE5Ns and have the chance to win a luxurious Melbourne escape for two

And make sure you also vote for our Pyrenees neighbour Avoca, which is chasing the title of Top Tiny Tourism Town.

Voting closes Friday 26 June at 5pm.

13/03/2026

What a blooming beautiful weekend at the 2026 Ballarat Begonia Festival 🌸

More than 75,000 people filled the Ballarat Botanical Gardens over the long weekend, making the 74th Ballarat Begonia Festival the biggest in the event’s history!

A big thank-you to the volunteers, perfomers, vendors and everyone who came along.

If you missed the Begonia Display, the Conservatory is still open daily from 9am to 6pm until Easter, and entry is free.

10/03/2026

08/03/2026

Don't miss the final day of the Ballarat Begonia Festival🌸🎪🎭🐌

The PowerFM Ballarat Begonia Festival Parade is on today. It will be a spectacular display of creativity, community and colour as the parade brings Ballarat streets to life from 11am - 12pm.

Then join Nornie Bero and Matthew Evans on the Main Stage, wander festival displays and enjoy family fun and entertainment.

View the full program > https://ballaratbegoniafestival.com/program