5 for spring in Woodend
Spring’s a season of hope, and after two years of lockdown disruption, there’s lots to look forward to in Woodend this year.
Budburst is back
The wine and food festival will return on November 19-20.
Enjoy tastings at vineyards near Woodend and meet the winemakers. Book a place on one of the buses that ferry visitors between cellar doors across the Macedon Ranges.
Night out with the koalas
Visit Hanging Rock during the daytime and you might, if you’re lucky, spot a koala dozing high up in a tree.
Join a ranger-guided night walk, though, and you can see koalas (and many other nighttime creatures) when they’re wide awake and on the move.
Watching the sunset from the summit is worth the price alone.
Blast from the past
On October 22, the Victoria Hotel in Woodend will be turning back the clock to the 80s for an evening of music from films such as Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Breakfast Club and Footloose.
And if you enjoy jazz, Hedge Farm, at nearby Carlsruhe, will be hosting regular Friday night and Sunday afternoon music throughout spring.
Festival for the family
Spring Bliss is a new festival that’s coming to Hanging Rock on November 5.
The program includes live music from Pierce Brothers and Amos Roach, children’s zones, workshops, demonstrations, talks, sensory spaces, First Nations activities and more than 40 market stalls. ABC TV weatherman Nate Byrne will be the master-of-ceremonies.
The festival has been described as “spring-cleaning for the soul”. And after everything the world has been through in the past few years, who couldn’t do with some of that?
All the fun of the fair
This is a personal favourite. Carlsruhe Country Fair is held every two years by Woodend Primary School. It will take place this year on November 26.
The fair is set in the picturesque grounds around the rustic red-brick schoolhouse in Nicholson St, Carlsruhe. There will be rides, there will be market stalls, there will be food, and there will be lots of fun.
Whether you’re a member of the school community or not, if the sun’s shining you’ll have a great day.
Find out more about Carlsruhe Country Fair (Facebook)
Explore beyond Woodend
From Woodend, you can easily enjoy events in the other towns of the Macedon Ranges.
Garden Lovers’ Fair (October 1-2) at Bolobek in Macedon is a must-visit event for any green-thumb. Four gardens in Mount Macedon will be opening to the public over the weekend of the fair. Among them is the garden at Durrol, part of which was designed in 1925 by Edna Walling.
The region’s two agricultural shows will be resuming. Lancefield Show will take place on October 16. Kyneton Show – the 160th – will be on November 19. A carnival and fireworks display will be held the previous evening.
And Malmsbury Village Fayre will take place on November 20 in the beautiful setting of the botanical gardens.
So much to enjoy!
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Richard Padgett publishes Your Macedon Ranges, a weekly email newsletter about local events and activities. Sign up for the newsletter here.