Ballarat has long had a reputation as Victoria's 'Creative City', and one of the highlights of its cultural calendar is, of course, the Ballarat Winter Festival. An artistic, cultural and food festival, Ballarat Winter Festival warms the heart (and the belly) in the depths of the cold months.
This year things look a little different, with the festival moving entirely online. What could be cosier than putting on your warmest pyjamas and fuzziest socks and taking the entire family on a virtual tour of the regional city?
You can 'walk' around the city (virtually, of course), stopping to admire the sights and gorgeous architecture and participate in activities at some of Ballarat's favourite attractions and businesses.
There are virtual games to play, activities to challenge you and lots of winter-specific incentives to be found from local businesses that will encourage you to visit in real life to sample some of the delightful treats, amazing art and comfy accommodation Ballarat has to offer. You might even find yourself planning your next trip to Ballarat as you play.
To guide you and your family through these activities are four characters, the Yarrowees. What's a Yarowee, you ask? It's a magical creature with the power to bring warmth and comfort to even the coldest toes in winter. There are four of these Yarrowees, and winter brings out their special kind of magic. There's Bunni, who stamps his giant feet to warm the earth and thaw the frost. Or Kurran, a green creature who ensures all kids have an extra blanket or two to keep the cold nights at bay. The third Yarrowee is Welcome Wally, who rubs his palms together to bring a warm glow into every home. And finally, there's Betul Begonia, who keeps pantries filled with wintry goodies to keep stomachs comfortably warm and full.
And as if all that weren't enough, there's a pretty big prize to be won, too. If you visit the Ballarat Virtual Winter Fest website, you could win one of two Ultimate Ballarat Escapes, valued at $1,000 each.