There are those of us who mourn the end of long summer days, then there are those who can’t wait for the warm fires, hearty meals and general cosiness of autumn to set in. Well, no matter which category you fall into, a day trip to Heritage Harvest Weekend at Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill is guaranteed to bring out the autumn spirit in even the most sun-loving of souls.
Heritage Harvest weekend will be a celebration of the traditional autumn harvest, where seasonal food is grown in abundance and then preserved to last throughout the winter. The weekend will showcase both fresh produce and food preserved through age-old practices brought to Australia from around the world.
Head over to Ballarat on the weekend of May 25-26 and you can expect a total foodie takeover of Sovereign Hill. Forget Raspberry Drops and panning for gold – this weekend-long extravaganza will remould Sovereign Hill into a discerning food-lover’s paradise.
So, what’s on the program? A produce market featuring 30 stalls will bring together quality wares from the region as well as copious seasonal fruits, vegetables and more from high quality producers. All the more for you to dry, salt, cure, pickle or ferment for the winter. Bring the kids along for heaps of activities catered to ‘little explorers’, or leave them at home and catch a live demonstration of traditional crafts and cooking hosted by the Country Women’s Association.
Take a deep dive into food with Aussie culinary icons Julie Goodwin (inaugural winner of MasterChef), Darren Purchese (host of The Great Australian Bake Off) and Tim Bone (co-host Good Chef Bad Chef), who will be sharing their love of seasonal dishes throughout a series of live cooking demonstrations, Q&A and meet and greet sessions.
The best part is that most of the Heritage Harvest Weekend festivities are included in the price of a standard Sovereign Hill entry ticket. That’s $29 for children aged five to fifteen and $49 for adults, with concession and family options available.
Book your Sovereign Hill tickets for an unforgettable foodie weekend getaway here.