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Aside from vibrant red, orange and yellow leaves and finally getting to break out your scarves and flannels, the best thing about autumn is harvest season. And to celebrate this year's vibrant harvest of all manner of squash, apples and potatoes, Ballarat's open-air museum Sovereign Hill will transform into a two-day food festival on May 28 and 29.
During the gold rush, diggers from across the world arrived in Australia and brought with them age-old techniques for growing and preserving seasonal food. Festival attendees will get a firsthand look at some of these practices, including fermenting, drying, salting, curing pickling and distilling through events like pop-up stalls, events, demonstrations, masterclasses, workshops and hands-on activities.
Learn how to forage for weeds, start your own backyard bee colony, craft folk herbal medicine or churn butter, or get a taste of life as a digger with a gold-panning session, gold pouring session or blacksmithing demonstration. Fine regional producers like Kilderkin Distillery and Mrs Baker's Still House will be pouring delicious drops at the Botanical Bar, and for little ones, there's a hay maze, animal farm, plant workshop and more.
Admission tickets start from $39 for an adult, $20 for a child and $99 for a family of four. To browse the full event program and book tickets through the Sovereign Hill website.
Keen to explore more of the glittering Goldfields city? Check out our guide to a perfect weekend in Ballarat.