Max your summer in Melbourne

Ballarat is bursting with colour this spring as a new art experience, Sunnyside, takes over the historic Mining Exchange and city streets from November 6-23.  Presented by The Social Crew, the centrepiece of the event is ‘Chasing Sunbeams’, a bold new art installation from London-based artist Morag Myerscough. Renowned for her playful interactive style and large-scale, fantastical works that have transformed public spaces around the globe, this marks her first ever major installation in regional Australia. And boy, is it colourful.  The program is packed with highlights – you can join the artist in conversation on November 8 and 15, or book into one of the many hands-on workshops, from neon block printing to stitching granny squares. In one of the workshops, budding artists will experiment with bold colours, patterns and forms as Wadawurrung Traditional Owner and Aboriginal artist Jenna Oldaker guides participants in creating their own artwork. Outside the walls of the Mining Exchange, Sunnyside spills into Ballarat’s laneways with the free Wandering experience. At the Unicorn Hotel, pick up a freshly made zine or pull up a chair and create your own. As you continue exploring, discover something surprising from local makers, vibrant artworks at Alfred Deakin Place and a colourful takeover of Hop Lane in collaboration between Myerscough, Oldaker and the Ballarat community. Ballarat is just a 90-minute drive or V/Line train from the city so why not turn it into a weekender?...

As far as shopping sprees go, there’s nothing quite like rummaging through pre-loved goodies at a garage sale. Part of the joy is never knowing what bargain you’ll find – and not realising how badly you wanted a pair of neon pink parachute pants until you rescue them from a cardboard box. These days, a good garage sale is as rare as an original 1960s troll doll – which is where the Garage Sale Trail comes in. What started on the front lawns of Bondi in 2010 is now a nationwide campaign during which thousands of garage sales run across the country for two massive weekends. The aim is to reduce waste and encourage reusing among local communities, to stop tonnes of perfectly good stuff from ending up in landfill. To run your own garage sale, it's totally free to register. The Garage Sale Trail team will then send you promo materials to help put the word out, plus they’ll list your sale on the official website. If you're looking to score a pre-loved bargain, you can then use the website as a guide to all the sales in their area. So far, it looks like there's almost 300 garage sales registered in Melbourne alone, which is a whole lotta shopping. Plus, there are also group sales where multiple stallholders band together to make a one-stop-shop mega sale. Whether you're selling or buying, it's truly a win-win: finally declutter your wardrobe and make some extra moola, or get your hands on some new-to-you, sustainable treasures.  This year, there will be garage sales across...

Almost a decade ago, metal detectorists in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, went hunting for lost treasure. To their amazement, they would go on to discover the richest collection of Viking Age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland in a ploughed field. The Galloway Hoard has been hailed as a remarkable discovery, with more than 100 gold, silver, glass, crystal and earthenware objects being uncovered.  Now, everything from piles of silver arm rings to gold-mounted rock crystal jars are heading Down Under, and for the first time ever in Australia, you will be able to see the most important Viking Age discoveries of the 21st century up close at the Melbourne Museum. The Galloway Hoard dates to around AD 900, a period of intense cultural and political upheaval. The collection was buried in four parcels and includes more than 100 astonishing objects, from silver bullion and intricately worked jewellery to items that reveal trade routes stretching as far as Central Asia. Some of the pieces – including recently deciphered runic inscriptions – are still rewriting what we know and understand about the Viking Age today. Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard is a travelling exhibition, developed by National Museums Scotland, that showcases years of painstaking conservation and cutting-edge research. Intricate details, hidden inscriptions and newly uncovered mysteries are revealed for the first time outside the UK. To mark the opening weekend, Dr Martin Goldberg, principal...

Hands up if you were raised on The Sims? Us too. Or maybe you were a dedicated Neopets fan, or obsessed with World of Warcraft. Perhaps you're currently glued to your Switch playing Hollow Knight: Silksong. Whatever your connection to video games, it's safe to say most of us have picked up a controller at some point in our lives and been captivated by what appeared on the screen. Enter ACMI's incredible new exhibition, Game Worlds. Running until February 8, this blockbuster celebration of video games will transport you into the worlds of more than 30 iconic titles, including Final Fantasy XIV Online, Minecraft, Doom and Stardew Valley. Also featured are classics like Maze War and Zork, fan faves with cult followings like The Elder Scrolls Online, and new releases like Guardian Maia. Spanning games from the 1970s right through to this year, you'll be able to check out rare concept art, original design materials, early hands-on protoypes and so much more. There are 44 fully playable experiences (think Celeste speedruns on two huge screens), and four new microgames by emerging and established Aussie game developers have been specially commissioned for the exhibition.  There will also be after-dark sessions, developer talks, themed fan events and and plenty more. And as much as Game Worlds is about exploring how video games are designed, built and experienced, it's also an opportunity to spotlight the community and the friendships that are forged within these immersive digital...

We're just as sad as you are that cherry blossom season is over, but the good news is that it heralds the start of the cherry-picking season. And if you can't get enough of those sweet and juicy red morsels, then make your way to CherryHill Orchards this summer to pick and eat as many cherries as your heart desires. This year's cherry-picking season will kick off on November 10 at CherryHill's 40-hectare orchard in Coldstream. On November 24, CherryHill's original orchard in Wandin East will follow suit and open its gates to eager pickers.  Sessions last for two hours, and cherries are charged per kilogram – trust us when we say these are some of the largest, sweetest cherries going around. But as you're picking, feel free to eat as many as you like! The fun doesn't stop at picking cherries; the orchard will host on-site food trucks and stalls hawking food and cherry-flavoured products. On top of the famed cherry ice cream, you can also shop pantry goods like cherry vinaigrette, cherry syrup, cherry barbecue sauce and cherry glaze. You can also bring your own picnic, or pre-order a box of goodies to enjoy on the orchard grounds. And if you visit on a weekend or public holiday, you'll be treated to the sweet sounds of live tunes performed by a rotating line-up of local musos. The cherry-picking festival will run until late December at the Coldstream orchard, and until early January at the Wandin East orchard. For more information and to book your spot head to the CherryHill...

Get your wands at the ready, because Melbourne is set to play host to the Australian premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition. This behind-the-scenes extravaganza will leave Potterheads spellbound, and features interactive recreations of famous film scenes, props and costumes from the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a multimedia experience featuring the Whomping Willow, dementors, the Marauder's Map and the chance to conjure a Patronus charm. Budding witches and wizards will be sorted into Hogwarts houses and earn points as they explore the exhibition – it could be through a potions class, predicting the future à la Professor Trelawney in Divination or defeating a boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts. There will also be opportunities to practice spell casting and Quidditch skills, plus win golden snitch medallions to become a model student. Each experience comes with plenty of photo ops and, of course, magical interactive moments. There's even a recreation of the Great Hall for visitors to enjoy in all its splendour, complete with floating candles.  This official Harry Potter exhibition is part of a global tour, previously selling out in cities like Boston and Madrid. You can find out more about this enchanting experience via the website.  Looking for more family-friendly things to do? Here's our guide to the best activities for kids in Melbourne. 

The beloved regional town of Bendigo will bask in the glow of the changing seasons when this massive, colourful festival takes over the region throughout spring. This year, Bendigo Bloom is celebrating its 22nd anniversary, bathing the town in colour with more than 100 events, activations and experiences throughout the season.  From idyllic gardens and cultural tours to food feasts and after-dark events, there's so much to explore during the festival. An annual favourite is the breathtaking tulip display, with more than 43,000 tulips painting a rainbow across Bendigo’s historic Pall Mall and Conservatory Gardens. After the sun sets, the flowers are transformed into a kaleidoscopic light walk called Bloom After Dark (September 26 - October 5). For more floral fun, discover the Cornella Canola Walk – running until September 28, it provides a magical opportunity to frolic through a field of fluorescent canola crops. Other highlights include Vegecarian (November 1), a free event focused on loving food, animals and life. Held at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, it will feature cooking demonstrations, market stalls, live music and animal blessings. And don't miss the Loddon Valley Arts Festival (October 3-5), which will showcase regional creativity via a network of exhibitions. There are loads of events for foodies, including the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival (October 4-5), where you can sample the region's top drops and produce or Bendigo Wine Week (October 10-18)...

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) returns to shine the spotlight on LGBTQIA+ people throughout history with a line-up full of hysterical comedy, campy horror and deliciously juicy drama.  The largest queer film festival in the Southern Hemisphere is back for its 35th outing, and this year's theme is 'Searching for Queer Utopias'. Captured through film’s immortalising lens, MQFF's 2025 program is a celebration of queer joy, connection and liberation, while also showcasing spaces where the LGBTQIA+ community and allies can be themselves. Running from November 13-23, audiences can expect more than 130 feature films, documentaries and short films (including 35 Australian premieres) to be shown at iconic city venues like Collins Place, Melbourne Town Hall and the Capitol Theatre. “There’s an incredible line-up of award-winning and premiere cinema for the audience for our milestone 35th season,” says MQFF Chief Executive Officer, David Martin Harris. “We’re bringing back premium events for our opening and closing night in what is a purely contemporary program that looks at the current and future for LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia and globally.”  MQFF will kick off with an opening night screening of Queens of the Dead, a queer apocalyptic survival comedy with a stacked ensemble cast that's been directed by Tina Romero. The festival will close with Plainclothes, a 1990s romantic thriller directed by Carmen Emmi.  In between, you can catch everything from in-conversation...

Between the butchers, bakers, grocers, fishmongers and snack stands, South Melbourne Market is one of the city’s best-loved spots for a bite to eat. This November, its popular food trail, A Foodie Affair, returns with a brand-new theme and the perfect excuse to drop by. Running every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday between November 5-15, A Foodie Affair: Cultured and Cured is a self-guided degustation celebrating all things pickled, fermented, cured and cultured — with ten specially created dishes on offer across the market. Make a start at Agathé Pâtisserie where you can try a Korean kimchi, bacon and corn cheese melt mini croissant, followed by a kimchi pancake served with mozzarella and a caramelised black chilli soy vinaigrette from Bambu Asian Eating House. Also on the menu is K-SEIN Fromagerie's raw milk cheese with mountain bush pepper, the grilled loukaniko Greek salad at Greek'n Out, and Spanish white anchovies on grilled sourdough topped with caramelised onion and bitter dark chocolate at Simply Spanish. Still hungry? Opt for the fried pickle spears at Smithburg, burrata bao at UGO Burrata Bar or the piccolo salumi misti focaccia at Pizzateca Lupa. And while cultured and cured doesn’t exactly go hand-in-hand with dessert, Fritz Gelato has crafted a creamy mango lassi frozen yoghurt and Cobb Lane Bakery does a black garlic and miso pastry for any sweet tooths (the pastry is surprisingly sweet!).  Tickets are $85 and can be booked for either the 11am or 1pm session....

Ballarat is bursting with colour this spring as a new art experience, Sunnyside, takes over the historic Mining Exchange and city streets from November 6-23.  Presented by The Social Crew, the centrepiece of the event is ‘Chasing Sunbeams’, a bold new art installation from London-based artist Morag Myerscough. Renowned for her playful interactive style and large-scale, fantastical works that have transformed public spaces around the globe, this marks her first ever major installation in regional Australia. And boy, is it colourful.  The program is packed with highlights – you can join the artist in conversation on November 8 and 15, or book into one of the many hands-on workshops, from neon block printing to stitching granny squares. In one of the workshops, budding artists will experiment with bold colours, patterns and forms as Wadawurrung Traditional Owner and Aboriginal artist Jenna Oldaker guides participants in creating their own artwork. Outside the walls of the Mining Exchange, Sunnyside spills into Ballarat’s laneways with the free Wandering experience. At the Unicorn Hotel, pick up a freshly made zine or pull up a chair and create your own. As you continue exploring, discover something surprising from local makers, vibrant artworks at Alfred Deakin Place and a colourful takeover of Hop Lane in collaboration between Myerscough, Oldaker and the Ballarat community. Ballarat is just a 90-minute drive or V/Line train from the city so why not turn it into a weekender?...

As far as shopping sprees go, there’s nothing quite like rummaging through pre-loved goodies at a garage sale. Part of the joy is never knowing what bargain you’ll find – and not realising how badly you wanted a pair of neon pink parachute pants until you rescue them from a cardboard box. These days, a good garage sale is as rare as an original 1960s troll doll – which is where the Garage Sale Trail comes in. What started on the front lawns of Bondi in 2010 is now a nationwide campaign during which thousands of garage sales run across the country for two massive weekends. The aim is to reduce waste and encourage reusing among local communities, to stop tonnes of perfectly good stuff from ending up in landfill. To run your own garage sale, it's totally free to register. The Garage Sale Trail team will then send you promo materials to help put the word out, plus they’ll list your sale on the official website. If you're looking to score a pre-loved bargain, you can then use the website as a guide to all the sales in their area. So far, it looks like there's almost 300 garage sales registered in Melbourne alone, which is a whole lotta shopping. Plus, there are also group sales where multiple stallholders band together to make a one-stop-shop mega sale. Whether you're selling or buying, it's truly a win-win: finally declutter your wardrobe and make some extra moola, or get your hands on some new-to-you, sustainable treasures.  This year, there will be garage sales across...

Almost a decade ago, metal detectorists in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, went hunting for lost treasure. To their amazement, they would go on to discover the richest collection of Viking Age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland in a ploughed field. The Galloway Hoard has been hailed as a remarkable discovery, with more than 100 gold, silver, glass, crystal and earthenware objects being uncovered.  Now, everything from piles of silver arm rings to gold-mounted rock crystal jars are heading Down Under, and for the first time ever in Australia, you will be able to see the most important Viking Age discoveries of the 21st century up close at the Melbourne Museum. The Galloway Hoard dates to around AD 900, a period of intense cultural and political upheaval. The collection was buried in four parcels and includes more than 100 astonishing objects, from silver bullion and intricately worked jewellery to items that reveal trade routes stretching as far as Central Asia. Some of the pieces – including recently deciphered runic inscriptions – are still rewriting what we know and understand about the Viking Age today. Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard is a travelling exhibition, developed by National Museums Scotland, that showcases years of painstaking conservation and cutting-edge research. Intricate details, hidden inscriptions and newly uncovered mysteries are revealed for the first time outside the UK. To mark the opening weekend, Dr Martin Goldberg, principal...

Hands up if you were raised on The Sims? Us too. Or maybe you were a dedicated Neopets fan, or obsessed with World of Warcraft. Perhaps you're currently glued to your Switch playing Hollow Knight: Silksong. Whatever your connection to video games, it's safe to say most of us have picked up a controller at some point in our lives and been captivated by what appeared on the screen. Enter ACMI's incredible new exhibition, Game Worlds. Running until February 8, this blockbuster celebration of video games will transport you into the worlds of more than 30 iconic titles, including Final Fantasy XIV Online, Minecraft, Doom and Stardew Valley. Also featured are classics like Maze War and Zork, fan faves with cult followings like The Elder Scrolls Online, and new releases like Guardian Maia. Spanning games from the 1970s right through to this year, you'll be able to check out rare concept art, original design materials, early hands-on protoypes and so much more. There are 44 fully playable experiences (think Celeste speedruns on two huge screens), and four new microgames by emerging and established Aussie game developers have been specially commissioned for the exhibition.  There will also be after-dark sessions, developer talks, themed fan events and and plenty more. And as much as Game Worlds is about exploring how video games are designed, built and experienced, it's also an opportunity to spotlight the community and the friendships that are forged within these immersive digital...

We're just as sad as you are that cherry blossom season is over, but the good news is that it heralds the start of the cherry-picking season. And if you can't get enough of those sweet and juicy red morsels, then make your way to CherryHill Orchards this summer to pick and eat as many cherries as your heart desires. This year's cherry-picking season will kick off on November 10 at CherryHill's 40-hectare orchard in Coldstream. On November 24, CherryHill's original orchard in Wandin East will follow suit and open its gates to eager pickers.  Sessions last for two hours, and cherries are charged per kilogram – trust us when we say these are some of the largest, sweetest cherries going around. But as you're picking, feel free to eat as many as you like! The fun doesn't stop at picking cherries; the orchard will host on-site food trucks and stalls hawking food and cherry-flavoured products. On top of the famed cherry ice cream, you can also shop pantry goods like cherry vinaigrette, cherry syrup, cherry barbecue sauce and cherry glaze. You can also bring your own picnic, or pre-order a box of goodies to enjoy on the orchard grounds. And if you visit on a weekend or public holiday, you'll be treated to the sweet sounds of live tunes performed by a rotating line-up of local musos. The cherry-picking festival will run until late December at the Coldstream orchard, and until early January at the Wandin East orchard. For more information and to book your spot head to the CherryHill...

Travel to Poland this November without having to dust off your passport with the return of the Polish Festival to Fed Square on Sunday, November 16.  Kicking off at 10am, this annual celebrtion of Polish food, drinks, culture and traditions in now in its 21st year and will feature a fun line-up of dancing, live music, performance and art. But what we're most excited for is the food – think pierogi, cabbage rolls, sausages and potatoes in all their glorious forms (think potato pancakes, dumplings, soups and casseroles). Best of all, you can wash it all down with some pickle juice, which is apparently a go-to Polish remedy for hangovers, sore muscles and the occasional broken heart.  Find out more about the free, family-friendly event here.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. After more fun things to do in our city? Check out the best events happening in Melbourne this week.

Get your wands at the ready, because Melbourne is set to play host to the Australian premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition. This behind-the-scenes extravaganza will leave Potterheads spellbound, and features interactive recreations of famous film scenes, props and costumes from the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a multimedia experience featuring the Whomping Willow, dementors, the Marauder's Map and the chance to conjure a Patronus charm. Budding witches and wizards will be sorted into Hogwarts houses and earn points as they explore the exhibition – it could be through a potions class, predicting the future à la Professor Trelawney in Divination or defeating a boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts. There will also be opportunities to practice spell casting and Quidditch skills, plus win golden snitch medallions to become a model student. Each experience comes with plenty of photo ops and, of course, magical interactive moments. There's even a recreation of the Great Hall for visitors to enjoy in all its splendour, complete with floating candles.  This official Harry Potter exhibition is part of a global tour, previously selling out in cities like Boston and Madrid. You can find out more about this enchanting experience via the website.  Looking for more family-friendly things to do? Here's our guide to the best activities for kids in Melbourne. 

The beloved regional town of Bendigo will bask in the glow of the changing seasons when this massive, colourful festival takes over the region throughout spring. This year, Bendigo Bloom is celebrating its 22nd anniversary, bathing the town in colour with more than 100 events, activations and experiences throughout the season.  From idyllic gardens and cultural tours to food feasts and after-dark events, there's so much to explore during the festival. An annual favourite is the breathtaking tulip display, with more than 43,000 tulips painting a rainbow across Bendigo’s historic Pall Mall and Conservatory Gardens. After the sun sets, the flowers are transformed into a kaleidoscopic light walk called Bloom After Dark (September 26 - October 5). For more floral fun, discover the Cornella Canola Walk – running until September 28, it provides a magical opportunity to frolic through a field of fluorescent canola crops. Other highlights include Vegecarian (November 1), a free event focused on loving food, animals and life. Held at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, it will feature cooking demonstrations, market stalls, live music and animal blessings. And don't miss the Loddon Valley Arts Festival (October 3-5), which will showcase regional creativity via a network of exhibitions. There are loads of events for foodies, including the Heathcote Wine and Food Festival (October 4-5), where you can sample the region's top drops and produce or Bendigo Wine Week (October 10-18)...

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) returns to shine the spotlight on LGBTQIA+ people throughout history with a line-up full of hysterical comedy, campy horror and deliciously juicy drama.  The largest queer film festival in the Southern Hemisphere is back for its 35th outing, and this year's theme is 'Searching for Queer Utopias'. Captured through film’s immortalising lens, MQFF's 2025 program is a celebration of queer joy, connection and liberation, while also showcasing spaces where the LGBTQIA+ community and allies can be themselves. Running from November 13-23, audiences can expect more than 130 feature films, documentaries and short films (including 35 Australian premieres) to be shown at iconic city venues like Collins Place, Melbourne Town Hall and the Capitol Theatre. “There’s an incredible line-up of award-winning and premiere cinema for the audience for our milestone 35th season,” says MQFF Chief Executive Officer, David Martin Harris. “We’re bringing back premium events for our opening and closing night in what is a purely contemporary program that looks at the current and future for LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia and globally.”  MQFF will kick off with an opening night screening of Queens of the Dead, a queer apocalyptic survival comedy with a stacked ensemble cast that's been directed by Tina Romero. The festival will close with Plainclothes, a 1990s romantic thriller directed by Carmen Emmi.  In between, you can catch everything from in-conversation...

Between the butchers, bakers, grocers, fishmongers and snack stands, South Melbourne Market is one of the city’s best-loved spots for a bite to eat. This November, its popular food trail, A Foodie Affair, returns with a brand-new theme and the perfect excuse to drop by. Running every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday between November 5-15, A Foodie Affair: Cultured and Cured is a self-guided degustation celebrating all things pickled, fermented, cured and cultured — with ten specially created dishes on offer across the market. Make a start at Agathé Pâtisserie where you can try a Korean kimchi, bacon and corn cheese melt mini croissant, followed by a kimchi pancake served with mozzarella and a caramelised black chilli soy vinaigrette from Bambu Asian Eating House. Also on the menu is K-SEIN Fromagerie's raw milk cheese with mountain bush pepper, the grilled loukaniko Greek salad at Greek'n Out, and Spanish white anchovies on grilled sourdough topped with caramelised onion and bitter dark chocolate at Simply Spanish. Still hungry? Opt for the fried pickle spears at Smithburg, burrata bao at UGO Burrata Bar or the piccolo salumi misti focaccia at Pizzateca Lupa. And while cultured and cured doesn’t exactly go hand-in-hand with dessert, Fritz Gelato has crafted a creamy mango lassi frozen yoghurt and Cobb Lane Bakery does a black garlic and miso pastry for any sweet tooths (the pastry is surprisingly sweet!).  Tickets are $85 and can be booked for either the 11am or 1pm session....