Fresh spring flowers are the perfect antidote to a long, chilly winter, and thanks to the return of the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, you'll be able to get them in spades. Now in its 69th year, the bloomin' good festival has become a must-visit destination for Victorians from far and wide, attracting around 100,000 visitors each season.
This year, the four-week festival will run daily from September 14 to October 13, with the added fun of themed events. Learn about Turkish, Irish and Dutch culture across three dedicated weekends, treat the tots to a day of floral fun during the school holidays with entertainment for kids, and eat, drink and be merry during the food, wine and jazz weekend. You can find the full schedule of events here.
The festival will run extra special attractions for kids between September 23 to 26 and September 30 to October 4, with a reptiles display, bubble show, drumming workshops, Dutch Findlay Fairground Organ performances, a fairy garden, treasure hunt, tractor rides and much more — making it the perfect family day out during school holidays. Plus, possibly the most exciting part of the festival, you can marvel at Australia's largest clog.
More than a million blooms will transform the fields into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour, with everything from traditional buds to rare and exotic varieties on show. Fun fact: there will be more than 120 cultivars of tulips alone.
Beyond the floral displays, the festival will feature an array of activities and entertainment to engage and delight attendees. Visitors can explore the stunning gardens, take leisurely walks among the tulip fields, and capture memorable moments against a backdrop of stunning blooms.
You can also enjoy daily live entertainment, children's activities, delicious global cuisine, a variety of market stalls and, of course, countless photo opportunities. Tickets are on sale now, visit the Tesselaar website.
