This is one of Mamma's FAVE annual festivals in the West. The Yarraville Festival is part showcase, part celebration of the local Yarraville community and part carnival. Happening THIS Sunday March 10!
Read MoreThis is one of Mamma's favourite family events and it's back again this year THE NYE Fireworks and stage sensations are sure to light up Footscray!
Read MoreNot much can prepare you for when you run across a giant snail and it’s jockey/wrangler/rider!
Yitsak and his owner/jockey Yenna (aka Miriam), along with their trusty iceberg lettuce cart pusher Harold (and some traffic management!) are making their way (slowly!) across Hobsons Bay this week and if you are lucky enough to spot them, make sure you say a big hello to the intrepid travellers.
Brought to us by Kinetic Theatre, the westie based theatre company specialises in outdoor performances and everyone is encouraged to engage with The Snail Trail troop as they shine a spotlight on our beautiful coastal trails from Williamstown to Altona!
Catch Yitzak and his Snail Wrangler along the paths they are traversing OR they stop for lunch and chat at the end of each leg of their journey too! Great opportunity for photos and the kids to get up close with the magic!
The Snail's Trails Journey and where to find them!
Friday 12 May - Altona
Start: 10am - Boat Sheds, Maddox Rd Williamstown, to Altona Homestead, Logan Reserve, Altona
Lunch stop: Approximately 12.15pm to 1pm - near the Altona Beach dog off leash area, and Altona Bocce Club
Saturday 13 May - Altona
Start: 10am - Altona Homestead, Logan Reserve, heading towards the Men’s Shed, 280 Queen Street, Altona
Lunch stop: Approximately 12.45pm to 1pm - Apex Club playground, Alto
Sunday 14 May - Altona
Start: 10am - Men’s Shed, 280 Queen Street, heading towards 100 Steps of Federation, Truganina Park, Altona
Lunch stop: Approximately 1pm to 2pm - At the lookout, 100 Steps of Federation, Truganina Park, Altona
Please note: The 3pm finish time of the trail is approximate. Dates and times may change depending on the weather and snail travelling requirements!
the nitty gritty
This is A FREE EVENT
All along the coastal trail
from Williamstown to Altona
Friday May 12 - Sunday
May 14
Experience the Magic of Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat! Dates for Winter Wonderlights 2023 have just been released. Join us for one of the most spectacular winter events on the calendar with snow falling on the main street creating a truly magical atmosphere. Discover a winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights, festive music, and exciting activities for the whole family. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience in Ballarat.
Read MoreWhat a fantastic event. Mamma loves this spot on the Maribyrnong river! The views are so lovely over the water to the city and across Foostay Park. Deck Out West is a mini festival on our doorstep. Don’t miss it!
Read MoreThis is such a fantastic festival - whether you go with the girls (or guys) OR take the family. It’s pretty and delicious and FUN!
Read MoreNovember 18, 19 and 20 - You all know how much Mamma loves going fruit picking, well you can imagine how excited she gets over a WHOLE WEEKEND dedicated to it!
Read MoreThe Spotswood Festival is ON THIS SATURDAY April 30 - A festival to celebrate the Spotswood slice of the west.
Read MoreThe countdown is on to Winter Wonderlights for 2022 Dates have now been released. This is one of our most fave things to do each Winter. The spectacular winter wonderlights at Sovereign Hill are just spectacular and snow falling in main street is just well, magical.
Read MoreWith LIT, Wyndham Park is transformed into a magical, fantastical, dream-like fantasy world. Bounce to the beats as the children explore and interact with the massive inflatable doggies, or weave around the bush spotting beautifully coloured, larger-than-life lantern animals.
Read MoreThe Sunshine Lunar New Year Festival is a free multicultural community event taking place in the busy Sunshine shopping precinct along Hampshire Road, Sunshine on Sunday 6th February 2022, 12pm to 9pm.
Celebrating the lunar calendar, a time of renewal and for friends and family to come together to celebrate the start of a new year. The Sunshine Lunar New Year Festival or Tét Festival will be the first ever staged in Sunshine, that will bring our culturally diverse community together in a safe and fun environment.
Mamma says it is a huge day of free family fun, live entertainment, children’s rides, street performers, music, dancing, street food, face-painting, magical Lion and Dragon dancing, red-pockets and firecrackers ending with spectacular fireworks at 8:30pm.
Mamma’s special mentions for the kids: A large performance stage with seating area will burst with multicultural exciting music and dance groups, the fastest Pho and Bánh mì eating competitions and the fabulous and funny Diana Nguyen will MC and give away red-pockets with $ and business vouchers over the day. It is a fabulous array of street food stalls of many nations. Super fun small and large children’s rides, pony rides, face-painting, kids tattoo’s, circus activities, showbags, street-performers and cultural kid’s activities will take over Hampshire Road. Local sporting groups will also attend and present fun kid’s activities.
the nitty gritty
FREE
Hampshire Road in Sunshine
Sunday 6th February 2022
12pm to 9pm.
wanna know more? click here
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Mamma has been SUNFLOWER obsessed over the last couple of years and now we can look forward to our very own festival dedicated to the brightest flower in the garden! Melbourne's only Sunflower Festival is on the weekend of February 12th 2022 and it is RIGHT here in the west too!
Located in beautiful Diggers Rest there is already over 35 hectares of Sunflowers priming themselves for pickin’ so you're sure to find the perfect bunch.
What to expect?
Sunflower picking and lots of it!
Food Trucks: Ice-cream - Coffee - Hot Food
Sunflower Seeds
Kids entertainment
Parking onsite
Toilets
COST
$5 entry per person
Children under 5 are free
$2 per Sunflower stem
$5 pack of Sunflower Seeds
WHAT TO BRING
Secateurs or scissors to cut your flowers
Bucket/bag for transporting your Sunflowers
Hat and Sunscreen
Durable footwear
Tickets for entry - BUY HERE
SAFETY
Wear safe/durable footwear
Wear a hat & sunscreen
Beware of Snakes, this is a working farm
Bees will be buzzing around collecting pollen
Organisers will implement COVID safety plans
DOGS
Dogs are permitted to attend, but must be on a leash at all times and owners must pick-up after them.
the nitty gritty
Davis Vineyard Farm
111 Davis Road Diggers Rest
Saturday and Sunday
February 12th and 13th ONLY
Each month Scienceworks hosts the fabulous Little Kids' Day In and we get to be the lucky guests!
Read MoreFREE event!
Step into a paper bushland oasis where birdsong will wisp you away as you explore the fantastical world of Paper Planet. There’s no limit to imaginative play here, where visitors can cut, tear, scrunch and stick together paper creations to add to the biodiversity of the cardboard forest.
A festival of Rocky Road - happening ALL May!
Read MoreGet ready to party! Saturday March 16 from 11am - 4pm This is one of Mamma’s absolute FAVE festivals! The West Footscray Festival of Colours is just a fantastic day of fun with market and food stalls, activities for the kids, music and dance, and of course the throwing of the colours.
Read MoreCan I get a toot toot! Let me hear ya toot toot! Westie folks the whistles you hear this weekend are coming from Steamrail Victoria’s OPEN day happening ALL this weekend!
Read MoreVernon Street is a fab strip of shops located in South Kingsville. They have their own street festival and EVERYONE is invited!
Read MoreThe Williamstown Seaport Festival will be held along the Williamstown foreshore from February 27 to March 4. Mamma says this is going to be a fantastic event for the area and we can’t wait!
The spectacular arrival of the three Tall Ships; James Craig, Enterprize and Young Endeavour, into Williamstown in full sails, will signal the start of the festival on Feb 27 at approx 1pm - click here for full details
STROLL THE HIDDEN WATERFRONT WALK - FREE
The Hidden Waterfront Walk will be a pathway for visitors to check out areas that are normally restricted, but for this occasion, the entire walkway from Seaworks to Hobsons Bay Yacht Club will be open. You will be following a Hidden Waterfront Walk Map, and at each historical/significant spot there will be a tour guide providing you with information and history. You will learn about the Ships Arrival, the History of the Boonwurrung First Peoples of the bay, who occupied over 200km of Port Phillip Bay, and also the naval history and how it became Melbourne’s first Seaport. Yacht Clubs will also be open to the public for an ‘Open Day’ where you can discover the history and see behind the scenes of the Boat Builders.
FESTIVAL ZONE - TICKETED
Festivities will continue in Seaworks at the ticketed Festival Zone with a seafood festival, boat show, family entertainment, picnic area and waterfront bars and restaurants.
Plus Saturday night from 7pm - 10pm, the Seaworks Festival zone will host the the Yacht Rock Revival Show. Yacht Rock is massive in America and hitting Australia, so where better to debut this show than at the Seaport Festival!! They'll be on the outside stage in the Alfresco Area. Click here for bookings
The Williamstown village will come alive over this fantastic 4 days of waterfront family fun! We are looking forward to this one.
Mamma’s special mentions:
The Festival will look a little like this
February 27 - Tall Ships arrive
28th - Ships are in dock and visible from the piers
Feb 29 - 1st March - The Waterfront Festivities come alive
March 2 - 4 - Tall Ships are still in dock, but will be going on Public and Private sails
March 5 - School groups going onboard the Ships
Oh and all of Williamstown’s great cafes, bars and restaurants will be open and have a great market-like feel. There will also be markets on the foreshore to stroll through, too!
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the nitty gritty
FREE areas and activities PLUS
festival ticketed zones
Happening from
Feb 27 - March 4
In an around Williamstown
We love the Point Cook Pop Up Park - not so much pop up as permanent now with new Rainbow Serpent artwork and its constant evolution!
Read MoreInspiring families in Melbourne's West to uncover amazing stuff nearby. You will find inside local knowledge on parks, playgrounds, cafes, family activities, markets and more all waiting to be uncovered, rediscovered and enjoyed.
