As part of the festivities, the Mad Hatter has invited children and parents to a make-believe tea party in a magical garden.

"It will be a classic tea party. We'll sing garden songs as well as a mix of classic songs. I'll be bringing my guitar,'' the Mad Hatter, Earl Leonard, said.

The Mad Hatter is also encouraging children to share his love of crazy hats and create one of their own to bring to the tea party.

%"Hats are practical, and functional, and just delightful. You can tell what a person is like just by the hat they are wearing,'' he said.

The weirdest and wackiest hat will win a prize.

The theme of the weekend is the "Secret Garden'', and Councillor Samantha McIntosh said the idea was to encourage people to wander and discover, go further than just the front gates of the garden.

"The tea party fits really well with the Secret Garden theme. There are many secret parts of the garden people may not know about. Kids can wander and discover."

The movie Alice in Wonderland will also screen in Fairy Land on Friday, March 5 as part of the Ballarat Begonia Weekend activities.

The Mad Hatter Tea Parties will be held at 11am on Saturday March, 6 and Sunday, March 7.