Attracting visitors and fostering civic pride, Ballarat's events and festivals generate millions of dollars each year and add to the cultural life of the city.
Three of the city's key annual events, the Ballarat Begonia Festival, the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields and the Buninyong Gold King festival alone attracted an estimated 107,000 people last year.
These accounted for an estimated 81,400 bednights for local accommodation houses.
Events Ballarat major events manager Tracey Hull said events and festivals that were supported by Events Ballarat last year generated $14 million.
"Events and festivals have lots of spin-off economic benefits for the community. The most obvious benefits are for accommodation and restaurants," she said.
"But the spin-off is actually quite wide-ranging. For example, lots of events require things like hire equipment. Even the media benefits from events advertising and marketing."
Ms Hull said events and festivals had more than just economic impact.
"We tend to focus on the economic benefits but there are enormous benefits from a cultural perspective. Often performances or shows are conducted in Ballarat that people would otherwise have to travel to Melbourne to see," she said.
"Events and festivals also add to the sense of community and provide people with the chance to be involved."
Ms Hull said Ballarat was fortunate to be home to a fairly sustainable event and festival culture.
"One of the really good things about Ballarat is that the city doesn't rely on just one or two events a year," she said.
"We have a whole calender. Basically every weekend there is an event or festival on. In terms of sustainability it's great. It all culminates in enormous community, cultural and economic impact."
Ms Hull said it was becoming increasingly complex for organisers to run events with more and more legislation governing things such as traffic management planning requirements, environmental health issues and risk management plans.
"It is challenging for evens to retain their viability," she said.
"A lot of events have been impacted by the public liability crisis. If events and festivals can get through this period of change and conform to legislation then they will survive and grow into the future."
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ORGANS OF THE BALLARAT GOLDFIELDS FESTIVAL
The brainchild of internationally renowned organist and teacher Sergio de Pieri, the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival has been running since 1996.
Its origins date back to the 1960s when Mr de Pieri first visited Ballarat and felt the city would provide a perfect backdrop for a fine music festival.
The 10-day event now attracts visitors from all over Australia with a program of classical, period and contemporary music in historic churches and heritage buildings from Ballarat to Daylesford, Ballan and Ararat.
Incorporating a festival dinner and additional activities, the event is themed around pipe organ music but showcases a variety of other instruments and singers.
The festival is run by a non-profit organisation with a committee of volunteers.
Last year it attracted nearly 1000 people and accounted for 1100 bed nights in the city.
Assistant director Judy Houston said many musicians sought to gain a performance spot in the festival. She said the program included pieces people wouldn't normally hear.
"It's become very well-known," she said.
"A lot of people come to the festival and make friends and continue to come back each year to catch up."
The festival will be held between January 9 and 18 and will feature 26 one-hour concerts - including a performance in Kyneton.
BALLARAT BEGONIA FESTIVAL
The Ballarat Begonia Festival is the city's largest annual event attracting 100,000 visitors from across Australia and internationally last year.
Accounting for 80,000 bed nights in the city, the festival dates back 50 years to 1953.
Themed around Ballarat's famous begonia collection and based on gardening and cultural activities in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the festival was originally started by the city's retailers as an attention getter.
New festival director Barbara Chalkley said the festival still aimed to showcase the city and was all about visitors having a fabulous time in a beautiful place.
"It's become a celebration for Ballarat. It brings in tourism dollars and has an economic impact in the short-term," she said.
"We hope people leave with a positive view of Ballarat and continue to come back, which means greater economic impact in the long-term."
Ms Chalkley said she believed changing the format of the 2004 event from 11 days to five and renewing its gardening focus would help strengthen the festival.
"I think it's so popular because people remember coming as children themselves and it's a nostalgic experience for them," she said.
"That's something they want to pass this on to their children. Gardening has also grown to be one of the most popular hobbies in Australia."
Ms Chalkley said the festival was owned by the Ballarat City Council and managed for them through a group of paid staff - complemented by 100 volunteers who work at the gardens during the festival.
"As well as the volunteers it's the commitment of community groups that really holds the festival together," she said.
The festival will run between March 4 and 8 2004.
BUNINYONG GOLD KING FESTIVAL
As well as attracting visitors to the town, the Buninyong Gold King Festival exists to help local community groups fundraise.
The festival started in 1975 as a community sausage sizzle and market day and has grown to a three-day event allowing up to 40 community groups to run stalls and activities to raise money.
Run by a committee of volunteers, the festival is aimed primarily at families and features a variety of live music and entertainment, an art show, market stalls featuring quality craft and fresh produce, history walks, grand parade, fun run, a busking competition and old-fashioned traditional family picnic events such as the billy cart derby and the teddy bears picnic.
"The festival is community run with direct input from the community," festival president Miranda Donald said.
"The events celebrate what we are. We vary the program a little bit each year to keep interest high but the main attractions such as the grand parade will stay the same."
The festival attracted 6000 visitors last year and accounted for 300 bednights.
Mrs Donald said the festival was popular not only for its varied program but for it accessibility.
"People don't have to pre-book tickets and there is no entry cost," she said.
"Families can bring a picnic lunch, wander around and have a great time without spending anything if they don't want to."
The festival will run between February 13 and 15, 2004.
