SOME would say it was ideal weather which saw huge crowds turn out at the weekend for the annual Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival and Sunday’s Cycle Classic.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And while sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures on Saturday and Sunday probably did help, so did the fact that Ballarat has fast become one of Victoria’s premier event
locations.
When Ballarat holds events, it holds them well. And the weekend was no exception.
While the city has long been known for its beautiful lake, Begonia Festival, outstanding restaurants and proximity to quaint country towns, the large-scale events of recent years have added another layer.
It is a layer which makes residents proud to call Ballarat home and tourists, many international, scrambling for accommodation.
The Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival is one example of an event which succeeds at the time and leaves a lasting impression until the next.
Lydiard Street, transported at the weekend back in time to a flurry of polka-dot dresses, old cars and dancing, attracted almost 10,000 people.
A relatively new festival for the city, with the weekend’s event being our third, its directors likened it to similar events overseas and said Ballarat provided everything needed for a stellar show.
Similarly, the Cycle Classic has become an event synonymous with the people of Ballarat’s goodwill.
Now in its eighth year, the event at the weekend was deemed another huge success and has now raised more than $1 million for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.
And while we’re talking cycling and Ballarat pulling off big events, let’s not forget the recent success of the road nationals.
The city managed to attract Australia’s greatest ever cyclist, Cadel Evan, as well as thousands of spectators.
And those spectators came because they knew Ballarat could deliver.
They came in appreciation of some of the best athletes this country has to offer, but also in recognition that, for one weekend of the year, Ballarat and Buninyong, become the home of brilliant competition and a world-class sporting event.
Other events, such as the World Rowing Masters have added to the list of Ballarat’s top drawcards, while the new ironman series, Ironman70.3, staged for the first time last year, is sure to grow successfully.
And who could forget the annual Ballarat Beer Festival, which continues to draw huge crowds of amber-loving individuals?