ENERGETIC young Heelers Bluey and Bingo were the talk of Ballarat Begonia Festival on Monday.
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It was all about who had tickets to personally meet them, how to spot them on stage and - most importantly - whether you could get a high-five from the children's television stars who worked the parade a little like British Royals on official duty.
Bluey and Bingo worked one side of Wendouree Parade each, taking their time to try and meet as many junior and parental fans as possible.
CHECK out all the colour from Ballarat Begonia Parade below | PHOTOS
Costa "The Garden Gnome" Georgiadis was also a popular parade character, carrying a sunflower and joining in with Mamma Mia cast for a sing. There were a few posters supporting Costa along the parade route with young fans receiving a gnome hug or high-five.
The Gardening Australia host had also earlier live streamed an up-close begonia special inside Robert Clark Conservatory before the festival opening, celebrating all the colour and beauty of the headline act for a few of his older fans.
There was plenty of beauty out in the parade too. Bubbles floating through the air and into the crowd created a magical underwater world filled with sparkly fish, beautiful jellyfish and a friendly-looking shark thanks to Our Lady Help of Christians. The entry won the best school division.
WATCH the full parade below
Animals were a popular theme through the parade.
Aside from Bluey and Bingo, the canine team from PETstock were a hit with pooches lining the street and keen to see what was going on. Guide dogs also earned cuteness factors although one drew a growl from a pet dog that got a little too close to the parade finish line.
Tigers, not the Richmond variety, added a playful streak to festivities. Ballarat's Bengali and Malayalee communities each featured dancing Tigers in their appearance.
Lions and a dragon livened up the crowd as Chinese Australian Cultural Society Ballarat made its way down the course. A baby lion captured the fascination of pre-school festival-goers.
Mental health organisations carried both a serious message for both awareness and to support each other in the community. The parade included representatives for Lifeline Ballarat, youth organisation headspace Ballarat, Walking Off the War Within and Ballarat and District Suicide Prevention Network.
Their walk was about celebrating community. A big part of this for the begonia parade is the music.
Ballarat Memorial Concert Band led out the parade to mark the band's centenary year, setting the tone with Jive Bunny's Swing the Mood.
Creswick Brass Band was loud and proud with a mini trombonist holding their own on show.
St Patrick's College percussion band delivered some cool beats while Fat Tuesdays, Mount Clear College's jazz band, offered cool vibes.
The parade helped cap off three big begonia days, also featuring MasterChef contestants Tim Bone, Anushka Zargaryan and Poh Ling Yeow and thousands of BotaniKIDS potted plants.
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