Big Night In event planned to farewell lockdown restrictions.
Commerce Ballarat has announced plans to host a Big Night In event the night before lockdown restrictions are expected to ease in regional Victoria.
LOOKING FORWARD: The Western Hotel's Dan Cronin islooking forward to creative night of takeaway before hopefully serving customers in house again. Picture: Lachlan Bence
The Plate Up Ballarat event will encouarge residents to purchase a takeaway food and drink pack from participating restaurants and pubs and enjoy entertainment live streamed from Piano Bar on September 12.
Commerce Ballarat chief executive Jodie Gillett said it would be a celebration of what is expected to be the last night of stage three COVID-19 restrictions and a show of support for the city's hospitality businesses.
"The venues are putting on some fabulous menus for people to choose from and we will be streaming live from Piano Bar Ballarat with some fantastic local talent," she said.
"We are hoping whilst everyone is in their home there will be a sense of connectedness because they will all be watching the stream together and having a bit of fun."
Plate Up Ballarat is a platform to connect, stimulate and promote the hospitality industry in Ballarat.
Probably our big learning this year has been how good Ballarat businesses work together.
Dan Cronin, The Western Hotel
Ms Gillett said the new event was designed to bring a new and fresh offering to takeaway options in the city.
"Getting to the end of lockdown people are feeling maybe a little tired and that they have done the takeaway thing. We need to give them something fresh and something new to get involved with," she said.
"People in hospitality are incredibly creative and it has been a hard slog the last months when they have been doing takeaway predominantly and not interacting with people, which is why they do what they do.
"These initiatives give them an opportunity to think outside the square and gives the chefs a chance to be creative with what they are offering our community."
Ballarat singer Dani Fry will perform on the live-stream from Piano Bar.
Ballarat singers Luke Tonkin and Dani Fry will be two of three performers live-streamed from Piano Bar on the night.
"It is great to be able to get out and have a sing," Ms Fry said.
"This particular event I think will be great to try to rally Ballarat together and enjoy a night together. I hope people tune in on the night and enjoy the show."
"The whole arts industry has pretty much ground to a halt so it has been quite hard for a lot of artists to make a living. It is good to have a creative outlet, to get back out and perform," Mr Tonkin said.
The Western Hotel will be one of the hospitality venues participating in the Big Night In event.
"Probably our big learning this year has been how good Ballarat businesses work together," hotel owner Dan Cronin said.
"To be involved in something where it is a combination of businesses and to stay engaged with our customers is a great thing."
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Mr Cronin said the second lockdown period had certainly been more challenging than the first, but it was encouraging people were still supporting local businesses 'unbelievably well'.
"We certainly hope it is the end of lockdown and this is a good way to farewell it," he said.
"I think a bit of fatigue has set in for everyone. We are hopeful in the next week or two we will get a pathway out.
"That is what we really need as a community... We really need a pathway and some benchmarks to aim towards I think."
Details on the Big Night In event will be available on the Plate Up Ballarat website soon.
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