A free summer event will create opportunities for young people to come together, have a fun time and activate a CBD space.
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People of all ages are invited to attend Ballarat's Summer Vibes event at Alfred Deakin Place on Saturday from 11am to 3pm.
The event will feature live music, arts and craft activities, a puppetry workshop, ice-cream and games.
Event organiser and Y Ballarat youth engagement coordinator Suze Larmer said young people had missed out on a lot during the pandemic and this was a good chance to provide school holiday entertainment.
"It is all-inclusive, all ages and it is free. We wanted to make it really accessible to people," she said.
Y Ballarat worked with City of Ballarat youth services, the Youth Advisory Board, Y Ballarat youth advisory group and Integra to put on the event.
It is about the young people doing what they do best and what they love doing.
- Katja Fiedler, City of Ballarat youth development officer
Event volunteer and Y Ballarat youth advisory group member Remi Turkovic said it was amazing to help out with something she would have loved to attend throughout her youth.
"Especially after all the lockdowns, it is great to be a part of something that is helping people get back together," he said.
Fellow volunteer and advisory group member Lachlan Browne said the lockdowns had taken a toll on young people and social connections had taken a massive hit.
"It is good to be trying to get young ones back out there," he said.
The Summer Vibes event will be hosted at the Ballarat pop-up park site and fits into its summer schedule.
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The workshops will be youth-led, with a kokedama making workshop hosted by the Ballarat Climate Action Network and a puppetry workshop led by Ballarat Grammar student Holly Douglas.
"It is about the young people doing what they do best and what they love doing," City of Ballarat youth development officer Katja Fiedler said.
"It makes it so much more fun and engaging."
Holly said she was excited to share her passion for puppetry with other young people in Ballarat.
"I feel so grateful for the opportunity," she said.
"I have been talking about running a workshop for a while and it is so good to finally have someone push you to do it."
Other activities include badge making and tote bag painting and beginner drawing tutorials will be played on the big screen.
An ice-cream van will make an appearance in the afternoon.
"There is something for everyone," Ms Fiedler said.
"It is a youth takeover," Ms Larmer said.
Youth Advisory Board coordinator Chloe Waddell said there were many youth organisations, empowered young people and young people motivated to make change in Ballarat.
"It is really nice for everyone to come together to put this event on," she said.
"We are really happy to be part of it."
Ms Larmer said the event helped fill a gap in events for teenagers and young adults.
Ms Waddell said opportunities for social connection had been lacking for that group throughout the pandemic.
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