A quality line-up of events is set to attract residents and tourists to the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival, from Sunday through to Monday, April 25.
Ticketed events are selling quickly, so organisers advise people to book ahead to ensure they don’t miss the festival highlights, including:
- Cidersong Autumn Picnic, featuring live music, singing, food and cider at a heritage apple orchard at DV Cider, Darraweit Guim;
- Macedon Ranges Music Festival, people can groove to the tunes, and enjoy a family-friendly event at Hanging Rock;
- A series of Gin Afternoon Teas at Big Tree Distillery, serving delicious autumn afternoon tea treats with a gin twist;
- The Celebration of Harvest, with Macedon Ranges winemakers celebrating this year’s harvest featuring plenty of local wines, delicious foods and live music;
- The historic and spectacular gardens at Duneira Estate on Mount Macedon, with live music, local wine and food trucks;
- Mountain Writers Festival author lunch at the Wine Collective;
- Harpist in the garden at Dromkeen Homestead’s historic gardens.
For wine and food lovers, there is a bevy of events to tantalise the tastebuds, including ‘Soulfood + Soul Tunes’, with live music and paella at Hunter-Gatherer Winery; Acoustic Pizzas, a relaxed day of guitar, pizza and wine at Parkside Winery and Farm; Force of Nature and Wine Experience at Lyons Will Estate, a five-course tasting menu with chefs Matt Donnelly and Jo Corrigan; and DV Cider’s Tastes of the Region sourdough crumpet masterclass and cider brunch with Millet Road Maker baker Simon Mathee.
For the creative at heart, several autumn workshops and classes are available, including a traditional straw-weaving workshop at the Old Auction House in Kyneton; botanical art classes held by the Mount Macedon and District Horticultural Society; beginner’s blacksmithing class at Dromkeen; and unique autumn-inspired acrylic painting workshops with Malmsbury artist Tia Alysse on her farm.
There are plenty of free experiences and events on offer too, such as art displays, interactive light shows, guided nature walks, open art studios, outdoor sound bowl meditations, chalk art and New Orleans style street bands.
Created by local artists Kirri Buchler, Thomas Campbell and contemporary Aboriginal conceptual artist Tashara Roberts, Journey is an interactive lighting and sound experience through the Malmsbury Botanic Gardens.
Also part of the festival are lifesize puppets ‘The Gardeners’, who will feature at Macedon Ranges’ farmers’ markets inluding at Lancefield on Saturday, and then the Ultimate Picnic at Gisborne Children’s Adventue Park on Sunday. The other-worldly hobbit-like characters, made by local puppeteers, will be wandering the crowds spreading messages of joy and kindness.
There will also be a series of free live music concerts by local bands staged in parks across nine towns throughout the festival, including Music on the Village Green on Malmsbury to celebrate closing night.
For more information on the autumn festival, visit visitmacedonranges.com.au.
