Ballarat Begonia Festival facts for kids

The Ballarat Begonia Festival is a fun carnival and community event. It happens every year in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. This festival has been running since 1953. It is a big reason why many tourists visit the city.

The festival is all about the beautiful begonia flower. These flowers grow well in Ballarat's mild weather. The festival usually includes amazing flower displays. You can also see special flower plantings along the main city streets. A big parade goes down Sturt Street. It features cool floats made by local groups. These groups include sports clubs, businesses, schools, musicians, and other special interest groups. There is also a military tattoo, which is a show with military bands.

Why the Festival Started

The idea for the festival came from the successful Edinburgh International Festival. In June 1952, the Mayor of Ballarat, William Ernest Roff, and Edgar Bartrop, who led the Greater Ballarat Association, suggested a similar festival for Australia. They wanted to have it before the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

The community quickly liked the idea. By late 1952, a group was formed to organize the festival. They decided to make it happen very quickly for the next year. They chose the begonia flower as the theme. This was to show off Ballarat's fame for its lovely begonia gardens.

Festival History and Fun Facts

The very first festival was held on March 12, 1953. The Greater Ballarat Association ran it, with help from the Department of Education. It was first called the Ballaarat Begonia Festival.

Early Celebrations

A huge parade of 6,000 students marched through the city. About 20,000 people watched them. The festival also had the Begonia Dance and other folk dances. They even crowned a "Queen of the Begonias." There were trade displays and songs from the Ballarat choir.

About 100,000 begonia plants were placed in special boxes along the city's main streets. Alfred Hall, a civic building on Grenville Street, was used for the first flower show.

Royal Visit and New Locations

The second Begonia Festival was very special. Queen Elizabeth II herself came to visit! After Alfred Hall was damaged by fire, the flower displays moved. They went from the city centre to the beautiful Botanic Gardens.

Challenges and Comeback

In the 1990s, the festival became less popular. Fewer people came, and organizers found it hard to pay for everything.

The City of Ballarat council took over running the festival in 1996. They gave it more money. However, the number of visitors kept going down. Organizers even thought about ending the festival more than once.

In 2010, bad weather affected the festival. But the news that it might be cancelled actually helped! The community rallied together to support the event. New records for visitors were set in 2011 and 2012. This was partly because Ballarat Regional Tourism helped promote it more.

Recent Changes

In 2021, there was no carnival or parade planned. However, many other events still took place. Strict rules were followed, like wearing masks and social distancing, to keep everyone safe.