The 2016 Village Winter Festival was a triumphant success. Whether it was kids squealing with delight at the interactive WonderWorld, the mass participation in the Famous Village Dog Show, the huge fireball that illuminated Victory Park, or simply catching up with friends over a mulled wine, the Village Winter Festival created a delightful atmosphere to celebrate the Winter Solstice.
Around 3000 Castlemaine locals and visitors gathered together and watched more than 50 different performances, installations, experiences and oddities over an afternoon and evening on Saturday 18 June.
See the Bendigo Advertiser article
Photos by Richard Baxter
Quick Links: View Schedule / List all Events / For Kids / Music / Interactive / Bush Dance / Dog Show / Fire Ceremony / Cheap tickets / Food&Drink
Light your creative fire at the fourth Village Winter Festival as the Castlemaine community gathers to celebrate the Winter solstice.
The Village Winter Festival
Sat 18 June 2016
Victory Park, Castlemaine
Castlemaine’s Beating ‘Art
Book here (save up to $5 when you book in advance)
Village Winter Festival 2015 (Castlemaine)
The Village Festival is part carnival, part village fair and part arts festival. It has become Central Victoria’s annual meeting place for maverick musicians, devilish dancers, vivacious visual arts and thrilling theatre. Enter through the impressive façade in Castlemaine’s Victory Park and explore the alternative utopian world created amongst Indian wedding tents, random caravans and a warming communal fire.
See full listing of events here
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Download printable schedule
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See the interactive schedule here
In 2016 The Village Festival will turn Castlemaine dance-crazy! A key project Dances Old and New unearths the town’s historical relationship with dance, from the forgotten dance forms of the Dja Dja Wurrung to the big social dances of decades past, to the current day where hip-hop, ballroom, tap and tarantella are all practiced. The whole community is invited to learn some dance steps: then dance, prance, shake and gyrate at the all-in “bush dance” led by storyteller and original Bushwacker Jan ‘Yarn’ Wositzky. All Dance Events
In The Village WonderWorld, kids (and kids all grown up) can meet sweets matron Penny Candy, play interactive games in the Amusement Alcazar and experience the human digestive system from the inside (eew!) in the Caravan of Consumption. More Info
The imaginary love child of Nigella and the Swedish chef, The World Kitchen is a performative food stage that hosts food demonstrations from the serious to the spurious. Here you can also buy dinner in the form of iconic Winter dishes from around the world made by locals. And there is a great bar with beverages from the surrounding region.
Elsewhere, show off your best friend in the Famous Village Dog Show, add your creative spark to the giant candelabra that is the centerpiece of the dusk fire lighting ritual, or enjoy the Rascal-maine Stage, run entirely by local youth.
Village Winter Festival: Castlemaine’s Beating ’Art
Saturday 18 June 2016, 1pm to 11pm
Victory Park, Castlemaine
$15 adults / $10 concession / $5 13-17 yo / free 12 and under.
Cheaper if you book in advance or arrive before 2pm.
Our supporters:
Thanks to the following organisations who have made this festival possible.
