Find out what’s on in Daylesford and Macedon Ranges with our regularly updated events calendar bursting with events all year round. From annual food and wine festivals to weekly local farmers markets, art fairs, open studios, music gigs and family events, there is something for everyone.
Regular Events
Local Markets
Every Week
Saturday: Wesley Hill Market (Castlemaine) – 149 Pyrenees Hwy, 7.30am – 1pm
Sunday: Daylesford Market – Old Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St, 8am – 1.30pm
1st Saturday of the Month
Woodend Farmers’ Market: High and Forest St, 9am – 1pm
2nd Saturday of the Month
Kyneton Farmers’ Market: St Paul Park, 8.30am – 1pm
2nd Sunday of the Month
Maldon Market: Fountain St, 9am – 2pm
Clunes Farmers’ Market: Collins Place and Fraser St – 9am to 1pm
3rd Saturday of the Month
Trentham Farmers’ Market: Trentham Town Square, 9am – 1pm
Creswick Market: Creswick Neighbourhood Centre, 9am – 1pm
3rd Sunday of the Month
Glenlyon Village Market: Glenlyon Shire Hall, 9am – 1pm
Talbot Farmers Market: 40 Scandinavian Cres, 9am – 1pm
Woodend Village Market: Forest Street, 9am – 1pm
4th Saturday of the Month
Daylesford Farmers’ Market: Daylesford Primary School Oval, Vincent St, 9am – 1pm
4th Sunday of the Month
Trentham Station Trash and Treasure Market: Victoria Street, 9am – 2pm
5th Saturday of the Month (about 4 times a year)
Macedon Village Farmers’ Market: 67 Smith Street, Macedon, 9am – 1pm
Live Music
Palais Hepburn – Hepburn Springs
Beautifully renovated and well loved entertainment venue and bar. Visit The Palais website for details.
Daylesford Cider Co – Musk
Monthly daytime live performances at the cidery. Check the calendar here.
Tours and Activities
Daylesford Wine Tours – Classic Day Tour
Join wine guide Clay Watson for a whole day tour of local wineries. $220 per person – approx. 6 hours.
Visit Daylesford Wine Tours
Wild Mindfulness Australia – Forest Tour – Daylesford
Judy Griffiths takes you on a half day hiking experience through the forest as she introduces you to the ideas of mindfulness in a fun, relaxed and engaging setting. Thur, Sat, Sun. $89per person – approx. 3.5 hours.
Visit Wild Mindfulness Australia
Black Cat Truffles – Truffle hunt + A Taste of Truffles – Wattle Flat
From June to August. Find out more about this earthy, aromatic and elusive delicacy. See the truffle dogs in action, harvest truffles and sample a range of delicious treats. Sat, Sun. $140 per person – approx 2 hours.
Visit Black Cat Truffles
May
Booktown Festival
1 – 30 – Clunes
Each year the Clunes Booktown Festival attracts 18,000 people who enjoy the most amazing whole town bookshop in the world. Think author talks, workshops, live entertainment, a kids village, and good food.
Mothers Day
Sun 8
Dirty Pig & Whistle – Gravel Bike Ride
15-16 – Creswick
A great weekend of cycling with CX races and gravel riding in Victoria’s beautiful Goldfields. Race Saturday afternoon and Sunday ride the gravel course options through the picturesque fields, farms and forests of the Goldfields of central Victoria. Great times, great coffee and great food. Together. Supports the charity Big Brother Big Sister Australia.
Mindful Self-Care Workshop
Sat 22 – Daylesford
Join this day long workshop to find mindfulness that can help lead us to the joyous discovery of simple pleasures, golden gifts of life to help get us through the cold, dark days.
$99 per person
A’Qto Cycling And Gourmet Escape
Fri 20 – Sun 23 – Daylesford
Challenge your body, relax your mind and satisfy your taste buds on a 4 day guided cycling tour ‘off the beaten track’ in the Daylesford & Hepburn Springs region. Challenging climbs, volcanic rolling hills on quiet, back country roads with Italian style, regional food all weekend. Non riding partners are welcome.
$1595 per person, Accommodation included at Lakes Edge – Daylesford
June
Truffle Hunt & Taste of Truffles Experience
Sun 18 – Wattle Flat
Join Black Cat Truffles during the truffle season from June to August for A ‘Truffle Hunt & Taste of Truffles Experience’ – an invitation to find out more about this earthy, aromatic and elusive delicacy.
Woodend Winter Arts Festival
Fri 10 to Sun 13 – Woodend
The annual Woodend Winter Arts Festival brings together Australian and international artists, performers, authors and commentators for the Macedon Ranges’ premier arts festival.
Queens Birthday Holiday
Mon 13
July
Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival
Fri 1 to Sun 3 – Castlemaine
The Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival (C-Doc) is an annual three day event held featuring a world class program of films showcasing a series of fascinating worlds populated by even more fascinating characters. A curated program featuring best of feature-length documentary films globally and showcases Australian film makers.
Beautiful Dark – The Music of Twin Peaks
Sat 16 – The Palais Hepburn
Australia’s preeminent interpreters of the music of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti, using video and audio, projections, props and a total commitment to the original soundtrack.
August
Words in Winter
Posponed – Daylesford and District
Founded in 2002 Words in Winter is an annual literary and arts festival held in August each year in Daylesford, the Hepburn Shire and surrounding districts.
It is a celebration of words, stories and ideas in all their forms shared by locals and visiting presenters through readings, poetry, theatre, music, talks, workshops, visiting authors, and exhibitions.
Antique and Vintage Fair – Kyneton town Hall
DATES TBA – Kyneton
Antique and Vintage Fair held annually on the first weekend in September, Friends of the Kyneton Museum will host this special fundraising event. Many well-known dealers will be there. The Kyneton Antique and Vintage Fair is the major fundraiser for the Friends of the Kyneton Museum, and partnering with the Rotary Club each year makes it a great community event.
September
Fathers Day
Sun 4
AFL Grand Final Holiday (Vic)
TBA
Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival
Thu 1 to Sun 11 – Kyneton
The includes favorites such as Kyneton’s Festival of One Act Plays, the Antique and Vintage Fair, Ferret Racing, Buskers, Open Gardens, Scarecrow displays, the Spring Flower Show and the continuation of the recently added Kyneton Dog Dash.
The Daffodil Art Prize and the Art Photography Prize will be exhibited throughout the Festival and a host of local galleries and studios will open their doors to display the work and practice of our diverse local artists.
October
Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial – Holding the Circle
2023 – Kyneton
Swiss Italian Festa – Hepburn Springs
Dates TBA
Over a five day period the people of Hepburn Springs and Daylesford show off to their neighbours and the wider community of Victoria, their pride in the strong links to the Swiss and Italian settlers of the district in the 1850’s
Garden Lovers Fair
sat 1 and sun 2 – Macedon Ranges
Since 2003 the Garden Lovers Fair has grown to be one of the most popular garden fairs’ in Victoria. With some 40 specialist and unique stall holders and approximately 2,500 people attending.
November
Castlemaine Festival of Gardens
Sat 29 Until Sun Nov 6 – Castlemaine
Every two years, in Melbourne Cup Week, a selection of gardens are opened for your enjoyment. As always there is a variety of gardens, from grand and historical gardens to small cottage plots and gardens which will intrigue and inspire.
Kyneton Cup
Wed 3 – Kyneton
A Marquee event and public holiday in Kyneton, forming part of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival. This event day attracts people from all over Australia and other parts of the world, who now attend this day each year as part of their Melbourne Cup Week activities.
Creswick Garden Lovers Weekend
Postponed
This annual community event is organised by Business & Tourism Creswick Inc. All profits are used for local Creswick projects. We invite you to visit the scenic, historic Central Goldfields Region of Victoria and see an array of diverse private gardens, iconic commercial gardens and nurseries, and more.
$5 entry
Kyneton Agricultural Show
Fri 19 & Sat 20 – Kyneton
Carnival Friday Night 5.30 – 10.30 and Show Day Saturday
A classic country show with rides, pets, farm animals, craft tent, show bags and all the regional produce, art and cooking prizes. There is a ute muster, Friday night fireworks and plenty of entertainment.
Budburst Food and Wine Festival
Sat 19 to Sun 20 – Macedon Ranges
Budburst is the regions number one food and wine festival where mainly small and family owned wineries open their doors. Explore and experience the diversity of wine styles grown and vinified across this outstanding winemaking region.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
Fri 25 and Sat 26 – Hanging Rock
After critically acclaimed shows across Europe and North America, Australian rock legends Nick Cave and Warren Ellis play two exclusive shows at Hanging Rock with support Courtney Barnett. Part of Always Live
Daylesford Collectables Fair
TBA – Daylesford
The first annual Daylesford Collectables Fair will be held at Victoria Oval in Daylesford showcasing some of the regions best antique, vintage, collectable and retro dealers.
December
New Years Eve Parade & Gala
Daylesford Town Centre
A fantastic community event for the whole family. Come along to Vincent St Daylesford and join in the fun. Parade, wood chopping demonstration, music, activities and more!
Dont miss the fireworks display over Lake Daylesford at midnight to ring in the New Year with a bang!
January
New Years Day Races
New Years Day – Hanging Rock
This event attracts over 3,000 each year. Racing at the Rock is considered by most people as a very unique experience, the best that Country Racing can offer, a true Aussie Day Out and a must for the “Bucket List”.
Glenlyon Mixed Sports day
New Years Day – Glenlyon
Join in a long tradition of fun and games at the Glenlyon Sports Day on New Year’s Day. Since 1857 locals have battled it out on the racetrack, in the wood chop arena, delicate women have competed throwing gumboots (not very PC – is it?), sculling mineral water, scoffing bullboars …. From 10am at the Glenlyon Reserve. All proceeds go to local charities and organisations.
Australia Day Races
Thu 26 – Hanging Rock
This event attracts over 3,000 each year. Racing at the Rock is considered by most people as a very unique experience, the best that Country Racing can offer, a true Aussie Day Out and a must for the “Bucket List”.
Australia Day Holiday
Thu 26
February
St Valentines Day – Sun 14
March
Chillout
Thu 10 – Mon 14 – DAYLESFORD
ChillOut, Australia’s number one Queer Country Pride festival, is in its 25nd year in 2022.
Labour Day Holiday (Vic)
Mon 14
Harcourt Applefest
Harcourt
The modern Harcourt Applefest celebrates all local produce and community endeavour. These days, newer ventures like wine, cider and delicacies share the stage.
The festival has evolved into a big event, welcoming an ever-increasing number of visitors from near and far each year. The market and entertainment get better each year, too.
Fresh Harcourt apples, local products & produce, fruit growers’ display, free children’s activities, music, refreshments, food and more
Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial
next on in 2025 – Kyneton
Held every 3 years Kyneton Contemporary is a noteworthy event in the regions artistic calendar and not to be missed.
Gathering of the Godesses
Thu 23 to sun 26 – Riddles Creek
Come home to the wilderness & re-join your tribe…
Celebrating the ways of the old by gathering with your kindred spirits in a three day camping / glamping festival to connect, to ground and to grow. Woman of all ages and from all walks of life coming together with inclusive experiences for all.
Workshops, healing, readings, health & fitness, market & food stalls, arts & crafts, performances, children’s village and so much more!
Macedon Ranges Music Festival
TBA – Hanging Rock
A family friendly, good vibes festival with a dedicated Youth Zone, headlined by The Black Sorrows, Emma Donovan & the Putbacks and Nick Barker. There will be a large selection of delicious food stalls to choose from, or you are welcome to BYO food plus a bar stocked with award-winning beer, wine & cider! All profits to the Cambodian Kids Foundation.
Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival
TBA Daylesford & Macedon Ranges
See webpage for all events
Celebrate autumn at the inaugural Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival. There’s so much more to autumn in the Macedon Ranges than Macedon’s oak-lined Honour Avenue and Mt Macedon. From events, creative workshops and scenic country drives, to autumn flavours and promotions to tickle your tastebuds and senses.
Castlemaine State Festival
Returns 2023 – Castlemaine
One of the major regional festivals in Victoria. A full program of music, film, discussions, performance, visual art, festival club and events. Not to be missed.
April
Easter
Fri 7 to Mon 10
