Advertising Feature
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
PREPARE for nine days of non-stop action as Ararat’s Golden Gateway Festival gets underway this weekend.
This will be the 57th annual running of the event, which showcases the region’s attractions as well as offering a huge range of entertainments.
The event will begin on Friday, October 14, with a gala ball. In line with tradition, a King and Queen of the festival will be crowned on the steps of town hall to oversee the festivities, which range from billy cart and gold fossicking events, to story time, U3A, dancing, morning and afternoon teas, markets and more.
Tickets are still available for the ball, so make up a table and book your spot now.
A variety concert will be held on Sunday, October 16. The concert, featuring dancing and singing groups drawn from the Ararat area and beyond, will be held from 2pm to around 4.30pm at the Ararat Town Hall. Entry is $2 for adults and children under-12 are free.
There are still opportunities to be involved in the concert. Contact Golden Gateway Festival president and concert compare Daryl Chaplin on 0439 525 529.
The popular gold dig event, held on the first Saturday and Sunday of the festival at Green Hill Lake, is expected to continue to draw crowds of fossickers from interstate.
This Advertising Feature is sponsored by the following businesses. Click the link to learn more:
The event has developed national prominence, now the Victorian Detecting Championships, and plenty of competition is expected for the prizes on offer.
Tokens and coins are buried around the site, some of which are marked for prizes. The competitor who finds the most tokens is declared the champion.
All the major prizes are drawn by entries. When people pay for the competition they go into the barrel for the major prizes so everyone has a chance to win, organiser John Gladdis said.
There will be $4000 in prizes and trophies awarded over the weekend, with funds raised going to Carols by Candlelight.
A mystery tour will be taking place on Tuesday, October 18 – where it goes, nobody knows! Cost is $16 with the promise of sights you may never have had the opportunity to see before. Bookings to Christian’s Bus Company on 5352 1501.
The Golden Gate Festival is topped off by a huge street procession of floats through Ararat on the final Sunday.
The annual billycart street racing is held just before the procession.
Event spokesman Joe Perry said the event had expanded in scope so much, new categories would need to be added this year.
There are many more events scheduled, including a lunch at Chalambar Golf Club from 12pm on Friday, October 21.
For more, pick up a program at the Visitor Information Centre, IGA, Harris’ Newsagency and the post office.