Rain couldn't stop first Springfest in four years: Check out the pictures here

The Rotary Club of Ballarat estimated around 25,000 people headed to Lake Wendouree on Sunday - despite drizzly conditions and a four-year hiatus.

"Really it's impossible to count everyone," co-director Robert Glass said.

"But Wendouree Parade - around near the floral clock - was especially busy."

A sea of heads filled the closed-off road - as people wandered up to attractions in the North Gardens including a sports zone, kids zone, emergency services area and buskers.

Mr Glass said the event drew 450 stallholders - down slightly on the 520 or so who would turn up in a normal year.

"The crowd's been very good considering the weather - and some areas have gone better than expected," he said.

"We'll do some tweaking with the new layout (in the north west corner of the Lake Wendouree precinct)."

When Springfest began back in 1994, it was run for Ballarat and Clarendon College and stalls were set up right around Lake Wendouree.

Fundraising these days goes towards Rotary - as well as community partners who are able to provide volunteers such as Miners Rest Primary School, Phoenix College, CAFS and an NDIS agency.

"They are able to help clients gain work experience and new skills," Mr Glass said.

"Each community partner supplies about 20 to 30 volunteers and they'll do valuable work such as marking out bays and showing people around.

"We don't have enough Rotarians to do it alone, so this really appreciated.

"Essentially it is run as a community event and it's one of the biggest things on the Ballarat calendar these days."

Stallholders were largely from Ballarat although some came from as far as South Gippsland and the Dandenong Ranges.

A stallholder from Upwey said she had booked a night at the RACV tourist resort in Creswick, enjoyed a leisurely Saturday and meals before setting up her wares on Sunday.

Mr Glass said an online Springfest raffle had raised $11,500 this year.