WINTER is here and for Victoria's south west coast it brings with it a feast of entertainment, events and cultural and culinary experiences to chase away the seasonal chill.
Low Light returns to Queenscliffe this month with a celebration designed to stimulate and delight the senses with an assortment of arts, music and foodie encounters.
This boutique Fringe Festival runs across consecutive weekends and showcases art exhibitions, the Queenscliffe Music Festival, Seance (the spine-tingling shipping container installation that took over Melbourne's Federation Square in 2017), whiskey masterclasses, pop-up ice skating and degustation menus featuring local produce.
The town's public spaces, galleries, cafes, bars and restaurants will play host to a dazzling array of fringe-style art exhibitions (including Melbourne installation and miniature street artist Tinky).
A highlight of the Festival will be the simultaneous burning of sculptures in the main street on Saturday, June 22 (Winter Solstice night) followed by a nude dive off Queenscliffe pier.
Full program: lowlightqueenscliff.com.au
Attracting more than 15,000 visitors every year, the National Celtic Festival (June 7-10) transforms the Portarlington foreshore and surrounds into a bustling winter wonderland of musicians and performers, presenting concerts across 14 stages over four days.
The festival uses a range of venues throughout the town including community halls and spaces, the hotel, restaurants, cafes and churches. Marquees are also set up on the foreshore to provide additional venues.
An easy 90 minute drive from Melbourne or journey across the bay via Port Phillip Ferries, Portarlington is nestled between the Bellarine Peninsular's renowned vineyards and the famous mussel farms of Corio Bay.
Popular artists playing this year include The Young Folk, Maggie Carty & Mirtn Staunton, The Lumber Jills, Colin Lillie, The Maes, Claddagh, Rich Davies & The Low Road, Fiona Ross & Shane O'Mara and Bush Gothic.
A world-class line-up of cabaret, comedy and music comes to Geelong's Johnstone Park for Spiegeltent Geelong until June 23.
The season is headlined by award-winning sell-out sensation LIMBO, a mix of cabaret. circus and acrobatics, led by an international cast who whisk the audience into a sinister netherworld of gut-churning contortion and jaw-dropping stunts.
Dutch for mirror tent the Spiegeltent is a big top tent decorated with mirrors, stained glass, velvet and brocade with a glamorous old-world feel.
Spiegeltent Geelong also features some of Australia's biggest touring artists.
