Good Friday, March 29

Visit the Yi Yuan Gardens in the Dai Gum San Chinese Precinct to get creative and decorate your own Chinese lantern. Materials supplied for this activity with no booking required. A gold coin donation is required. 10am to 3pm.

Chinese historical walking tours are being run to allow locals and tourists to discover some of the fascinating history of Bendigo's Chinese heritage and its history in the city. Bookings are required so please phone 5441 5044. A gold coin donation is required. Times for the walks are 10.30am-11.30am and 2pm-3pm.

Between 9am and 5pm on Good Friday a number of activities will be taking place on some of the major thoroughfares in Bendigo. On Bull Street there will be a Tai Chi class in the morning followed by the Bull Street festival which will run from 12pm to 11pm.This festival will include music and performances all day.

On Hargreaves Street an all aboard skateboarding session will be taking place. Mundy Street will be carnival central all day including art stalls, the Bendigo book fair, food vendors and everything in between.

Meanwhile, on Pall Mall the Rotary Market will be taking place alongside an Army Reserve exhibition stall. Anybody looking to enjoy the company of the CFA will find on William Vahland Place children's amusement rides running all day.

The Queen Elizabeth Oval will be the sight of the 150^th anniversary of the first ever recorded women's cricket match in Australia's history. A Bendigo team will be battling against Ballarat at 2pm.

In Rosalind Park the Vision Australia Easter egg hunt will be taking place in sessions throughout the day. The hunt is organised by the SES. At the main stage there will be live music and entertainment including Indigenous dance workshops, the Easter Bunny Stage Show and All Day Fritz band Activities.

Other activities taking place in the park include Bendigo Bricks, Connected Circus, farmer Darryl's Animal Farm, Fosterville Gold Mine panning for gold, hockey will be on display, the intercultural hub, a chill out zone will be set up, a sand art workshop.

Running throughout the weekend Bendigo and District Quilters will stage their biennial Exhibition as part of the COGB Easter Festival program in March 2024. A display of members work will include the hanging of over 120 small and large quilts at the St Andrews Hall, Myers Street.

To close the evening off in Rosalind Park will be a showing of The Way of the Cross to tell the story of Jesus Christ.

Easter Saturday, March 30

A traditional celebration of lion and dragon dance, presented by the Bendigo Chinese Association and visiting lion teams, will take place in the Dai Gum San precinct. The awakening the dragon ceremony will conclude with the lighting of 100,000 firecrackers, used to wake Dai Gum Loong from his slumber in preparation for his appearance in the Sherridon Homes Gala Parade.

Bull Street will again be featuring a festival and line dancing class. While on Hargreaves Mall and Street will have a moonlight market, Pall Mall will have a little builders exhibition by Sherridon Homes and a motoring down the mall parade. A parkour obstacle course will be set up in the Queen Victoria gardens. Remote car racing will be taking place just off of Pall Mall on the 'Easter fair way'. In Rosalind Park there will be AFL Victoria come and play session, Dragon craft by Props Theatre and Vision Australia will be bringing seeing eye dogs for the children. Many events taking place on Good Friday will also be taking place on Easter Saturday and Sunday.

A model train exhibitoon will be on display showcasing some of the best Australian, European and English models. Themes include Country, Storybook layout depicting Snow White, Cinderella, Robin Hood, The UK theme comprising a maintenance depot, Victorian Railways era, where the country meets the city. There will also be the original copy of Elphinston Railway Station and out buildings. This exhibition will be taking place at Bendigo's Baptist Church.

Fireworks will be closing out the night.

Easter Sunday, March 31

Many of the events planned on Bull Street, Mundy Street, Hargreaves Mall and Pall Mall are taking place on Easter Sunday. With the exception that Easter Sunday has the major parade through the heart of the city. This parade includes schools, community groups, volunteer organisations and more. If you have come to see Bendigo at Easter, Sunday is the day to do it.

Events including tennis and badminton will also be running throughout Sunday.

The Kangaroo Flat Rotary Club will be running a hole-in-one golf event all weekend to raise money for various charities, The maximum prize will be $2500.

An exhibition and sale of locally crafted woodworking products including bowls, pens, boxes, bread boards and a multitude of other items. Made mainly from Australian timbers like redgum, ironbark, grey and yellow box. Various aspects of wood working will be demonstrated including wood lathe, pyrography, wood carving and scroll saw. Our very talented club members will be available and more than willing to chat about the items on display as well provide technical advice on construction. All these items are hand crafted by our members, so every piece is unique and a work of art to use and enjoy. There is something for all the family. The event is taking place all weekend at the Bendigo Trades Hall.

A Bendigo blues and roots festival will be rocking the Handle Bar over the weekend with multiple performers taking to the stage. Entry is free and performances will by on stage throughout the day.

The Maldon Easter Fair is one of the oldest in Australia and started in 1878. Making the 2024 festival the 147th installment of the Maldon Easter Fair. It will take place from March 28 through to April 1. The Easter Parade is on Easter Monday and is a wide ranging collection of things Maldonian from fire trucks to the Garden Club penny farthing bicycles to occasional political statements. Afterwards there is much merriment in the shopping areas of the village with an egg tossing competition and all cafes and restaurants are open for business.

Maldon Golf Club hosts a Hole in One competition on Easter Saturday and the Maldon Vintage Machinery Museum will be holding their annual Easter Machinery Rally across the weekend. Over the weekend there's a torchlight procession Dancing in the Streets a billycart race a scone bake competition a quilt show and many other things for everyone to enjoy. There is also a big raffle prize of a wheelbarrow full of goods and that includes the wheelbarrow.

There will be music acts, bake-offs, billycarts, art stalls and much more in Maldon.

On Easter Monday, April 1, Rheola will host its 151^st charity carnival with woodchopping, fashion shows and tractor pulls taking place throughout the day. There will be sheep dogs exhibitions, vintage car displays, novelty games for the children and adults on the day. Admission is $10 for adults and the event is taking place at 1861 Inglewood-Rheola Road. The carnival will run all day.