The countdown to the 150th Bendigo Easter Fair is on, following postponements in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus.
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People will be able to plan their Bendigo Easter Fair adventures early with the program for the 150th festival now available online.
More than two years of planning has gone into the milestone event which has been extended to four days due to the enlarged program.
Bendigo Easter Fair Society president Simon Mulqueen said organisers were ready to go for 2022.
"It has been years of planning," he said. "We were ready to go in 2020 before COVID hit. So it has been a difficult couple of years.
"(Also) because we got a late start - we didn't get the OK from the state government until December - it's made it very hard.
"We have tried to pull everything together as best we can for this year for Bendigo. Not only the citizens but also the businesses that have suffered through the last two years. It's a big economic injection for them as well."
Fosterville Gold Mine has come on board as the premium sponsor for the fair's anniversary milestone with celebrations extended to four days this year as a way to mark the 150th festival.
On Good Friday, the Vision Australia Easter Egg Hunt will see 85,000 eggs hidden in Rosalind Park ahead of the Awakening of the Dragon at Dai Gum San and the Sherridon Homes Torchlight Procession on Easter Sunday.
Easter Monday will see the Bendigo Advertiser Gala Parade march through the city centre. The parade will see Dai Gum Loong make his first solo walk through Bendigo.
Across the whole weekend, the Bendigo TAFE Carnival Central will be on in Mundy Street while the Rotary Market will be held on Easter Friday and Easter Monday.
City of Greater Bendigo councillor Rod Fyffe, who is on the Bendigo Easter Festival Reference Group, said it was fitting that celebrations for the 150th Bendigo Easter had been extended to four days to mark the special occasion with over 80 exciting events.
"We are looking forward to being able to go ahead with (the fair) after two years of having to call it off," Cr Fyffe said. "(Postponing the 150th fair) was really heartbreaking because of the continuity that we built up but more importantly people wanted to see a festival.
"(Expanding) to four days is basically a nod to the past when we had it over four days. We've stuck to our guns and the state government has been very supportive - as a result we have our 150th festival over four days.
"Bendigo is absolutely the place to be this Easter with a fantastic line up of events made possible by the Bendigo Easter Fair Society, the sponsors, City of Greater Bendigo staff, community groups and volunteers and I thank them for their dedication and commitment in planning this special event."
Other activities planned for the Easter weekend include a Bendigo Bricks display, Connected Circus, CFA Kids' Carnival, Farmer Darryl's Animal Farm, panning for gold and Walk the Walls Parkour workshop.
New highlights to the Bendigo Easter Fair will include a light and sound projection on the outside of the Conservatory, a Teddy Bear's Picnic in Rosalind Park and the return of The Way of the Cross performed on the steps of The Capital.
The event will be run under current COVIDSafe event guidelines. The program is available online at bendigoeasterfestival.org.au.
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