🥈 Silver for Ballarat... but wait ‘til you see the pies

Morning, Ballarat! If this week had a flavour, it’d be a flaky pie crust with a big side of homegrown goodness. We’ve snagged silver at the Tourism Awards, the city’s about to be overrun with 36 pies begging for a bite, and a local filmmaker is premiering a heartfelt doco. Yep… it’s a full plate for ya.

In today’s edition

• Ballarat snags Silver at the Tourism Town Awards

• Ballarat’s Best Pie returns for 2025

• SparkTank heads back to Buninyong

• Local filmmaker’s documentary The New Peasants

• Ballarat’s 2025/26 Budget: The Bits That Actually Matter

• New Café Alert: cafe@eureka

• What’s on around town

• Live music

– Luciano Devoto

FEATURE STORY

🥈 Ballarat Snags Silver at the 2025 Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards!

In a glitzy ceremony at Shepparton’s Museum of Vehicle Evolution last week, Ballarat proudly scooped up Silver in the Top Tourism Town category (population over 5,000).

It’s our third time on the podium after gold wins in 2021 and 2023. Proof we’re consistently top‑tier when it comes to heritage, culture and superb hospitality on every corner.

Warrnambool took out Gold, while Echuca claimed Bronze — hats off to our coastal and riverfront sisters for another year of shining regional awesomeness.

In the smaller‑town league, Mount Beauty nabbed Gold (1,500–5,000), with Port Fairy on Silver and Portarlington on Bronze. And for the tiny town honours (under 1,500), it was Trentham Gold, Halls Gap Silver, and Whitfield Bronze.

Dive into the full story here

. . .

Poll Time

COMMUNITY DIGEST

🥧 Ballarat’s Best Pie is back for its third year!

From 1–31 August, Ballarat turns into a pie‑lover’s paradise with 36 sweet and savoury creations from cafes, bakeries, bars and restaurants. Expect everything from hearty classics to limoncello meringue and duck‑and‑fig delights.

This year, seven award categories are up for grabs, with tasty new additions: the Brilliantly Unexpected Pie, the Pie with Purpose (celebrating local produce and low‑waste heroes), and the all‑new People’s Choice Pie, where you get to crown the crusty champ via QR codes or online voting.

🗺️ Find Your Perfect Pie

Hunting down flaky perfection? The Ballarat Life Interactive Map has you sorted! The same map you loved during the Hot Choc Showdown is back, now charting every stop on the Ballarat’s Best Pie trail. Pull it up on your phone, choose your pit‑stop, and let your pie‑tinerary begin.

. . .

🎤 SparkTank 2025 is coming back to Buninyong

On Monday 4 August, Buninyong Town Hall will host SparkTank 2025, where up to $50,000 in community investment funding will be awarded to local projects pitched live by finalists selected from applications across greater Ballarat.

This fun, full‑community event invites neighbourhood groups to pitch their bold, innovative, heart‑strong ideas, like new art spaces, eco projects, youth programs and mental health initiatives.

Winners get cash and a platform to launch their impact live on stage. Everyone gets a voice: even attendees receive Community Gold vouchers to support groups they believe in!

Tickets are free but limited so Pop it in your diary and come ready to cheer for local heroes.

. . .

🎬 The New Peasants: A Simple Life on the Big Screen

Ballarat‑born filmmaker Jordan Osmond shines a lens on simplicity in his new documentary, The New Peasants. The film follows a Daylesford family who’ve spent 20 years living radically sustainable lives—no car, no supermarket shops for 15 years—yet somehow their world is fuller, richer and more connected than most.

After debuting at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on 25 July, the film now comes home to Ballarat on Friday 2 August, screening at Palace Regent Cinemas (3–5:30 pm).

Jordan will be there in person with the film’s subjects for a Q&A, with Food is Free founder Lou Ridsdale MC’ing the event.

It’s a heartfelt, thought‑provoking celebration of slowing down and rethinking what really matters. Community, creativity, and living with less to feel more.

👉 Tickets and details here

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💰Ballarat’s 2025/26 Budget: The Bits That Actually Matter

Alright Ballarat, the new council budget has landed. Don’t worry, I asked old mate ChatGPT to help me distil the 90‑odd pages so you don’t have to. Here are the bits that will actually make a difference to our everyday lives.

🏡 Some Breathing Room

Good news first: no rate rise this year. Yep, a big fat 0%. Plus, there’s a little extra help: a $120 rebate if you’ve got a health care card, and pensioners get a bump too. Libraries will stay open later (finally some evening hours), and we’re getting free swims at Black Hill and Buninyong pools all summer. On scorchers over 30°, Eureka Pool will stay open longer too. And if you’re part of a community group? You can now book Town Hall rooms for free (non‑commercial stuff only).

🚨 The Bit No One’s Cheering

Now, the sting in the tail: the State Government’s new Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund. It’s replacing the old fire levy, and for most of us that means the bill is jumping — about 29% more for homes, and even steeper for businesses. Council says they don’t like it either, but they’re stuck collecting it.

🗑️ Rubbish News (Literally)

Waste charges are going up 7.64%. From November 2025, we’ll all be getting new bins: a purple one for glass and a green‑lidded FOGO bin (Food Organics & Garden Organics). The whole waste package will cost about $1.66 a day per household.

🚧 Big Builds You’ll Notice

There’s also a bucketload of spending on stuff we’ll actually see around town:

• $27m on fixing and upgrading roads

• $6m makeover for the Ballarat Art Gallery

• New Animal Shelter finally kicking off ($5.5m to start, with most covered by the state)

• Sebastopol Community Hub’s last stage ($1.2m)

• New shared path along the Glenelg Highway and more LED streetlights

NEW CAFE ALERT

☕🍛 From Curries to Cappuccinos: cafe@eureka

When Lilly’s at Eureka Café closed earlier this year, it left a coffee-shaped hole in the East. But good news, the team behind Indian Grill Ballarat has added a brand-new twist to their already popular restaurant, opening cafe@eureka inside the venue.

So now, alongside their much-loved Indian dishes, you can grab a tea or Campos coffee together with toasties, sandwiches, slices, and other delicious treats that hit the spot just as well as their curries.

📍 602 Eureka Street, Ballarat East
🕛️ Open Wed–Fri 8am–2pm and Sat–Sun 9am–2pm.

Morning coffee and evening curry, not a bad combo for one address!

. . .

WHAT’S ON

🎭️ Happenings Around Town

Handpicked activities for all ages

Markets & Fairs

The Bridge Market | Saturday, 2 Aug | 9am - 2pm | (Info)
Venue: The Bridge Mall
Description: A Ballarat Farmers Market held monthly, selling essential foods, gourmet items, hot food, and locally made design ware. Dogs welcome on a short leash.

Ballarat Local Produce & Seed Swap | Saturday, 2 August | 9:30am - 11:00am | (Info)
Venue: Ballarat Community Garden
Description: Bring produce, seeds, plants, etc., to swap. Donations are also welcome. Leftover produce goes to the "Food is Free" table.

Ballarat Book Sale | Saturday, 2 August | 9am - 1pm | (Info)
Venue: Ballarat Airport (Rotary Club of Ballarat East depot)
Description: The Rotary Club's monthly second-hand book sale with over 30,000 books. Proceeds support local and overseas charities.

Ballarat Sunday Market | Sunday, 3 August | 9am - 1pm | (Info)
Venue: Morshead Park
Description: Enjoy street food, new and secondhand goods at this dog-friendly event. Free entry and parking for all!

Comedy

Wil Anderson - Wilegitimate | Saturday, 2 August | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | ($54 - $59)
Venue: Her Majesty's Theatre
Description: While organising his Dad’s 80th birthday present, Wil found out something he did not know. Don’t miss one of Australia's finest storytellers in his most personal show yet.

Celeste Barber - Backup Dancer | Sunday, 3 August | 7:30pm - 8:40pm | ($99.80)
Venue: Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts
Description: Australia's queen of comedy returns with her high-energy performance, diving into social satire and personal anecdotes.

Arts / Performances, Culture

Menopause is Not a Use-By Date | Thursday, 31 July | 4pm - 6pm | (Free)
Venue: Ballarat Library
Description: A lively session with powerhouse Australian authors Elizabeth Coleman, Trish Bolton, and Dr Rachel Matthews, celebrating women in later life.

Seasons of Women by Janette Wotherspoon | Until end of Aug | (Info)
Venue: Art Space Ballarat
Description: A collection of handwritten and creative narratives by nearly 100 women from Australia, displayed on cloth banners. Live entertainment on Saturdays.

The Hottest Hot August Night | Saturday, 2 August | 7:30pm - 10pm | ($74.90 - $79.90)
Venue: Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts
Description: A tribute honouring Neil Diamond and Olivia Newton-John, bringing one of the biggest concert events in music history to the stage.

Art Gallery of Ballarat Art Screen: Leicolhn McKellar - Guma | Saturday, 2 August - Oct 24 | (Free)
Venue: Alfred Deakin Place
Description: A visual exploration of contemporary pan-Aboriginal identity by Budjiti photographer Leicolhn McKellar, challenging reductive visual tropes.

“Broadway to Ballarat” Fund-Raising Gala | Sunday, 3 August | 2pm | ($55)
Venue: St Patrick’s Cathedral
Description: Highlights from Les Misérables, Wicked, and Hamilton performed by the Ballarat Symphony, Clarendon College Chorus, and acclaimed soloists.

15:23: A Re-collection of Resistance | Wednesday, 6 August | 10am - 4pm | (Free)
Venue: TBH Studio
Description: An installation marking a 20-year anniversary of escape from coercive control, sharing an experience of insidious mundane horror.

Entertainment & Trivia

Hop Temple Musical Bingo | Thursday, 31 July | ($2)
Venue: Hop Temple
Description: Bingo with a twist every Thursday night, playing favorite new and old school hits instead of numbers. Vouchers and fun games with host Luke.

EM J's Monday Night Trivia | Monday, 4 August | 7pm - 9:30pm | (Free)
Venue: The Cattleyards Inn
Description: Test your wits every Monday night at this trivia adventure through facts and figures. Gather friends for a quest for triumph with great prizes to be won.

Hop Temple Trivia | Wednesday, 6 August | (Free)
Venue: Hop Temple
Description: Ballarat's most entertaining trivia event every Wednesday, with quirky rounds and mini-games. Prizes include beer and vouchers.

EM J's Wednesday Night Trivia | Wednesday, 6 August | 7:30pm - 10pm | (Free)
Venue: The Royal Mail Hotel
Description: Test your wits every Wednesday night at this trivia adventure through facts and figures. Gather friends for a quest for triumph with great prizes.

Wellbeing

Ballarat Support Group - GROW Mental Wellbeing Program | Ongoing | (Free)
Venue: Eastwood Leisure Complex
Description: A proven program for mental wellbeing, offering strategies on how to deal with emotional crisis, manage feelings, and improve relationships.

Nourish: Cacao Circle and Soundbath | Saturday, 2 August | 2pm - 4pm | (Info)
Venue: Wayapurra Hall, Creswick Neighbourhood Centre
Description: A 2-hour container designed to give you space to breathe, settle into stillness and become more grounded with Cacao and healing frequencies.

Mr Perfect - Free Community BBQ for Men | Sunday, 3 August | 10:30am- 12:30pm | (Info)
Venue: Eureka Stockade
Description: This monthly event offers a relaxed space for men to connect, chat, and meet new mates in a supportive environment.

. . .

🎵 Live Music

Please note: Always double-check with venues for any last-minute changes or ticketing requirements.)

Thursday, 31 July 2025

Volta | Ulthar // Jarhead Fertilizer Australian Tour | 7:00pm | ($49.30)
Freight Bar and Rooftop | Hootenanny Up Late - Sinsemillian, Rent is due, Gatling, Daturah | 7:00pm | (Free)

Friday, 1 August 2025

Piano Bar Ballarat | Spice Up Your Night (Spice Girls Tribute) | 6:00pm (doors) | ($35)
Freight Bar & Rooftop | Friday Night Live | 7:00pm | (Free)
Black Hill Hotel | Live Music | 7:30pm | (Free)
The George Hotel | Live Music | 8:00pm | (Free)

Saturday, 2 August 2025

Odessa at Leaver's Hotel | Worn Hands (Single Launch) | 7:00pm
Freight Bar & Rooftop | Rooftop Saturdays: Jake Taylor | 7:00pm | (Free)
The Coolroom & Northern Arts Hotel | TangoMundo: Tribute to Astor Piazzolla | 7:30pm - 10pm
Studio 66 | Black Aces X Luke Harrington And The Hoodoo Heathens | 8:30pm - 11:30pm
Hop Temple | Saturday Live Music | Evening | (Free)
JD'S Bar & Lounge Ballarat | No Scrubs: 90s + Early 00s Party
Piano Bar Ballarat | Piano by Request | After 9:30pm | (Free)

Sunday, 3 August 2025

Hop Temple | Blues, Brews & BBQ: Weekly Blues Session | 1:30pm | (Free)
Old Law Courts | A Month of Sundays - Flinders Quartet | 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Market Hotel | Troy Elliot | 3:00pm | (Free)
Freight Bar & Rooftop | Sunday Sesh: Strovia | 7:00pm | (Free)

Wednesday, 6 August 2025

Theatre Royal | Graeme Connors | 6:30pm

🌤️ Weather

Thursday, 31 July
  3°🌡️11° | 🌥️ | ☔10% | 💨 NW 15–25 km/h

Friday, 1 August
  3°🌡️10° | 🌧️ | ☔35% | 💨 N→NE 15–35 km/h

Saturday, 2 August
  2°🌡️13° | 🌤️ | ☔15% | 💨 NE 25–35 km/h

Sunday, 3 August
  6°🌡️12° | ☀️ | ☔10% | 💨 NW 15–30 km/h

Monday, 4 August
  5°🌡️13° | 🌥️ | ☔10% | 💨 W→NW 20–30 km/h

Tuesday, 5 August
  4°🌡️12° | 🌤️ | ☔15% | 💨 N–NW 15–25 km/h

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Until next Thursday!

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