In the midst of winter, you might think there’s nothing better to do than snuggling up in your favourite blanket with a hot drink while binge-watching your favourite show. But as great as that sounds, we’ve got something even better in mind. Let Spoon help you have your best winter yet—here’s a list of 5 Melbourne food festivals from July until August you for sure need to mark in your calendar.
1. Bastille Day French Festival
July 15 – 16, 2017 | 10am – 5pm | Meat Market, North Melbourne
Bastille Day celebrates a turning point for French revolution, and they are honouring this glorious day right here in Melbourne with—what else?—a food festival.
For a small entry fee of $2, enjoy brioche, croissants and French pastries while also treating yourself with fancy French wine to celebrate French culture. Bastille Day French Festival does not only provide you with authentic French food and drinks, they also sell a variety of French goodies and have conferences, masterclasses and workshops to give you the maximum taste of France. Save the date and be sure to not miss this!
2. Ballarat Winter Festival
July 1 – 30, 2017 | Ballarat, Melbourne
Ballarat Winter Festival is the perfect food festival to help you experience Ballarat’s winter wonderland. There are tons of cafes, restaurants and gastro pubs to choose from. Throughout the month of July, Ballarat presents different kinds of food events including winter beer tastings, truffle dishes class and Alpine winter dinner—check out the link above to check the dates for each.
There are also fun activities you can participate in with your family and friends including ice skating, watching knights joust with flaming sticks, entering a frozen forest, seeing penguins and so much more! It’s a totally magical experience.
3. Batman Night Market
July 22 & August 12, 2017 | 4 – 10 pm | Batman Market, Coburg
Make sure you come to this one with an empty tummy, because you’re going to need a lot of room for all that the Batman Night Market has to offer.
Here you’ll find heaps of food trucks selling all different types of cuisines: Chinese, South East Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, European, and more! You’ll be in North Coburg, but your tastebuds will be all around the world. This market also has fun and quirky snacks and desserts that’ll melt in your mouth and rack up the likes on Insta. There’s even live music for you to enjoy. How much more could you ask for?
4. Winter Night Market
July 5 – August 30, 2017 | 5 – 10 pm | Queen Victoria Market
Your festival experience would not be complete without dropping in on the iconic Winter Night Markets at the Queen Victoria Market. These are on every Wednesday night until the end of August. The market hosts designer stalls, live music, cool performances, fortune tellers, glowing neon lights and more than 30 street food vendors. There will be tacos, fondues, snack packs, churros, wine, and tons of other goodies!
Trust me, they’ve got everything from A to Z. Fun and delicious combined, the Winter Night Markets has to be every foodie’s ritual during the winter season.
5. Hot Chocolate Festival
August 1 – August 30, 2017 | 9 am – 5 pm | Yarra Glen
Something exciting is on its way! End your winter break and start the semester with a sweet bang at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery’s Hot Chocolate Festival that will be on every single day throughout August. Eight new, exciting flavours will be introduced each week and you can try them all by joining their tasting sessions. Expect your favourite classic flavours—Nutella, brownie, cookies & cream—as well as interesting new ones like maple syrup, salted caramel popcorn, and even bacon.
Yarra Valley is a bit of a journey out of Melbourne (around an hour’s drive), but it is definitely worth the distance! In addition to the chocolate goodness happening next month, you will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the Valley that will no doubt end up on your Instagram.
Tell your warm blanket and Netflix subscription brb, have your cash ready, and call your besties, because your winter break is about to be much more festive!