Major events
Mildura has a busy calendar of arts, gourmet, sporting and musical events. Find out about some annual events you can't afford to miss:
Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival
2 March-11 March
The Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival is one of Australia's leading regional arts festivals and has been recognised with major Festiva Status by Arts Victoria. The Festival offers a rich and vibrant program of visual and performing arts, workshops, theatre, Big Screen outdoor cinema, music, exhibitions, parades and comedy - all in a diverse range of venues that showcase the unique landscapes, natural beauty and rich heritage of the Mildura district. The Mardi Gras Parade is on Saturday 3 March and Music Under the Stars with Mark Seymour is Saturday 10 March.
Sustainable Sunraysia Festival
17 March
The Sustainable Sunraysia Festival (SSF) will be a series of events to provide the community access to a wide range of sustainable living exhibitors and businesses, presentations and interactive workshops including renewable energy systems, home and garden design, greener cars, building materials, water saving technologies and education. The SSF is held biennially in Mildura, to promote, engage, challenge and inspire our community to embrace sustainable technology and practices that compliment and enhance our modern society and way of life.
Red Cliffs Lunarfest
24 March
This is an annual event that brings the community together and encourages positive social interaction, providing a forum for innovative expression of local talents by providing opportunitiesin a themed Street Parade. There will be stage entertainment and various stalls. The event is designed to appeal to all ages, incorporating a variety of programs featuring locl talent including schools, brass band, country music, Tongan performers and other feature artists.
Mallee 4WD Easter Extravaganza
6-8 April
A large 4WD event conducting tag-along tours in the National Parks and Deserts surrounding Murrayville over the Easter weekend. The tours will be held on the Saturday and Sunday providing visitors the option to choose two different tours. The tours will be covering areas North and South of Murrayville and as far as the VIC/SA border to the West and Linga to the East. It will showcase the area, giving history of the places and showing off the large array of flora and fauna. Registration at Murrayville Recreation Reserve (Friday 4pm-9pm). Tours, meals and entertainment (Saturday & Sunday 8am-11pm). For more information contact 0418 808 279.
Easter Powersports
6-8 April
Good Friday Show & Shine. Motocross bikes, cars, drag racers and ski race boats. Entertainment for the whole family. Meet the competitors. Over the weekend you can watch the Mildura 100 Ski Race with over a 100 kilometres from the Mildura Ski Club to Wicketts Sandbar and return. Each boat tows skiers with top superclass entrants exceeding speeds of over 180kph. You can also witness Australia's best Doorslammers and super charged outlaws drag race event or you may like to see the bikes leap into action at Olympic Park. See some of Australia's hottest motorcross and jumps riders tackle the permanent track all under lights with a 15 lap final. Late Models and the Australian Modified Sedan Titles take play at Timmis Speedway where there is $10,000 up for grabs.
Locations: Various
Mildura & Wentworth Easter Rowing Regattas
7-8 April
The Mildura Rowing Club is hosting its 89th annual regatta and has a proud history of being part fo the sporting community for over 100 years. Wentworth Rowing Club having an equally lengthly association with their township. Both clubs have continued to promote the sport of rowing in the Sunraysia area for its physical, social and community attributes. Rowing Clubs visiting from far away enjoy the weekend immensely and return to the region annually to compete in the event.
Locations: Saturday: Henley on the Murray, Hugh King Drive and Sunday: Henley on the Darling, Darling Street
Mildura Pacing Cup Carnival
10, 12 & 14 April
Victoria's most popular racing carnival and no doubt on eof the best harness racing events in Australia. This event is recognised country wide.
Hattah Desert Race
7-8 July
It is a Junior and Senior Desert Race held annually. It is now classed as the 2nd largest off-road Desert Race next to the Finke. It attracts the best enduro and motocross riders in Australia. It also attracts overseas riders. The race is fought over eight laps of a gruelling 35km loop through unique Mallee scrub land which includes everything from tight, technical sections winding through trees to wide open blasts through open paddocks and sand hills. Friday 6 July, 5.30pm-10.00pm is a meet and greet in Langtree Avenue.
Mildura Writers' Festival
19-22 July
The Mildura Writers' Festival brings together some of Australia's best writers in an intimate, winter program of workshops, lectures and discussio forums. This event has evolved to be acclaimed to be among the finest literary festivals in the country, not only because of its literary pleasures, but also because of the talent it attracts and its atmosphere of conviviality showcasing the local and regional gourmet food and wine.
Locations: Various
Camp Oven Cook Off
22 July
The Koorlong Camp Oven Cook Off (COCO) is an annual event that was created in 2008 as a joint initiative of the Koorlong Public Hall Committee and Koorlong Hall Social Club. The Koorlong COCO is a competition requiring teams to create a three course meal from scratch to be served to the public for a fee. The Hall Committee supply each team with a budget to buy provisions and meals are judged accordingly so that a winner is determined.
Location: Koorlong Public Hall, Benetook Avenue