BENDIGO’S biggest weekend is on again, as the Bendigo Easter Festival comes around for the 138th time.
 The city will come to life for four days, with locals, tourists and those just passing through enjoying everything Bendigo has to offer.
City of Greater Bendigo Major Events and Marketing manager Leanne Rosewall said the festival continued to put the city on the map across the country.
“Easter in Bendigo is well-regarded for many things and the presence of Sun Loong and our Chinese heritage are undoubtedly iconic,” she said.
“Adding to the celebration of this rich heritage, China’s most acclaimed performers will present Spectacular China here in Bendigo.”
The live show will be an added bonus to this year’s festival, offering a taste of the Beijing Olympic Festival with a combination of dance, acrobatics, martial arts and music.
The whole family will be transfixed by the sheer skill from dynasties long gone but not forgotten.  
There are two features that are not to be missed this Easter for children.
On Good Friday, the Coliban Water Family Day at Lake Weeroona will offer entertainment from Mr Whiskers and the Boogie Woogies Superhero Band.  
The traditional Giant Easter Egg Hunt at the lake for 75,000 eggs is also a family favourite.  
“We’ve moved Kidzone back into Rosalind Park this year,” Ms Rosewall said.
“It is sure to be another highlight for kids this Easter in Bendigo.
“The park will be abuzz on Easter Saturday with singing, dancing and puppets.”

Wine lovers head to Castlemaine

IF you feel like something yummy to wash those Easter eggs down with on Sunday, then Castlemaine is the place for you.
The town’s picturesque botanic gardens will host the Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival on Easter Sunday.
The event is in its 17th year, and it is a favourite for many wine enthusiasts.
With more than 30 wineries represented, in many cases by the winemakers themselves, this is a chance to hear about the latest vintage firsthand.
From robust, fully-flavoured, rich ripe reds to elegant whites, the wines from Bendigo’s gold-bearing soils are a wine lover’s treasure. 
The climate and soil of central Victoria, with its deep soils and long hours of summer sun, are ideal for growing Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and the region is famous for its rich deeply flavoured varietal wines.
More than 2000 people make this their annual event.
The day will be filled with live entertainment for the whole family, too. This year performers include The Ugly Uncles featuring ABC Radio personality Derek Guille, the Annemarie Sharry Duo and roving performers Crosswinds.
Local foods will also be displayed and available for purchase. Free buses will operate between Bendigo and Castlemaine and free freight courtesy of Fastway Couriers will be available for wine purchases of more than half a dozen bottles.  
It all kicks off at 11am and continues through to 5pm. Tickets are available on the day, with adult tickets costing $20 which includes tasting tickets, glass and program.
Children under 18 are admitted free and no BYO wines.  For more details visit www.bendigowine.org.au

Rotary Club continues art show tradition

ONE of the Easter Festival’s most popular events celebrates its 40th birthday this year.
The Rotary Club of Bendigo began its art show yesterday, with the event running through to 4pm Monday.
More than 600 pieces from 179 artists from across Australia are on show at the Bendigo Town Hall.
The event has established an element of sophistication over the years, and at times the number of entries reached 1100.
Organiser Brian McMahon said the event was the club’s largest fundraiser for the year.
“We would expect to raise $20,000 this year for local charities,” he said.
   The event began in 1968 at the Conservatory Gardens. For the first few years it was an outdoor event, which presented a few problems when it rained, and for security.
“Rotarians used to have to stand watch overnight,” Mr McMahon said.
“Over the past few years we have been able to have access to experienced curators to assist with the hanging.”
Entry is $5 for adults. Accompanied children under 12 are free.

Brass band in tune

ONE of Australia’s oldest brass bands has joined with a national pop icon to inject more fun and frivolity into this year’s Bendigo Easter Festival parade.
 City of Bendigo Brass Band has been oom-pahing around town since 1882, nine years before the first Easter Fair, and is always seen in the festival’s Easter Monday procession by thousands of people clapping and tapping their toes from the sidelines.
 Pop icon Keith Lamb was born in the home of brass bands England, came to Australia in the early 1970s and formed glamour pop group Hush.
 A regular spectator of the Easter Parade since moving to Bendigo, Mr Lamb was inspired to write a catchy new tune featuring a brass band to give the crowd that something extra.
 He spoke with fellow Kangaroo Flat resident and brass musician Chris Earl who then set about arranging Mr Lamb’s new tune for the instrumentation of a brass band.
Mr Lamb said he called the piece The Bendigo Parade which would have people “whistling, humming and singing the tune long after Sun Loong has passed them by”.
And he promised there would be a few surprises in the performance to make sure a true interactive experience was shared by musicians and the crowd.
Mr Earl said the song was a refreshing addition to brass band parade music.