Community
23 June, 2023
Winter Solstice fun this weekend
OVER 2300 people have pre-registered their free tickets for this weekend’s Solstice Search Party.
To be held tomorrow (Saturday) in the Warrnambool Botanic Gardens, the event looks set to be one of the biggest on the winter calendar and organisers are encouraging everyone planning on attending to pre-register if possible.
To celebrate winter solstice and the darkest time of the year, the event will feature all-new neon sculptures from artist Carla O’Brien as well as light installations and activities from local creatives Karen Thompson, One Day Studios and Nurture in Nature.
There will also be live music and food trucks on-site, with everyone encouraged to rug up and embrace the benefits of an early sunset.
“Bring your scarves, your beanies, your warm gloves, and your sense of adventure because you’ll need them all,” Warrnambool mayor Cr Debbie Arnott said.
“Your boldness in the face of the cold weather will be rewarded with what will be an incredible celebration of light and colour.
“The lights will be switched on from 3.15pm until 9pm, so youngsters can get in early, but the real magic starts after about 5.30pm when the sun goes down and the lights will look their best.”
This event has been put together by Warrnambool City Council’s events team, and the best way residents and visitors can show their appreciation is by pre-booking their free tickets – and cancelling them if you are no longer able to attend.
“This really helps with planning on the night, and goes a long way to making sure they have the infrastructure needed to help everyone have a good time.”
And to help people get to and from the event safely, Botanic Road will be closed between Queens Road and St Joseph’s Primary School from 12 noon until 10.30pm on Saturday.
The St Joseph’s carpark will still be accessible via Bromfield Street. Cr Arnott also reminded everyone that the award-winning Solstice Searching scavenger hunt is on tonight (Friday), with a free face painter on the Civic Green, fully stocked with glow-in-the-dark paint, a new addition to the fun.
“Neon sculptures will be hidden throughout Warrnambool, with participants needing to solve a series of cryptic, but not too difficult, clues to find them all.
Anyone who does can go in the draw to win a prize,” she said.
“What started as an ingenious response to COVID-19 restrictions is now a highlight of our events calendar.
“The clues will be posted on the council website and social media pages from 4pm today (Friday), with the lights to stay on until 9pm.”
For more information on both events, and to register for your free tickets, visit www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/winter.
