Canberra is the place to be this winter with a brand-new winter festival at the National Arboretum and the return of Winter in the City, bringing colour, community and fire to Canberra's colder months.
The inaugural Winter in the Woods festival will run from 26 June to 9 August with firelight, food and forest adventure. Complementing the city's winter programming, it combines free, self-guided experiences including Warm Trees and a family-friendly Winter Wildlife Quest, with a program of bookable workshops, guided tours and First Nations-led experiences. These are alongside school holiday and evening activities with fire pits and an outdoor food hub. For more details visit the National Arboretum Canberra.
Winter in the Woods complements Canberra's broader winter events lineup, including the popular Winter in the City event, which returns from 8 to 18 July with a completely free and family-friendly program of school holiday entertainment. The ten-day event will feature 40 exhilarating circus and fire performances on a 14-metre wide, purpose-built stage on City Walk next to the Civic merry-go-round.
With performances scheduled in the late afternoon and evening, Canberrans and visitors are invited to explore the city and enjoy a cosy night out. A wide range of places to shop, dine and enjoy can be found alongside the full program at InTheCity.com.au.
Visitors can also enjoy a new round of activities funded through the Business Activation Grants program across the city centre. From 22 June to 31 August, a range of local businesses will deliver a diverse and extended trading program including live music, performances and laneway food.
These activations are designed to provide more reasons to visit the city centre throughout winter, with full details continuing to be published on InTheCity.com.au.
The ACT Government continues to invest in events that support our visitor economy and encourage more people to experience Canberra throughout the year.
Quote attributable to Chief Minister Andrew Barr:
"We're redefining winter in Canberra, with Winter in the Woods delivering an entirely new experience at the Arboretum.
"This is about bringing people to Canberra, driving visitation, boosting local business and giving visitors more reasons to stay longer.
"From fire shows in the city to immersive experiences in the forest, we're lighting up winter and putting Canberra on show."
Quote attributable to Stuart Jeffress, Executive Branch Manager, National Arboretum Canberra:
"Winter is a special time at the Arboretum, and this program connects visitors with nature and culture in new ways, from art workshops set within the forest to accessible bus tours into our southern and western plantings, revealing the scale and diversity of our 250-hectare site.
"It's an opportunity to experience a different side of the Arboretum and spend time here across the season, whether visiting during the day or after dark."
Quote attributable to Jennifer Ramsay, Executive Group Manager Enabling Operations, City Renewal Authority:
"Winter in the City will bring an exciting line-up of internationally renowned performers and spectacular free shows into the heart of our city centre.
"We're inviting Canberrans and visitors to come into the city these school holidays to enjoy an afternoon or evening of free entertainment, support a local business and discover everything the city has to offer. Businesses in the city centre and Braddon can also submit an expression of interest to be included in the event's marketing campaign."
