Skate into the school holidays with Walhalla’s Springfest

The historical township of Walhalla will soon be transformed for Springfest, a 10-day festival of family friendly activities presented by Baw Baw Shire Council in partnership with Destination Gippsland and Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort.  

Kicking off on Friday, 16 September, Springfest will run through until Sunday, 25 September, and see Walhalla play host to a range of exciting festivities including an ice-skating rink, mini laser tag sessions, ghost tours, gold mine tours, Walhalla Goldfields Railway trips and a snowball throwing contest in Stringers Park.  

Click here to book your tickets!

To support, rebuild, and grow the tourism industry in Walhalla and the surrounding Mountain Rivers region, Council has teamed up with Destination Gippsland and Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort to deliver Springfest.  

Visitation to this region was significantly impacted as a result of bushfire events, COVID-19 disruptions and the June 2021 Storm Event. Towns that are normally bustling throughout the peak seasons, instead experienced several business closures and reduction to tourism services, with expenditure in Walhalla alone reduced by 53% compared to the same period in 2019.  

Aiming to kick-start visitation and economic recovery, Springfest is being delivered as part of Baw Baw Shire Council’s Economic Development and Visitor Economy Strategy 2022-2025 with Council contributing $30,000 towards the event. A further $50,000 has been contributed through Emergency Management Victoria recovery funding. 

As the weather warms up there is a buzz around town with tourism operators and businesses eager to welcome visitors from across Baw Baw and beyond to their iconic, historic village for the exciting event.  

Naomi Brosnan, manager at The Corner Store and Museum in Walhalla, was one of the operators who engaged with Council earlier this year, expressing interest in an event and the opportunity to increase visitation again.  

“Emerging from the challenges of the past two years, our town is really looking forward to Springfest and welcoming visitors to this spectacular part of the world."  

"There is more than meets the eye here in Walhalla, and one day just simply isn't enough time to explore the town and take in all its attractions. Through this event, we hope to encourage visitors to stay a few nights so they can delve into historical significance of the town and have a greater understanding of its beauty.”  

To further support and help rebuild tourism in the area, Council has invested $70,000 through Bushfire Recovery Victoria funding for a state-wide marketing campaign in partnership with Destination Gippsland to showcase the iconic region.  

The campaign, Build your own adventure in Walhalla and Mountain Rivers, provides a series of itineraries, offering a range of activities and attractions to explore depending on interests and travel requirements. The campaign also includes accommodation options that encourages visitors to consider extending their stay when visiting the region for events like Springfest.  

To learn more about this campaign, go to: Build your own adventure in Walhalla and Mountain Rivers.  

Quote attributable to CEO Mark Dupe 

“The tourism industry in Walhalla and Mountain Rivers has been one of the hardest hit areas, having been directly impacted with business closures and the decrease in visitation numbers over the past few years.  

Through the delivery of Springfest, Council has worked closely with many tourism operators who are keen to come together to deliver events like this that showcase the region and its unique and exciting experiences.  

Together with Destination Gippsland and Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort, we’re thrilled to host Springfest and look forward to welcoming many people from across Baw Baw and the state to our region this Spring!”