Bring in the Year of the Tiger with a weekend of great food, decorations, workshops, music and twilight festivities.
Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is one of the most significant holidays on the calendar in South-East Asia. Usually falling on the second new moon after the winter solstice, in 2022 Lunar New Year happened on Tuesday 1 February, when revellers brought in the Year of the Tiger.
To mark the time of reunion and rebirth, Victoria’s iconic living museum, Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill on Wadawurrung Country, is celebrating the goldfields’ rich Chinese history this Lunar New Year with a food festival fit for an emperor. Held in collaboration with the Chinese Australia Cultural Society – Ballarat, the weekend of 5 – 6 February will see a riot of colour, noise and movement as the Year of the Tiger is welcomed with a bang.
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Bristling with multi-cultural life, Sovereign Hill’s iconic streetscape will come alive with Chinese lantern decorations, lion dancing, parades, outdoor activities, music and an abundance of Chinese inspired food created by the renowned Peter Rowland Group.
Trudi Gray, Head Chef at Peter Rowland Group at Sovereign Hill, has infused her own history and heritage into this year’s Lunar New Year menu. Trudi’s grandfather was born in Hong Kong and Chinese food and family banquets have been part of her life for as long as she can remember. Having worked in Asia, learning from local chefs, Trudi mastered the skills, techniques and special flavours that now layer her own cooking.
With celebrations running across the weekend, SH will be ppen until 9pm on Saturday 5 January, allowing visitors to experience all Sovereign Hill’s much-loved experiences during the daytime and bring in the Year of the Tiger with a feast of flavour in the evening.
Head to Main Street in the evening for ‘LNY@Night’ and indulge your cravings. Think steamed dumplings, roast pork buns and classic sweet tarts. Then for a more substantial second course, head further up the street to the Universal Transit Office or Charlie Napier’s Hotel, venture inside and choose from a range of delicious noodle and rice dishes to take you to the goldfields of old.
If you prefer a unique, sit-down dining experience, the New York Bakery is hosting a Lunar New Year Banquet on Saturday 5 February with pre-booking and payment of tickets required to secure a limited place at the table. The banquet will celebrate the culinary traditions that Chinese migrants brought to their new home with a moving feast of soup, starters, roasted and traditionally prepared meats, fish, rice, desserts and a range of classic Chinese teas to choose from.
And, in a delicious culinary twist, Sovereign Hill’s Hope Bakery and New York Bakery will be baking a Chinese-inspired pie, available for a limited time only, from late January until the conclusion of the Lunar New Year festival. The Chinese Char Siu pie delivers a flourish of flavour, and is chock-full of Char Siu pork, bok choy, mushrooms, baby corn and with a sprinkling of good year luck, it is sure to be a roaring success.
Sounds absolutely delicious!
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Visit the website for information and bookings about Sovereign Hill’s Lunar New Year Festival and Summer Series.
