Virtual events across Victoria to help get you through the rest of lockdown
From online marketplaces to festivals and workshops, there are dozens of ways to enjoy all corners of Victoria over the next few weeks without leaving your house.
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Metro Melburnians likely still face at least a few weeks of being restricted to their 5km zone.
And even for regional Victorians already enjoying a relative taste of freedom, being able to enjoy large-scale events is probably a fair way off.
But the silver lining is that some of the events and activities we’ve come to know and love are still within reach — at least in a virtual sense.
Whether you are missing winery tours, music festivals or just meandering through market stalls, many Victorian producers and operators are offering a multitude of online ways to get your fix during lockdown and beyond.
Here’s a rundown of the events, workshops and marketplaces that will keep you going over the next couple of months.
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CULINARY MASTERCLASSES, TASTINGS AND TOURS
Bass and Flinders Distillery At Home Gin Experiences
Mornington Peninsula’s award-winning Bass and Flinders Distillery has found innovative ways to keep production going and its team employed.
As well as helping the healthcare industry meet demand for hand sanitiser, the family-owned business also launched At Home Gin Experiences.
“Bass and Flinders Distillery wanted to help friends and family connect during isolation and bring enjoyment in the form of virtual tastings hosted by a Bass and Flinders gin expert,” head distiller and managing director Holly Klintworth says.
Pre-lockdown, the ever-popular gin masterclasses had been drawing a steady crowd, giving participants the opportunity to learn about the art of gin, blend their own recipe and take home a 500ml bottle of bespoke gin.
Lockdown saw the creation of the “At Home Gin Masterclass Kit, complete with blending tools, native botanicals, instructions and a video tutorial” and “the experience of learning how to craft a unique gin recipe and submit this to the distillery for bottling can now all be done online”, Holly says.
The masterclasses are held Friday mornings, Saturday mornings and afternoons, and most Sunday mornings.
While nothing quite compares to enjoying a cocktail overlooking the Mornington Peninsula’s picturesque green pastures, the distillery plans to continue its at-home tastings and virtual experiences for people all over Australia.
Fossey’s Gin
This family owned and operated boutique distillery in Mildura handcrafts its distilled spirits using Australian botanicals (red gum rum, anyone?) and locally sourced products.
It is showcasing its delicious gin, whisky and vodka drops further afield through live tastings on Facebook. Play along at home by buying a tasting pack in advance.
The next sessions are on October 14 and 28 from 6pm. But if you miss the live tastings, never fear, you can always watch the replays on its Facebook page later.
facebook.com/FosseysDistillery
The Atlas Masterclass
Give your tastebuds an international culinary adventure thanks to weekly live cooking classes run by Atlas head chef Charlie Carrington.
Ingredients for three dishes, along with step-by-step tutorials, are delivered to your door.
Boxes cater for one to six people (with vegetarian options available), and a new cuisine is featured each week.
Sauces and marinades are included, so meals take less than 30 minutes to whip up.
Hop It At Home
Hop on, hop off tours are a fantastic way to discover Victoria’s wine regions and producers, and now you can join them from home.
These virtual tours allow you to explore wineries, chocolatiers, distilleries and more, and talk to the makers themselves during guided tastings over Zoom.
You will get try-at-home packs beforehand, so you can get a real-life taste of the tour.
Private virtual experiences can also be arranged, perfect for a get-together, birthday or date night with a twist.
Katrina Pizzini’s Art of Gnocchi Making
Katrina Pizzini has been running classes for 11 years at her A tavola! Cooking School at Whitfield’s Pizzini Wines, but was forced to take her classes online when COVID-19 hit.
She says she NOW regularly gets eight to 10 households from all over Australia for each of her virtual classes.
Participants receive a delivered box of ingredients including homegrown potatoes, homemade produce, a potato ricer and two Pizzini wines to match the meal.
Katrina then guides them through every step of the gnocchi-making process via a Zoom call.
Pizzini’s gnocchi classes are part of High Country at Home, a series of Zoom workshops run by operators in Victoria’s northeast. Other classes have included Bright Brewery beer tastings and The Spa Beechworth’s spa therapy lessons.
Products and produce from more than 100 businesses are also showcased on the High Country at Home online marketplace. Restrictions permitting, the La Dolce Vita Wine and Food Festival will also offer a taste of the King Valley from November 21-22.
ONLINE EVENTS
Yarra Valley Garden Party, October 2-4
What better way to celebrate spring than with a garden party? This virtual event celebrates everything that is great about the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, from food to wine, music and its gardens.
Join a yoga class set in the beautiful Alowyn Gardens, watch a Facebook livestream or sample the region’s award-winning wines.
Create the ultimate spring gathering at home with a Garden Party pack comprising of six wines, decorations, recipes, music ideas, and more.
visityarravalley.com.au/yarra-valley-garden-party
WAMA Nature Nurturing Art Virtual Exhibition, until Oct 16
Grampians eco-tourism destination project WAMA presents Nature Nurturing Art, a virtual exhibition by artists from across Australia inspired by the natural world. Exhibits range from botanical art to abstraction, from photography and painting to sculpture and jewellery.
Yarra Valley Online Opera Festival, October 16-25
Enjoy a quirky and contemporary program of livestreamed, recorded performances and international collaborations as Australia’s only international opera festival makes its online debut.
Includes a gala-at-home, Q&A-style forum, podcast and GO Zoom Room, where festival artists, crew and company drop in to “hang out” and chat.
The Great Australian Craft Show, October 19-25
Tap into your crafty festive spirit. The Christmas Spectacular-themed event replicates a live craft show with a huge range of classes and exhibitors running virtual demonstrations, event specials and online chats.
Curious Creatures Wild Minds | Children’s Book Week Trivia Night, October 21
As part of Book Week, East Gippsland Art Gallery and the Children’s Book Council of Australia are inviting children to create a curious creature mask that displays their “wild side” and to show it off during a Zoom trivia evening.
It is just one event in the gallery’s Creative At Home series, a range of fun and innovative activities to whet kids’ artistic appetites.
eastgippslandartgallery.org.au/creativeathome
Carwyn Collaborational International Beer Festival, October 24
Thornbury bottle shop Caryn Cellars will make its inaugural Collaborational beer festival one to remember.
The family-owned outfit has teamed up with 22 craft breweries including Boatrocker in Braeside, Mr Banks in Seaford and Deeds Brewing in Glen Iris to create a virtual festival of guided tasting sessions, brewer interviews, guided brewery tours and more.
Order your Collaborational at Home Beer Box, with 11 specially crafted festival beers, glass and festival booklet, and drink to some of the world’s most talented brewers.
carwyncellars.com.au/collaborational
Seriously Shiraz Festival, October 29-30
The annual celebration moves to an exciting new format for 2020. The virtual tastings, hosted by the National Wine Centre, take you on a wine journey through the region giving you the opportunity to meet and learn from some of Australia’s best winemakers. Experience and explore Grampians shiraz on one of three tasting adventures.
National Benalla Short Film Festival, November 7
In its sixth year, this locally funded short film festival heads online with 12 short films ranging from two to 14 minutes.
Actress Krista Vendy and actors Tony Bonner and John Orcsik judge this year’s films, which will be shown in an encore screening at Swanpool Community Theatre once restrictions are lifted.
Melbourne Fringe Festival, November 12-29
Set to be Victoria’s first major festival for the year, Melbourne Fringe celebrates Australia’s independent art scene.
This year’s program tunes into a digital audience, featuring performances, shows and sessions you can enjoy and join from the comfort of home.
Check the Fringe website for this year’s innovative program.
Melbourne Fashion Week, November 23-29
Always moving with the times, the Melbourne Fashion Week runway is taking its trends online for the first time as part of a reimagined program.
Tune in to support local designers and retailers at the forefront of fashion and style.
Healesville Music Festival, November 28-29
Music lovers are still able to enjoy tunes from singer-songwriters such as Michael Waugh, The Weeping Willows, Tuck Shop Ladies and Liam Gerner, with the free festival livestreamed via Facebook. Includes performances across various music genres and workshops such as ukulele-making.
healesvillemusicfestival.com.au
Watts River live music sessions, every Friday from 6pm
Kick off your weekend with a live music fix by heading to Watts River Brewing’s Facebook page.
The family-owned Healesville brewery has partnered with a range of local musicians to stream music live, and free, from 6pm each Friday.
The brewery has also been collaborating with local B&B Kangaroo Ridge Retreat for monthly “Wednesday Winos”, a virtual showcase of Yarra Valley and regional Victorian wines and beers that people can taste along at home.
facebook.com/wattsriverbrewing
Macedon Ranges Sustainable Living Virtual Festival, until September 2021
The festival goes virtual for a year to showcase great tips and solutions. Real-time webinars and presentations, as well as guides and training videos are on offer.
The event includes mini on-site festival days, with up to six businesses exhibiting at each Woodend Community Farmers’ Market from October to December.
Phillip Island Nature Parks Live Penguin TV
A highlight of any trip to Phillip Island is watching its fairy penguins waddle to shore after a long day at sea. Now you can view the spectacle from your lounge room for free every night. Tune into Phillip Island Nature Parks’ Facebook page or YouTube channel at sunset.
penguins.org.au/virtual/live-penguin-tv
Mass Isolation Australia
Love it or loathe it, isolation has become one of the hallmark features of this year. So the Ballarat International Foto Biennale is partnering with FORMAT International Photography Festival and Gallery of Photography Ireland to create a visual record of the COVID-19 crisis. Contribute your photos to an online archive of this unparalleled year, in a free project that is open to all across the world.
ballaratfoto.org/massisolationaus
The Golden Pantomime, Art Gallery of Ballarat
Painter and printmaker Madeleine Cruise and ceramist Ruby Pilven present The Golden Pantomime, a bold and vibrant celebration of domestic spaces and the rituals of everyday life. While in-person viewings are currently paused at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, you can view and buy works online until the gallery reopens in line with the easing of restrictions. artgalleryofballarat.com.au
Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion exhibition, Bendigo Art Gallery
When restrictions ease, why not head to Bendigo for a visual fashion feast.
Check out the vibrant Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion exhibition at Bendigo
Art Gallery.
The exhibition celebrates Indigenous art, history and culture through the lens of contemporary fashion. It is the first major survey of contemporary Indigenous Australian fashion to be undertaken in the country.
The exhibition is due to open mid-October, but check online to confirm dates due to changing restrictions.
SUPPORT VICTORIAN BUSINESS: Get your 24-page Click for Vic magazine in tomorrow’s Herald Sun.
ONLINE MARKETPLACES
For now, most of us can only dream of scouring farmers’ markets, boutiques and providores.
To help fill the void — and more importantly, to support local producers and makers — explore any of the online marketplaces offering an array of goodies from food to homewares and fashion.
Click for Vic
Whether it is meals, produce, drinks, gifts or chocolate, have goods delivered from venues, producers, growers and artisans from across the state.
This site showcases a curated selection of the best local products and experiences, and connects you with the makers.
Providoor
If you are hanging out for a restaurant meal, Providoor puts Melbourne’s best chefs at your fingertips. Order chef-prepared dishes from top restaurants such as Maha Go, Flower Drum, Movida, Lucy Liu and Cumulus Inc.
They will deliver ready-to-go meals to suburbs within 35km of the CBD, so all you need to do is add the finishing touches, heat and serve.
Choose from individual dishes, banquets or set menus, or get everything you need to join one of the site’s weekly live cooking classes. Gift vouchers are also available.
Co-Lab Pantry
Pantry staples from some of Victoria’s most popular eateries, bars and producers include Entrecôte’s secret herb and butter sauce, Fancy Hank’s Original BBQ Sauce and Piccolina Gelateria’s Ice Magic along with ready-made meals.
Victorian Country Market
Shop at more than 300 online market stalls from every region across Victoria. Stock up on vegetables, dairy, meat, beer, wine, spirits, arts, crafts and homewares. It’s no secret our producers have had a tough year — it’s time for you to lend a helping hand.
The Loddon Shed
A virtual hub of high-quality artisan products from Central Victoria’s Loddon Valley, with everything from jams and oils to teas, wines, skincare and grass-fed meats available.
Virtual Craft Markets
Miss meandering through your favourite craft markets? This virtual directory brings together stallholders registered with Craft Markets Australia. Search by product, business name or category, then connect with traders directly.
Eat Drink West
This directory of like-minded food and drink producers and sellers celebrates the growing sustainable food industry based across Western Victoria. Connect with bakeries, distilleries, wineries, organic farmers and more.
The Regional Pantry
Make a beeline for this one-stop shop to get your hands on favourites from the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. New products and produce are added daily. Think wines from the likes of Kellybrook, Zonzo and Soumah, as well as fresh Yarra Valley Dairy cheeses, delectable Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery treats, and an array of other goodies. You can also book experiences such as Zoom cellar door tastings, or pick up a garden party pack and tune into their virtual weekend of activities on Facebook, including cocktail classes and sourdough tips.
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