Celebrate the sights, sounds & tastes of springtime in Canberra

27 Jul 2022

If you’re looking for an ideal spring getaway, look no further than the nation’s capital. Here we explore how to celebrate the sights, sounds and tastes of spring on a trip to Canberra…

FLORIADE: AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF SPRING

There’s no bigger celebration of spring in Australia than the annual Floriade (Saturday 17 September to Sunday 16 October 2022), a renowned flower and entertainment festival held in Canberra's Commonwealth Park on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Featuring extensive displays of flowering bulbs with integrated sculptures and other artistic elements, Floriade – which comes from the Latin word ‘floriat’ meaning to design with flowers – is always a highlight of the national festival calendar.

The theme this year is the ‘Sounds of Spring’. Visitors will enjoy a vibrant tapestry of over a million blooms set to a soundtrack of diverse musical performances in a new and exciting program. Community groups and organisations will also help splash colour across Canberra’s town centres and suburbs with 300,000 bulbs and annuals made available to plant and enjoy. Keep an eye out for more information on the much-loved ‘NightFest’, a special program of after-dark illuminations and entertainment.

CONNECTION: SONGLINES FROM AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES 

Don’t miss the world premiere of ‘Connection: Songlines from Australia’s First Nations Peoples’ (National Museum of Australia, 8 June to 9 October 2022), a first-of-its-kind art experience celebrating the spirit of Indigenous Australia. The multi-sensory exhibition features artworks from over 70 traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, all transformed by 360-degree large-scale projections and cutting-edge light and sound technology to create a uniquely powerful and immersive storytelling experience.

NATIONAL ARBORETUM CANBERRA

Spring is a lovely time to visit the Molonglo Valley district’s National Arboretum Canberra, a mosaic of living forests and gardens offering breathtaking views and a variety of splendid experiences. With over 44,000 rare and endangered trees across a 250-hectare site featuring 20km of walking trails, a serene pond, a labyrinth and sculptures throughout, the Arboretum combines natural beauty, conservation, scientific research, education, tourism and recreation into one unique destination. Keen gardeners will particularly appreciate the main highlight – the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection. You can even take a guided bus tour of the site for a more relaxing day out.

TRUFFLE FESTIVAL, CANBERRA REGION

Technically it comes to an end just before the start of spring, but if you’re travelling to the ACT anytime up to Saturday 20 August, enjoy the wonderful Truffle Festival, Canberra Region 2022. The annual festival celebrates the black truffle harvest by bringing together truffle growers – not to mention other premium food and beverage producers – to showcase the exceptional gourmet products available on Canberra’s doorstep. Canberra is the only capital in the world where truffles are grown adjacent to the city, so they can be harvested and served at restaurants within a few hours. In addition to truffle tastings, you’ll also have the chance to experience different festivities like hunting with truffle dogs, cooking demonstrations, and growing and storing workshops.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

Springtime in Canberra is traditionally a peak visitation period for the Australian War Memorial, so be sure to pre-book your free timed tickets to guarantee entry to the Memorial Galleries, and separately to attend the Last Post Ceremony. The Australian War Memorial is currently modernising and expanding its galleries to better tell Australia’s continuing story of service and sacrifice.

During this transformation of the Memorial, visitors are advised to expect some disruption such as construction noise, changed traffic management, limited coach parking, and reduced access to some galleries and exhibitions. However, iconic areas of the Memorial will remain accessible including: Aircraft Hall, Hall of Valour, First and Second World War Galleries, and the Commemorative Area which includes the Hall of Memory, Roll of Honour and Pool of Reflection.

For groups of 10 people or more, if you haven’t already done so, you can register your intention to visit over this period by emailing [email protected] which will help manage capacity from anticipated groups.