From ghosts to sausages: The 6 festivals to get to this spring

It’s springtime, and that means sunny days wandering through markets, sampling gozleme and gelato at food stalls and chilling out to local musicians’ beats.

It’s fair season, and boy, are we glad it’s here.

To celebrate, we’ve rounded up the six coolest fairs across Australia to check out this spring.

The William Street Festival - for the trendy

Saturday 19 October, 11am-8pm, William Street and Victoria St Paddington, Sydney, NSW.

• Free.

Lined with boutique fashion stores, indie cinemas and funky wine bars, Sydney’s Paddington oozes cool.

The William Street Festival is no different, celebrating food, fashion, specialty retail, community and music.

That means you should expect to browse designer gowns from Paddington’s famous shops before grabbing a bite at Paddington restaurant Barbetta’s stall.

For the kids, there will be a Taronga Zoo-mobile full of furry and scaly critters, and for the big kids, The William Street Festival will for the first time transform Victoria St into a Springtime Laneway Party.

Then, soak up the afternoon rays while enjoying a ‘Midsummer Solstice’ drink from Hendrick’s Bar.

Canberra Nara Candle Festival - for the ‘gram

Saturday 27 October, 4pm-9pm Canberra Nara Peace Park and Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla, Canberra, ACT.

• Free.

Celebrating Canberra’s Sister City relationship with Nara, Japan, this festival is one of the most beautiful you could check out this spring.

This festival mirrors the Nara ‘Tokae’ festival held in Nara’s parks and world heritage sites throughout August every year. The word ‘to-ka’ describes the shape of flower petals that sometimes forms around the wick of a candle when it is lit, with ‘to-ka’ representing good fortune.

Three thousand candles will be lit in Canberra this year to celebrate the cities’ 25-year history. While the thousands of lanterns bathe the park in candlelight, you can nibble on some Japanese treats and participate in cultural activities like calligraphy, origami and lantern-making.

If you feel like something more action-packed, check out the martial arts demonstrations and music.

VeganFest Tasmania - for vegans, or foodies looking for something new

Sunday 3 November, 10am-4pm, Kingborough Community Hub, Hobart, Tasmania.

• Free.

Looking to try something new? Why not some plant-based cheese or a decadent vegan dessert?

VeganFest Tasmania showcases the vegan lifestyle with food stalls, cooking demos and speakers.

Sip on some vegan wine from the Coal River Valley’s Wobbly Boot Vineyard and try on some animal-friendly threads from Hey Blue Clothing and Vegan Scout.

Hungry? Munch on a vegan burger from Harissa.

The Festival of Snags - for the sausage lovers

Saturday 30 November, 12pm-10pm, Mudgee Showground (entry via Douro Street), Mudgee, NSW.

• Free.

Some of us love pizzas, others like burgers; but some just can’t go past the classic snag. If you identify with that group, The Festival of Snags in Mudgee is right up your alley.

The NSW town is hosting this festival for the first time after it was named the number one Foodie Destination in Australia and won Wotif’s Festival of Wot? Competition.

This festival celebrates the humble sausage as well as Mudgee’s local wine and produce.

And if you’re after some sausage fun, try your hand at the gladiator snag battles, sausage tossing and giant inflatable sausage races.

Helping out a region struggling with drought is another reason to pay a visit to the festival, said Mayor of mid-western Regional Council Des Kennedy.

“The announcement couldn’t come at a better time and will provide our region with a lift as we continue to manage through these tough times of drought.”

Champagne Fest - for the party-lovers

Saturday 27 October, 11am-5pm, National Wine Centre, Cnr of Botanic and Hackney Road, Adelaide, South Australia.

• $25 - $200.

If there’s one way to kick-off the festive season, it would be a champagne festival with wine, music and seafood.

Adelaide’s ChampagneFest is just that. The ticketed festival offers attendees the chance to sample Sparkling Wine from Europe, America and Australia along with fresh seafood and local produce.

Brian Ruiz and Entertainment Adelaide will keep attendees dancing, while Champagne Fest masterclasses offer the curious a chance to learn more about bubbly.

In these, a sommelier and panel of Adelaide’s best wine makers will share their thoughts and lessons on different producers. These masterclasses are available for $75 and above, while the $25 general admission ticket gives attendees an $8 credit to use towards purchases throughout the day. Champagne and sparkling tastings are also available for $2.

Fisher’s Ghost Street Fair - for the history buffs

Friday 1 November - Sunday 10 November, 10am-2pm, Campbelltown NSW.

• Free.

Starting the day after Halloween, this festival dates back to 1956 and is named after one of Australia’s most famous ghosts: Frederick Fisher.

Fisher was imprisoned in 1815 after obtaining possession of forged banknotes and was sentenced to 14 years’ transportation to Australia. He died in Campbelltown eleven years later.

Within months of his June 1826 death, shocked locals began claiming to have seen the ghost of Fisher pointing to a paddock down the creek, where his body was later discovered.

Today, the eerie tale inspires a 10-day festival in Campbelltown including the Fisher’s Ghost Street Parade on Saturday, a fun run and street fair.

This festival also caters to people with disabilities, holding a ‘Quiet Carnival Session’ during which there will be no music, flashing lights or loud-speaker announcements and free rides for people with disabilities and carers.

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