A new cherry-blossom festival is coming to Victoria this spring

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
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Flowers, fruit-picking and a whole lot of fun.

It’s that time of year. The winter chill is finally easing. Brave Aussies are starting to shed a few layers. Buds are beginning to bloom and the sweet scent of spring is officially in the air. And there’s no better place to celebrate than CherryHill Orchards, which is hosting a new cherry-blossom festival to welcome the season.

Meet the new festival coming to Victoria

In Victoria’s bucolic Yarra Valley, CherryHill Orchards sits pretty on the outskirts of Coldstream township. The family-owned fruit farm, which has a sister property in nearby Wandin East, is officially opening its gates ahead of harvest season with the inaugural Bloom & Graze festival. Running for the first two weekends of spring, the colourful celebration is all about waving off winter and welcoming the warmth.

Rainbow lorikeet in cherry-blossom tree
Aussies big and small love cherry-blossom season. (Image: Getty Images/Elena Pochesneva)

A range of market stalls run by local businesses, producers and creators will take over the orchard as it begins to bloom, touting everything from wine and whiskey to cheese and crafts. This year’s exhibitors include The Botanical Brothers, Four Pillars, Steels Gate, Sustainable Food Waste, Yarra Valley Dairy and Blossom Lifestyle.

Each vendor will also run its own workshop or demonstration, sharing expert advice on cocktail mixology, candle-making and more. There will also be live music by local artists each day, as well as kids’ entertainment, food trucks and a cherry-inspired farmgate store.

CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria
Meet local makers at their market stalls with Bloom & Graze.

“This is all about bringing our incredible community of producers, makers, and creators together to showcase the very best of the Yarra Valley," says Mike Appleton, CherryHill’s general manager of customer experience, tourism and events. “Set against the breathtaking backdrop of our 100-acre Coldstream orchard as our cherry trees begin to bloom, it’s the perfect way to celebrate spring."

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What else is on at CherryHill this spring?

If you can’t make it to Bloom & Graze, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out. CherryHill Orchards is hosting a bloomin’ good line-up of events this year that rival spring festivals across the country.

The weekend after Bloom & Graze ends, Blossom by Light begins, which sees the Wandin East orchard illuminated by a kaleidoscope of light and colour. Held across four nights only, the magical display is accompanied by local food trucks, live entertainment, games and fireside marshmallow roasting.

CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria
Sample cherry-flavoured ice-cream and other treats from local food trucks.

Just two days later, the ever-popular Blossom Festival kicks off with 12 days of floral fanfare, just as the entire orchard enters full bloom. It’s a quick turnover for the Wandin East property, falling perfectly within Victoria’s school holidays. Guests will enjoy a range of themed experiences, like live music, local food and wine tastings curated by the region’s best vineyards, plus plenty of kid-friendly activities.

And finally, as spring fades into summer, the flowers that have been admired for weeks slowly grow into their final form. It’s that time on Australia’s seasonal fruit-picking calendar – cherries are officially ripe for the picking! Grab your favourite straw hat and stroll through rows of trees heavy with fruit, basket in hand.

CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley, Victoria
Cherry-picking season kicks off at the beginning of November.

Both the Coldstream and Wandin East orchards will be open to the public for cherry-picking. BYO picnic to enjoy lunch in the sun, paired perfectly with your fresh fruit. There will also be cold drinks, food and ice-cream available at both onsite cafes. It’s cherry-flavoured goodness, all spring and summer long.

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Your guide to event dates and details

The Bloom & Graze festival will debut on 6–7 and 13–14 September at CherryHill’s Coldstream orchard, around an hour’s drive from Melbourne. Tickets are priced at $15 per adult and $13 for concession. All children enter for free. Workshops will run between 10:30am and 2:30pm.

Cherry blossom trees in bloom
The cherry blossoms bloom as September arrives. (Image: Getty Images/Chris Gordon)

Blossom by Light will run from 19–22 September at CherryHill’s Wandin East orchard, just over a one-hour drive from Melbourne. Tickets are priced at $35 per adult, $30 for concession and $20 per child. Family passes are available for $100.

The Blossom Festival is also held in Wandin East, from 24 September – 5 October. Adult tickets are priced at $15, while concessions are $13.50. On weekdays, all children can attend for free, but a $10 ticket is required per child on weekends. Or grab a family pass for just $45.

Pick your own cherries at the Yarra Valley orchard.

Cherry-picking season officially kicks off on 1 November and runs until 4 January 2026. Weekday tickets cost $22.50 per adult and $13 per child. Family and group passes can be purchased for $60 and $20, respectively. Come weekends, adults pay $25 and $15 per child, with family passes priced at $65.

Dogs are welcome at all times, with a $3 entry fee per furry friend. Both the Coldstream and Wandin East orchards have free onsite parking. Tickets for all events are available now via CherryHill’s website.

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Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to check out places like Scotland and North America, her favourite place to explore will always be her homeland.
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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

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    From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet. 

    Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it. 

    Budj Bim cultural landscape  

    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
    Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim, ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas. 

    eel tank
    The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour 

    Dumawul walkingtour
    Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance.  The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.  

    Kooyoora walking tour
    Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Kingfisher Cruises  

    Kingfisher Cruises
    Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises. Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.  

    wawa biik 

    Taungurung leaders
    Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik. 

    Bataluk Cultural Trail  

    Bataluk Trail
    Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.  

    Healesville Sanctuary  

    echidna at Healesville Sanctuary
    Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm. 

    The Grampians 

    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians
    Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.