Where To Eat, Drink and Stay During Sunnyside in Ballarat

London artist Morag Myerscough has shown her work in locations as far-flung as Mexico, Munich and Palm Springs. Now she’s adding Ballarat to the list, marking her first large-scale installation in Australia with the three-week-only Chasing Sunbeams.

An original production by The Social Crew, the team behind TIME exhibition by RONE at Flinders Street Station, Chasing Sunbeams brings Myerscough’s joyous neon-hued work directly to regional Victoria from November 6 to 23 in a world-exclusive run.

Housed in Ballarat’s Mining Exchange, the installation will transform the historic space into an environment that draws upon local stories, heritage and community. It’s also the cornerstone of Sunnyside, a new arts and culture experience for Ballarat featuring talks, workshops and artistic laneways.

Since there’s such a limited window to dive into Chasing Sunbeams and Sunnyside, we’ve put together a streamlined, itinerary for your weekend in Ballarat – packed with the city’s best dining, drinks and cultural highlights.

Friday

Check in at The Provincial Hotel

Whether you’re making the 90-minute drive from Melbourne or taking the even easier V/Line train, The Provincial Hotel is perfectly located. It’s directly across the street from Ballarat’s historic railway station and just one block over from the Mining Exchange – home to Chasing Sunbeams. The Provincial has its own artistic flair too, with curated rooms in an impressively appointed heritage building and showcasing work by resident artists. Guests can also enjoy 15 per cent off their accommodation by using the code SUNNYSIDE25 when booking through the hotel’s website. Other Sunnyside accommodation deals include stays at Hotel Vera and The George Hotel.
121 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat

Stroll down Hop Lane

Less than 10 minutes’ walk from The Provincial, Hop Lane is a popular laneway known for its murals and rotating canopy of umbrellas. For Sunnyside, it’s getting a special makeover – a collaboration between Myerscough, Wadawurrung traditional owner and First Nations artist Jenna Oldaker, founder of Murrup Art, and the Ballarat community. Expect something bold, bright and eye-catching. Oldaker is also running a ticketed workshop on November 16, where she’ll share her approach to colour, pattern and storytelling.
Hop Lane, off Armstrong Street North, Ballarat

Segue from happy hour to dinner at Hop Temple

As luck has it, Hop Lane leads directly to Hop Temple, a lively beer hall hosting a themed Friday-only happy hour during Sunnyside – complete with live music. Once you’ve sampled the discounted cocktails and extensive craft beer selection, stay for dinner. Comfort food is the focus here, from burgers and barbeque meat to pizza and Tex-Mex offerings. The venue has lots of different sections to set up shop for the evening, including some outside options in Hop Lane for soaking in the springtime rays.
24 Armstrong Street North, Ballarat

Sample the drinks and snacks at Renard

A three-minute stroll from Hop Temple (on the way back to the hotel) lies Renard, a cool cocktail bar and social club offering tastefully selected beer, wine, spirits and house cocktails. They’re doing a special cocktail for Sunnyside: a playful, clear concoction mingling Australian white rum, clarified lime, sugar and edible fruit paints (yes, you read that right) for a garnish. The grazing menu, available until 9pm, includes smoked trout pâté, Salt Kitchen pork terrine, fried chicken, focaccia, flatbread and – the standout – Meredith goat’s cheese doughnuts.
209 Mair Street, Ballarat

Saturday

Enjoy a leisurely brunch at The Turret

For brunch, pop over to The Turret, a striking corner cafe housed in a restored 1890s building that lives up to its name with its castle-like exterior. Inside, it’s bright and airy, with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. The all-day breakfast menu runs from 7.30am to 2.30pm, so you can get there as early or late as you please. Fresh produce and vegetarian options are a major calling card, but you’ll find chorizo, ham and bacon in the mix too. The cafe is offering two special dishes for Sunnyside: a sun-shaped pastry with a lemon curd centre, marmalade brush and pink icing, and sunnyside eggs on sourdough toast topped with eggs from the regenerative Sunnybank Farm in nearby Burrumbeet.
802 Sturt Street, Ballarat

Dive into Chasing Sunbeams at the Mining Exchange

Now for the main event: tickets for Chasing Sunbeams are available for entry from Thursday to Sunday at various times, so book early before sessions sell out. Inside the Mining Exchange, one of Ballarat’s most distinctive landmarks, Myerscough’s installation immerses visitors in vivid colour, texture and pattern. The work draws inspiration from local stories and features a custom soundtrack by Ballarat-based musician and composer Raul Sanchez i Jorge, best known as the lead guitarist in alt-rock icons Magic Dirt.
16 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat

Check out workshops, talks and other activations

Sunnyside extends well beyond art. Expect a colourful takeover of the open-air Alfred Deakin Place behind the Art Gallery of Ballarat, and two free afternoon talks at Federation University’s Helen McPherson Theatre. There’s also a range of ticketed workshops that include entry to Chasing Sunbeams and span everything from neon blocks and placards to stitching and cute wordplay.
Various locations

Go gin tasting at Kilderkin Distillery

Kilderkin is one of Ballarat’s best-kept secrets, tucked away in Mount Pleasant but only a half-hour walk (or seven-minute drive) from the CBD. Sample handcrafted gin and single malt whisky through tasting flights, or pick up a bottle to take home. The distillery also runs occasional distilling and cocktail-making masterclasses you can sign up for. Don’t miss the limited-time Sunnyside Sip cocktail, which pairs Kilderkin’s Larrikin Buccaneer gin with its Backyard Limoncello and Backyard Arancello, topped with tonic, bitters and fresh fruit. There’s also a special Sunnyside Chatter and Cheers event on September 8 and 15, featuring mini-artworks by Ballarat-based illustrator and artist Pauline O’Shannessy-Dowling.
14A Hill St, Mount Pleasant

Explore pan-Asian street food at Roy Hammond

Located on Ballarat’s flourishing Armstrong Street dining strip, Roy Hammond serves a mix of Asian street food – from dumplings, bao and spring rolls to Korean fried chicken, crispy pork belly, chargrilled lamb ribs and kingfish sashimi. The menu is ideal for sharing, with options like raw oysters and loaded fries. Inspired by Sunnyside, the bar also offers the Cotton Sunshine and Sunset Cloudburst, cocktails that showcase Grainery Lane spirits and the childlike wonder of fairy floss.
24-28 Armstrong Steet North, Ballarat

Sunday

Buy a zine – or make your own

A former pub right on the main drag of Ballarat’s CBD, The Unicorn Collection now showcases handcrafted art and much more from local makers. There you’ll also find Fontella, an old-school vending machine that serves up zines, comics and stickers for just one $2 coin per transaction. It’s run by artists Siobhan Finn and Tegan Crosbie, who will guide visitors through casual zine-making sessions during Sunnyside. So, in addition to taking home some fun local art, you can create something of your very own.
127 Sturt Street, Ballarat 

Stock up on home-baked treats from Naomi & i

Before heading home, stop by Naomi & i, a newish takeaway spot pouring A Plus Coffee and serving home-baked goods from Fresh Baked by Josh and Mrs Browne Bakes. The venue went viral earlier this year, when Erika Browne’s award-winning pie drew queues around the block. Naomi & i is open until 4pm on Sundays, and for Sunnyside, they’re serving Hey Sunny, a red-velvet cloud-foam matcha inspired by Myerscough’s colour-burst palette.
449 Doveton Street North, Soldiers Hill

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Visit Ballarat. Head to visitballarat.com.au to plan your Sunnyside itinerary between November 6 and 23, including special deals on stays and themed menu items.