New winter festival warms the hearts of Canberrans.
Forests, firelight, family and fun were the focus of the new Winter in the Woods festival at the National Arboretum Canberra. Created to inspire the community to come together and embrace the unique beauty and magic of the season, Winter in the Woods is the new 'must-do' event on the Canberra calendar.
A curated collection of events, tours, workshops and activities over 44 days offered something for all ages and abilities. Creative art workshops gave visitors an an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature from a new perspective, welcoming beginner and seasoned artists alike. Hands-on cultural programs led by First Nations instructors provided an opportunity for all ages to learn, reflect and connect with knowledge passed on from the worlds oldest continuous living culture.
Family friendly activities offered plenty of options to warm the imaginations of young adventurers through the winter school holidays, with our education team creating a series of free and budget friendly activities to keep kids busy throughout the break. From magical, guided quests with the fairies, wintery nature play and animal movement challenges, to self-guided orienteering quests through the forests for older children, families were enabled to explore the wintery wonders of nature. Teenie beanie kits and Warm Tree scarf patterns proved to be a popular indoor option to keep busy hands engaged.
Warm Trees returned as a beloved winter installation, with handmade scarves adding colour to over a dozen feature forests, as well as the surrounding areas of the Events Terrace and Village Centre. Our incredible volunteer guides offered a range of winter walks including a guided Warm Trees walk explaining the unique features of forests, a science and poetry themed walks and an accessible bus tour that gave visitors a rare opportunity to go beyond the boom gates and visit the more remote forests at the southern end of the arboretum.
Beneath starry night skies, The Arboretum After Dark offered visitors a rare experience to see the gardens and views of the Arboretum in a whole new light. Visitors searched the stars with family friendly Stargazing Sessions at Dairy Farmers Hill. Frosty winter nights were transformed into something magical as the community came together on the Events Terrace. Embraced by sparkling fairy lights and flickering firelight, guests shared music, food, hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows, creating memorable moments for all ages.
With overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public, plans already underway to make next years Winter in the Woods event even more accessible, magical and meaningful for the whole community!