Mayoral Matters | April 18, 2025
Published on 18 April 2025
There is something for everyone in the Northern Grampians at Easter. It is a time of tradition, adventure and connection – a truly beautiful time we all look forward to.
One of our highlights is Australia’s oldest and richest short-distance running race. This year will be the 143rd year of the Powercor Stawell Gift, which is going to be sensational.
We are hoping to attract one of the biggest crowds ever and additionally will welcome one of the world's newest 200-metre talents, Gout Gout.
As a community, we are extremely proud of the Stawell Gift and all it brings to our beautiful town.
We hope you enjoy everything the Stawell Gift has to offer, including the fashions day on Saturday, Sunday’s Easter egg hunt including more than 7000 Easter eggs, and of course, the exhilarating finals on Monday.
Easter festivals across the weekend start on Friday and offer many amazing events, such as a remarkable display of world-class rare cars and memorabilia at the Pomonal Good Friday Classic Showcase, or the Great Western Rodeo.
On Easter Saturday, Stawell’s Main Street comes alive as our community comes together to showcase and celebrate our amazing township. There will be local street providers, kids activities and plenty of market stalls, enabling family and friends to reconnect while supporting our local businesses.
A fireworks display will light up the sky on Saturday night at our stunning Cato Park, along with plenty of fun family rides at the Lions Club Easter Carnival.
Sunday will provide another exciting day with the Stuart McGregor Stawell Gold Cup horse race, or if racing isn't your taste, the Halls Gap Primary School Market will provide you with a picturesque afternoon to peruse many high-quality stalls at the base of the Grampians.
In closing, I would like to say a big thank you to our wonderful volunteers who every year help to plan and run these community events, thus helping to support and grow our region.
While you are here, you’ll discover that Northern Grampians Shire is a great place for outdoor adventure and exploration, with iconic natural and historic attractions, the gateway to the Grampians, wineries, lakes, street and silo art in St Arnaud and beautiful townships built in the gold rush era – each with their own unique charm and activities on offer.
We would love you to extend your stay to explore and discover our beautiful Northern Grampians.
Happy Easter, everyone!