The Trail Blazin', Star Gazin', Hell Raisin' Countrified Music Festival Concept, part magical mystery music bus tour part winery/brewery tour is expanding across Space & Time returning with a 2 day festival event schedule across Friday 26th & Saturday 27th April , 2024
Make a Real Long Weekend of it in 2024 with Stars & Bars Festival Heathcote! To coincide with the Anzac Day Public Holiday (Thursday 25th April)
We've cooked up a new Friday Night Family Dinner with great mates at The Union Hotel Heathcote where you'll enjoy Dinner & A Show Stars & Bars style on the Friday night before the main event kicks off on Saturday.On Saturday jump aboard The Heathcote Express our Epic Multi Locale Magical Mystery Musical Bus Tour culminating in the traditional Palling Bros Brewery Evening Session.
The Heathcote Express Bus Tour rolls out Saturday 27th April from 10:30am where you'll enjoy sweeping vistas at Red Edge Winery for Morning Tea, lunch at the historic Tooborac Hotel & Brewery then onwards to Lady’s Pass to settle in at Munari Wine for the afternoon with the final destination on this whistle stop tour Palling Bros Brewery’s Beer Garden the perfect place for the climactic Evening Session.
Having won some very loyal fans with 2023’s outing, this year’s expanded edition returns with some fresh new locales as well as a cracking handpicked unit of Mavericks, Maestros & Misfits..
The Seven Ups, Nathan Seeckts, Riley Catherall, Luke Sinclair, The Drunken Poachers (Trio), Grim Fawkner, Jungle Jim Smith, Bill Barber + special guest DJ Chunky Love
Soundtrack your sonic sojourn in Central Victoria with everything from Alt Country & Americana to Heavy Groove, Funk & Cinematic Soul to Deep Delta Blues and Electric Jungle Boogaloo and a heavy dosage of Old Time Rock’n’Roll for good measure.
Going Up The Country ... Stars & Bars Festival Heathcote brings together a combination of amazingly talented artists, an exploration of the finest wine, beer, spirits, food & hospitality the Heathcote region is quickly becoming known for & some truly unique locales as the backdrops for the event.
Our Locales are much more than just pubs and wineries; they are immersive spaces with stories to tell, ideally suited for musical performances boasting indoor/outdoor stages with stunningly serene vistas.
What better way could you spend the (Almost) Anzac Day Long weekend than to Leave The City behind & get On The Road Again. The Friday night & Saturday Festival program leaves ample time to Explore Heathcote on Friday & Sunday as you make your way to & from your Central Victoria Long Weekend Stay-Cation. Relax with friends old & new, take some time to tune in, drop out & breathe in some of that rarefied country air.
Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Rambling...
3 Ticket Types...
FRIDAY NIGHT TICKETS
TICKET 1
Friday Night Family Dinner @ The Union Hotel Heathcote
SATURDAY TICKETS
TICKET 2
Heathcote Express Bus Tour
TICKET 3
If you cant make the BusTour .. this is the ticket for you!
The Evening Session @ Palling Bros Brewery
Saturday 27th April, 2024
6:00pm – 11:00pm. 168 High St, Heathcote.
$30 + b/f
Tickets via www.oztix.com.au.
Featuring 4 acts The Seven Ups, The Seven Ups, Nathan Seeckts, Riley Catherall + special guest DJ Chunky Love
If you can’t make a full day tour of it, join the tour at Palling Bros Brewery in the Beer Garden from 6pm. Enjoy a pre-show meal, sample some locally handcrafted beers or grab a Moon Dog Fizzer Seltzer from the Pop Up Bar.
Pre-sale tickets encouraged. Limited tickets available at the door.
For Full event details visit www.starsandbars.com.au
Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride…
Proudly supported by our Event Partners
Blueprint Sounds + Moon Dog Craft Brewery
What better way could you spend the (Almost) Anzac Day Long weekend than to Buy The Ticket & Take The Ride. Leave The City behind & get On The Road Again with an extended Stay-Cation? Relax with friends old & new, take some time to tune in, drop out & breathe in some of that rarefied country air.
ACCOMMODATION
Heathcote Retreat Motel is a modern Motel in Central Victoria within the heart of Wine Country. Located in The Southern Hemisphere's Longest Main Street! Accommodation from budget to luxury, single to group stays for up to 66 guests.
The nearby Heathcote Queen Meadow Caravan Park is also conveniently located right in the centre of town, a short walk to the Bus Tour pick up point and Palling Bros Brewery’s Evening Session.
Explore Heathcote
Visitor Information Centre Booking Portal
About The Festival
Trail Blazin', Star Gazin', Hell Raisin' Countrified Music Festival Concept. Limited Edition. First Time, Every Time. Instant Classic. Handpicked. Homegrown. Down Home. Take A Sonic Sojourn. Ramble On. Like A Hurricane. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride.
The brainchild of Festival Chief Lincon Boyd, from inception Stars & Bars Festival was designed as a Music Festival Concept. Harnessing & embracing constant evolution. Meta By Nature. It can be like water, taking on a multitude of forms; it can become whatever it wants to be, A true shape shifter. Not locked into any one dimensional plain, time, place, space, genre or pre-conceived notion. We're Eclectic. From Alt Country to Stoner Rock, Hip Hop to Classic Rock, Funk’n’Soul, Oceanic Cumbia & Afrobeat to the Deepest of Jungle House. Be Like Water My Friend.
-
Heathcote & Surrounds
Heathcote has a sophisticated approach to the finer things in life. A welcoming village atmosphere awaits just a little over an hour from Melbourne, 2 hours from Geelong, 1 & ½ hours from Ballarat & 40 minutes from Bendigo. In the heart of Central Victoria and nestled beneath the stunning McHarg and McIvor Ranges, is the charming township of Heathcote.
It is fast becoming one of Australia's most loved wine regions. Good food, friendly cellar doors, spectacular landscapes, gold rush relics, local art and craft, serene bushlands and dark night skies dotted with stars make Heathcote an ideal place to explore.
Enjoy unique accommodation: from five-star offerings through to farms stays or pretty camping grounds and indulge in the delicious produce, food and wine options to be found in the area.
Spectacular landscapes allow you to truly take in the great outdoors, be it a picnic in the forest, or a walk or ride along the picturesque O’Keefe Rail Trail. Spend some time fishing, boating, skiing or swimming at Lake Eppalock or perhaps appreciate some of the many great historical sites in and around the township.
Beautiful gold rush era architecture lines the main street where you can also enjoy a great cup of coffee, sweet boutiques, good food and, of course, some damn fine wine tasting.
Getting to Heathcote
Travelling from Melbourne
Getting to Heathcote from Melbourne is an easy and beautiful 100 minutes drive. The distance from Melbourne to Heathcote is about 120km.
1. Via the Hume Highway
Once you are on the Hume Highway, proceed north past Craigieburn, take the Northern Highway exit at Beveridge and continue on the Northern Highway through the townships of Wallan, Kilmore and Tooborac to arrive at Heathcote.
2. Via the Calder Highway
Exit Melbourne via the Tullamarine Freeway, connect to the Calder Freeway, proceed north-west past Woodend, take the second exit into the township of Kyneton and at the roundabout veer north and continue along the Kyneton-Heathcote Road passing through Barfold and Redesdale.
3. Scenic Route
Coming from Melbourne, head toward the Tullamarine airport. Go past the airport following signs to Sunbury. You will drive thru Bulla down a great big dip, crossing a narrow bridge on your way to Sunbury. Before Sunbury, there is a roundabout at the turn to Lancefield & Romsey. Go right. Follow this road to the end thru Romsey, then Lancefield. It ends in Tooborac at the Northern Hwy (aka High St). Turn left and head towards Heathcote past the Tooborac Pub. About 15 kms ahead, you will enter Heathcote.
Travelling from Bendigo
1. Via the McIvor Highway
Start on Williamson Street and proceed along the McIvor Highway for 46 kms. It's a 40 minutes drive.
*Note that distances and times are approximate.
Stars & Bars Festival acknowledge Australia’s First Nation Peoples, The Wadawurrung, The Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung People & Their Ancestors. The Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our Festival occurs. We pay our respects to Their Elders, Past, Present & Future.
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
.
Click To Learn More....