Melbourne Winter Festival

THE weather might be unnaturally sunny, but that hasn’t stopped Melburnians from enjoying this year’s Winter Festival.

Skating up a storm at the Melbourne Winter Festival. Photo: Melbourne Winter Festival

In town until September 4, the event is a chance to gorge yourself silly on alpine food and then work it off with an assortment of ice-skating activities.

Don’t miss free performances from Australia’s best figure skaters each evening, before having a go on the outdoor ice-skating rink yourself, which has been set up especially for the event.

If the cold is gets to be too much to handle, you can warm up with a free chai latte in the Lipton Chai Lodge or try culinary delicacies from some of the world’s Winter Wonderlands. The delights on offer include French crepes, Dutch poffertjes, Bravarian bratwurst, Woodfire pizzas and Gluhwein, a special German mulled and spiced wine, which is served warm.

This year’s festival also has an Australian first – a Fun Track. A favourite at European winter festivals, the iced path will connect the ice-staking rink to the rest of the festival, so you can glide from attraction to attraction without taking your ice stakes off.

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The Melbourne Winter Festival is at the Royal Exhibition Building, and open from 4 to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 12 to 10pm on Fridays and 10am to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets are between $10 and $30 and can be purchase online.