Festivities abound as one of Victoria’s sporting calendar highlights, the Spring Racing Carnival, sweeps the state. While the nation comes to a standstill for 3 minutes on the first Tuesday in November, the region is doing anything but stop. The Mornington Peninsula is the perfect destination for an extended long weekend getaway and we have your entertainment and activities covered in this guide to Cup week.
Start your weekend on the Peninsula with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Frankston Arts Centre on Saturday 3rd when their finest players bring a gorgeous repertoire for an evening of classical music. Or catch a Billy Joel Tribute – Piano Man on Monday 5th celebrating 45 years since Joel’s signature song – “Piano Man” was released.
Not to be missed is one of Mornington Peninsula’s biggest racing days of the year, Ladbrokes Peninsula Cup Day on Sunday 4th, which it’s again shaping up to be a huge day of racing, fashion and fun. There’s all manner of dinning packages to set the tone of the day, live entertainment and plenty of kid-friendly activities like lawn games and rides for those making it a family affair.
If you are lucky enough to have Monday 5th off you can relish the fact that you somehow scored a four-day weekend! Enjoy this feeling and indulge in a cheeky glass of wine at Foxeys Hangout in Red Hill or Barmah Park Winery in Moorooduc.
If you have the kids in tow why not get them outdoors and give them a taste of adventure at one of the regions 3 hedge mazes; Boneo Maze, Enchanted Adventure Garden or Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Garden? With each maze offering something a little bit different there is so much fun to be had; mini golf, tree surfing, gnome hunting and plenty of other games and activities for the whole family.
Melbourne Cup Day Tuesday - it’s time to get into the racing spirit. Enjoy some cold brews at St Andrews Beach Brewery which is the former home of Makybe Diva, a three-time Melbourne Cup winning mare. They’re screening all races and there are heaps of prizes for best dressed on the day. When it comes to fun Cup Day activities that are sure to give you a laugh you can’t go past Max’s Restaurant Annual Cup Day Extravaganza. You’ll find live music, hobby horse racing, great prizes up for grabs and of course those rolling vineyard views.
Later in the week on Thursday 7th, Mornington Racecourse is hosting an Oakes Day Luncheon making for a flawless mid-week rendezvous with the ladies. The day includes a gourmet 3-course meal, drinks, and entertainment which rounds off a week of festivities on the peninsula.
If horsing around isn’t your thing then enjoy the slower pace at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. The Line of Enquiry exhibition is an exploration of artists looking at social and political issues through historic sources. Their works of art illustrate different points of view, inviting new questions and providing avenues for new lines of enquiry. Also on at the gallery is Catherine Truman: no surface holds, which incorporates contemporary jewellery, objects, digital image and film installation with a focus on parallels of the artistic process and scientific method, and Anne Ferran: Intimate Journals, an exhibition uncovering the stories within the pages of the Bundanon Library.
Get more great ideas for Spring Things to do HERE>>
Looking for more suggestions? Chat to the friendly locals at the Mornington Peninsula Visitor Information Centre they know all the secrets you can discover on the Mornington Peninsula.
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