AS PART OF THE BALLARAT WINTER FESTIVAL

Wintertide by Candlelight

A fireside celebration at Craig’s Royal Hotel

Hidden Rooms Tour • 2-Course Dinner • Live Cello & Violin Recital

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A detailed illustration of a historic multi-story brick building with ornate architectural features, including arched windows and towers, labeled 'King's Royal Hotel,' with people and horse-drawn carriages in front, and a small sign indicating a 'Printing Office' on the street.

A Magical Fireside Winter Evening to Remember

We're opening the doors to some of Craig's Royal Hotel's hidden historic spaces before gathering by candlelight and open fire for a cosy Victorian-inspired evening of dining, music and stories.

As part of the Ballarat Winter Festival, Hidden Lanes is delighted to present a very special new event at Craig's Royal Hotel.

The evening begins with a guided heritage tour through the grand hotel, including stories and spaces rarely experienced by the public. From there, guests will be welcomed into the beautiful Prince's Room, where candlelight, fireplaces and winter hospitality set the scene for a memorable evening.

Book now

Saturday sold out - Friday tickets available

Your Evening Includes

• Guided heritage tour of Craig's Royal Hotel
• Stories of Ballarat's gold rush era and colourful past
• Two-course dinner in the historic Prince's Room
• Traditional roast turkey (or vegetarian option) with vegetables and gravy, followed by sticky date pudding.
• Live baroque cello performance during dinner
• Candlelit atmosphere and open fireplace
• Hosted by Hidden Lanes as part of the Ballarat Winter Festival

Event Details

Venue: Craig's Royal Hotel, 10 Lydiard Street, Ballarat Central.

Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours

Group Size: 15 to 24 people - limited to maintain a cosy and welcoming festive atmosphere

Dress: Vintage attire, or evening gowns, cocktail dresses, suits, or a collared shirt with jacket are also perfectly suited to the occasion. This is your chance to enjoy a touch of old-world elegance and become part of the atmosphere of the evening.

The Experience: As part of the Ballarat Winter Festival, Hidden Lanes invites you to experience Craig's Royal Hotel after dark. Wander through historic rooms and hear the fascinating stories of gold rush fortunes, famous guests, grand celebrations, and remarkable characters who have passed through its doors over more than 160 years.

Then settle into the elegant Prince's Room, lit by candlelight with the fireplace glowing, with a beautiful live cello and violin recital, bringing in the cosy atmosphere of a Victorian winter evening.

Enjoy a specially prepared two-course dinner while surrounded by the beauty and history of one of Australia's grand hotels.

This intimate experience combines heritage, music, storytelling, and dining to create an evening unlike anything else on the Ballarat Winter Festival program.

Photography & Video

Some photography and video recording will take place during the evening to help us capture the atmosphere of this special inaugural event.

Historic beige building with ornate architecture, towers, and a decorative lamp post in the foreground, set against a dusk sky.
A man dressed in vintage clothing, including a blazer, trousers, and a flat cap, standing in a richly decorated room. He is holding colorful books or magazines and gesturing with his right hand. The room features an ornate gold-framed mirror, a marble fireplace, decorative paintings, candlesticks, and a patterned carpet.

“We were on the Craig’s Royal Hotel tour with Jarrod this afternoon and it was an amazing insight into the history of the hotel, delivered with knowledge and humour by our host.”

- Caine

A Baroque String Duet recital

With the earthy, rustic quality of gut strings and arched bows, Elise Wright (baroque violin) and Lucy Price (baroque cello) transport audiences to times long ago, playing music spanning across centuries and continents. Specialising in music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Elise and Lucy have studied historical performance practice in Australia and overseas and are passionate about bringing historical music alive with a fresh perspective.

This candlelit performance will feature works of J.S. Bach as well as James Oswald, a Scottish composer and cellist who wrote and published many folk tunes. In the spirit of the Ballarat Winter Festival, the program will feature pieces from Oswald's 'Airs for the Winter'. These delightful compositions were written between 1755 and 1761 and are from a larger work of pieces called 'Airs for the Seasons'- a collection of miniatures named after flowers and plants attributed to their appropriate season.

A woman with curly blonde hair and earrings standing outdoors against dark green foliage, holding a musical instrument in her hands.

  • Elise Wright is a violinist originally from Ballarat. With a passion for historical performance and research, Elise has recently returned from The Netherlands where she studied historical violin with Antoinette Lohmann. Prior to her studies in Europe, Elise studied baroque violin with Rachael Beesley at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Elise has performed with various historical ensembles in Europe and Australia, including Sweelinck Baroque Orchestra, Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht, the Melbourne Baroque Orchestra and the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra. Elise is now based in Melbourne. 

A woman with red hair and earrings smiling while holding a cello.

  • Lucy Price is a Ballarat based cellist who is equally passionate about performance, education and community engagement.  After studying at the Sydney Conservatorium and Australian National Academy of Music, she was awarded a grant from the Australia Council of the Arts to study baroque cello in Italy and the UK. She has performed with ensembles such as Melbourne Baroque Ensemble and Evergreen Ensemble, and enjoys collaborations with other creatives.

A cozy corner with vintage upholstered chairs and a small round wooden table positioned in front of a large bay window with drapes. The view outside shows historic buildings and a cloudy sky.

  • Meet in the main foyer of Craig’s Royal Hotel, 10 Lydiard St, Ballarat

  • This experience goes for approximately 2.5 hrs. The tour will be approx. 30 minutes, and the live cello concert will also be approx. 30 minutes.

  • In a nod to the historic atmosphere, there will be real candles used (not LED) and a gas fire will be on in the fireplace.

  • On street parking is available on Lydiard Street, or in surrounding streets.

  • We can accommodate vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free requests with advance notice. As this is a set-menu event, we are unable to cater for allergies, coeliac disease, or severe dietary requirements.

  • For assistance in booking please email hello@hiddenlanes.com.au or call 0455528741 or 0455528733

A historical portrait of a young man dressed in a military uniform with gold braids, medals, and a sword, standing outdoors with a cloudy sky in the background.
A woman in a pink coat listening to a man in a gray blazer who is holding a brochure and speaking to her inside a room with green walls, windows with blinds, and framed pictures.
Elegant dining room with chandeliers, framed tapestries, ornate mirror over fireplace, and tables with white tablecloths and wooden chairs.
People dining at a long table set for afternoon tea, with teacups, plates, and scones, in a room with ornate wallpaper, large windows with draped curtains, and vintage chandelier lighting.
Group of people standing in front of a beige, ornate building with arched windows and decorative details. Some people are wearing hats, and the scene is set outdoors on a sunny day.
A beige brick building with two arched windows, a brown door, and a weathered metal awning. There is a one-way sign pointing left on the right side of the image.

This tour was developed on the Country of the Wadawurrung who have performed age old cultural ceremonies, celebrations and traditions here for thousands of years. We would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Elders past and present.