Brrrr! It’s cold outside. The fireplace is roaring (or the air con is cranking) and the trackies have ventured out of the drawers for another year. Hibernating at home in winter is oh-so nice, but here’s an event to tempt you outside and down to Sydney for a day trip with the family. We’re talking about the Winter Festival at Darling Harbour. It’s part of Sydney Solstice and it’s running this June.
During these magical two weeks, Darling Harbour will be transformed into an epic winter wonderland, complete with:
- The arctic blast ice slide – the kids will have a blast jumping onto a snow tyre and whooshing down 25 metres of ice
- An ice-skating rink with skating displays and ice dancers
- Live performances from DJs and bands
- A winter foodie market with sweet and savoury waffles from Wafflo, pillowy gua baos from Mr Bao, and loaded toasties from Toastiesmith
- Fireworks! They’ll light up the sky twice a night at 7.30pm and 9m on Thursday to Sunday (June 10-13) and Thursday to Saturday (June 17-19).
Image via darlingharbour.com 
Image via darlingharbour.com
The Australian National Maritime Museum is also getting in on the wintery fun and will come alive with an explosion of colour and a series of large and small inflatables. The theme? Ocean creatures, of course! This one is set to be loved by young and old… and best of all, it’s free!
Image via darlingharbour.com
Winter Festival at Darling Harbour
When: Tuesday June 8 to Sunday, June 20.
Where: Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Cost: You can ride the ice slide for $4 for one slide or $10 for three slides. You’ll also need to buy tickets for the ice rink – check here for the price list. You can use your Dine & Discover vouchers for these activities.
Age: There’s something for everyone.
Looking for more great day trips from the Central Coast? Check out our Day Trips section for all the inspo!
Header image via darlingharbour.com
