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G’day Ballarat! Big weekend ahead. Rowers are about to battle it out at the Lake, Delaney Troon is lacing up again for a cause close to her heart, and someone's had a crack at the red light camera on Sturt Street. Plus we're settling the great kebab vs souvlaki debate, so brace yourselves. Grab a cuppa and let's get into it.

– Luciano Devoto

The Smart Living Expo is back at Royal Park in Buninyong on Sunday 22 February from 10am to 3:30pm, and it's free. Whether you're looking to make your home more energy efficient or just want to suss out what's new in the sustainability space, it's worth a look.

Over 80 stalls, hands-on workshops, expert talks, live music, and food trucks. Last year pulled in over 3,000 people, so it's clearly doing something right.

Last year, Delaney Troon ran 21 half marathons in 21 days and raised over $250,000 for men's mental health. What started as a tribute to her dad, who she lost in 2012, turned into something the whole city got behind.

Now our 2025 Young Citizen of the Year is back for a one-off pop-up run at Lake Wendouree on Saturday 21 February at 6:00am, with all funds going to Ballarat Men's Mental Health. You can run, walk, or just show up. See you at the Windmill!

Last Monday someone crashed the red light camera at the Sturt St and Gillies St intersection has been cleaned up by a local motorist. As one local Facebook group put it, "if you really want to run a red light, now is your time to shine."

No word yet on how it happened, but the real question is: how fast Council will have it back up and running (for our safety, of course).

One of Ballarat's oldest traditions returns to Lake Wendouree this Sunday 22 February, with crews from Ballarat Clarendon College, Ballarat Grammar, Ballarat High School, Damascus College, Loreto College and St Patrick's College all racing for bragging rights in the Division 1 Coxed Four.

The Head of the Lake regatta has been running since 1912 and it's still one of those days that brings the whole community to the Lake. School colours everywhere, spit crews in full voice, and families lining the shore.

Council is building a new heritage trail along Lydiard Street, and they want our input before it takes shape. The Roam Discovery Trail will feature 11 storytelling markers between Ballarat Station and Dana Street, each with QR codes that unlock augmented reality experiences about the street's history.

They're asking what Lydiard Street means to you, what heritage elements matter most, and whether you've got any stories worth sharing. The survey is open until 27 February.

If you've walked Lydiard Street a thousand times and never thought twice about it, this might change that.

If you drive along Ring Road, you'll know it's been temporarily closed for a few weeks now. Well, Council will be considering making the closure permanent at the 25 February meeting.

It seems like without the closure, freight trains heading in and out of the $55 million Ballarat Freight Hub would block the road for quite some time, which would be a nightmare for traffic. Link Road was built as the alternative route, so if you're heading that way, that might be your detour. Permanently.

Nice to see back when Lydiard Street had trams running along it and there were still places to park.

Thank you: Past & Present Photography

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Whether it's a Friday night dinner sorted, a quick lunch between errands, or the one your kids won't stop requesting, we all have a favourite. Now, I know some of you might unsubscribe over the sheer audacity of lumping kebabs and souvlakis into one poll. I get it. They're different. But we're doing it anyway. So who does the best in Ballarat? Vote below and we'll share the results next week.

Discover all the events, activities, and live music around Ballarat each week inside our events calendar. Check it out!

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Until next Thursday!

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