If you love exploring real craftsmanship, meeting creative people, and enjoying a fun weekend outdoors, the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail is the place to be. This much-loved event takes place at the Bathurst Showground over the weekend of 12–13 April 2025, and it promises something exciting for everyone—from curious kids to seasoned craft lovers.
What Is the Heritage Trades Trail?
Every year as part of the Autumn Colours Heritage Festival, Bathurst hosts this two-day Trades Trail to celebrate the area’s history and traditions. Over 100 skilled artisans will be demonstrating a wide variety of traditional crafts and trades. Whether it’s blacksmithing, stone wall building, woodworking, or weaving, visitors can see old-world skills in action, just like people did generations ago.
This festival highlights the history of the region—Australia’s first inland European settlement—while celebrating the beauty of autumn in Bathurst and the surrounding towns. It’s a chance to step back in time, learn something new, and enjoy hands-on experiences.
Who You’ll Meet and What You’ll See
Expect to see and learn about a variety of traditional skills, including:
- Blacksmithing: Watch sparks fly as artisans shape hot iron into tools and artworks.
- Dry-stone wall building: Learn a centuries‑old technique used to build walls without mortar.
- Furniture making and bodging: Meet a “bodger,” a craftsman who works from the forest, turning greenwood into chairs and simple furniture by hand.
- Embroidery and lace making: See delicate stitching done by hand, creating elegant lace pieces.
- Aboriginal tool and weapon making: A special and respectful display showcasing Indigenous woodworking, stone tools, and traditional methods.
- Toy and candle making, violin making, pottery, weaving, spinning, and more: Discover how many everyday and beautiful items were once handcrafted.
These crafts aren’t just back-of-the-shop demonstrations—they’re living traditions. You can ask questions, try making things yourself, and connect with passionate craftsmen who love to share their skills.
Fun and Learning for All Ages
This is far from a static museum event. It’s interactive, lively, and ideal for families. Here are some fun things to try:
- Ride a Cobb & Co coach: Step aboard a genuine historic carriage, try cracking a whip, and feel like you’re traveling in the 1800s.
- DIY crafts: Learn how to crochet, sew, or spin yarn from experts.
- Sand sculpting: Watch a professional artist create detailed sand art in real time.
- Live local music, food stalls, and coffee carts: Enjoy traditional tunes and delicious bites while you explore.
- Lawn games: Have fun playing games on the grass with your children or friends.
- Camping at the showground: For a true weekend getaway, book a powered or unpowered site. Fall asleep under the autumn stars and wake up to the sound of blacksmith hammering.
School-aged children accompanied by adults enter for free, making it an affordable outing during the school holidays.
Tickets and Shuttles
Admission is $25 per adult, either online or at the gate, and includes entry for both the Saturday and Sunday sessions. Tickets get you unlimited access to all demonstrations and crafts over the weekend, and children in school age attend for free with a grown-up.
There’s also a free shuttle bus that loops from the Showground to key heritage attractions around Bathurst. Plus, with your event ticket, you can get 50% off entry to places like:
- Abercrombie House
- Miss Traill’s House and Garden
- Bathurst Rail Museum
- Chifley Home
- Bathurst District Historical Society Museum
- Old Government Cottage
You can catch the shuttle or self-drive to these venues and enjoy more of Bathurst’s rich history.
Why It Matters
Robert Taylor, Mayor of Bathurst, explains that the Trades Trail has become one of the flagship heritage events in New South Wales’ Central West region. The event has won awards from the NSW Tourism Awards and National Trust Heritage Awards—a sign of its popularity and quality.
He points out that traditional skills, some thought lost, are returning—and not just because they are beautiful. Many people say learning crafts like woodworking or weaving brings mental and physical benefits. There is a trend away from disposable goods and toward repairing, crafting, and appreciating handmade, sustainable products. At the Trades Trail, you see this shift happening in real time.
Plan Your Visit
- Dates & times: Saturday and Sunday, 12–13 April 2025, from 10 am to 4 pm.
- Location: Bathurst Showground, offering easy access and the shuttle bus to other heritage sites.
- Tickets: $25 per adult, covers both days. Free for accompanied school-age children. Available online or purchased on-site.
- Camping: Sites available for a small extra fee—either powered or unpowered.
A Weekend to Remember
For anyone interested in history, craftsmanship, or simply a fun, creative weekend out, the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail delivers in spades. Imagine:
- Seeing flames and hammers at the blacksmith’s forge.
- Turning a piece of greenwood into a chair with a bodger.
- Trying your hand at weaving or candle-making.
- Tasting fresh food from the Country Women’s Association stall.
- Listening to live music and laughing while playing outdoor games.
When night falls, you can settle into your tent with a campfire story, surrounded by autumn leaves and the promise of another day of discovery ahead.
Mark your calendar now for 12–13 April 2025 and be part of this award-winning celebration of heritage, skill, and community in Bathurst. It’s a wonderful way to spend time with family, learn something amazing, and support the preservation of traditional trades. See you at the Showground!