Bendigo's Easter Festival is one of Australia's oldest continuous festivals, running since 1871. The centrepiece is the Easter Saturday procession — a street parade through the centre of town featuring Sun Loong, the Golden Dragon Museum's imperial dragon, carried by dozens of participants along the main streets. It draws crowds from across Victoria and fills the city's accommodation well in advance.
The festival runs over four days and includes a fair, market stalls, and the procession itself. The dragon parade has its roots in the Chinese mining community's celebrations, which began in the goldfields era and were formalised as an annual Easter event in the 1870s. It is one of the few places in Australia where the tradition of imperial dragon parading has continued uninterrupted for over 150 years.
If you are planning a visit during Easter, book accommodation months ahead — the town fills up entirely. The parade route runs along Pall Mall and through the city centre; arriving early to secure a good vantage point is worth it.