YOUR GUIDE TO MAKING THE MOST OF THE MUDGEE REGION THIS SEASON
Forget the heavy knits, the thermals and the woolly socks. It’s time to shed your winter skin, because spring is calling – and she wants you to bring your friends.
She’s arriving with longer days, warmehttps://www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au/admin/entries/blog/2285938?draftId=1012&fresh=1#r afternoons, fresh produce, new-season wines, and a calendar packed with reasons to get out and about.
The Mudgee Region in spring is every woman’s “cute girl’s weekend away” Pinterest board brought to life. Think floaty linen dresses, straw hats, glasses of crisp rosé (straight from the fridge please!) and plenty of lush green space to sip, swirl and soak up the sunshine.
The region’s cherry blossom-lined streets are the perfect backdrop for warm days spent sojourning (so Frenchy, so chic!) through a cobblestone courtyard and cafe, cute boutiques and cellar doors packed with fresh drops as far as the eye can see.
There’s a certain something in the air (and it’s not the pollen) – it’s a shift from “let’s hibernate in our ugg boots” to “hello world, I’m ready to play!” And oh, is she READY TO PLAY.
Mudgee Region truly comes alive in spring, with food and wine (the annual Mudgee Wine & Food Month and Flavours of Mudgee), culture (landmark events like Cementa, Sculptures in the Garden and Mudgee AIR), and the outdoors (walking tracks galore!) all on the calendar in the coming months.
It’s the perfect excuse to finally gather your squad, co-ordinate the calendars and make that long-overdue trip to the Mudgee Region.
Because spring is the season of long lunches, sunset drinks, and taking time to smell the flowers.
Here’s where you’ll find us this season…
RAISE A GLASS
Mudgee Region’s cellar doors are just made for warm spring days.
Book in a tasting under the trees or settle in with a glass of rosé for an afternoon spent sipping something crisp.
With more than 30 cellar doors to choose from, producing everything from bold Shiraz to spring-ready Chardonnay and Riesling, you’ll have no trouble finding a spot to wile away your day.
And with plenty of wineries offering sweeping vineyard views, spacious outdoor areas for casual picnicking and in-house restaurants for gourmet dining, you’re going to love a long lunch, Mudgee Region style.
TAKE A WALK
Mudgee’s historic streets burst into colour in spring as cherry blossoms and wisteria bloom, creating a picture-perfect backdrop for leisurely wandering. Saunter through the town centre, check out all the new season fashion and homewares, and then stop for a coffee at one of the town’s street-side cafes, where you can take in the spring florals and watch the world go by.
If history is more your vibe, take a trip back in time to Gulgong. Walking here is less about covering distance and more about soaking up the atmosphere. It’s easy to wander Gulgong’s beautifully preserved gold-rush streets, stopping into one of the town’s many museums, charming shops or old pubs along the way.
Call us biased, but we think Rylstone and Kandos are the prettiest towns in the region for a spring stroll. Sandstone cottages, mature trees, gorgeous cottage gardens and boutique shops create a peaceful village atmosphere that just screams “relaxed weekend away.”
GET OUTSIDE
Daytime temperatures are just right for getting outside, hiking, cycling or paddling your way around the region.
Escape into nature for a bushwalk and a dip (if you’re brave!) at The Drip, or head to Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp to paddle along the Cudgegong River.
Hire an e-bike or BYO and cycle between the region’s cellar doors – it’s a great way to take in the stunning scenery, and who doesn’t love packing their bike basket with vineyard purchases?!
If slow walks are more your style, the Lawson Park sculpture walk is gorgeous this time of year, or head to Putta Bucca wetlands to spot native birds, wildflowers and (maybe!) kangaroos also enjoying the return to warmer weather.
FRESH PRODUCE
Because it’s all about eating for the season here.
As the weather warms, the region’s growers harvest a wide variety of fresh, seasonal ingredients that will have you stocking up your basket for at-home recipes.
Head to the monthly Makers’ and Farmers’ markets in Robertson Park for everything from honey, fruit and vegetables to fresh flowers and preserves, or book a farm tour for a true paddock-to-plate experience.
Check out the spring offerings from the region’s many restaurants, cellar doors and cafés, with menus that showcase produce from the region’s farms.
Get your creative juices flowing: art in the Mudgee Region this spring
A new season of art is upon us.
A kayak orchestra, large-scale experimental puppetry and works exploring the rituals of regional living: meet 2026 Cementa.
Kandos’ annual contemporary art festival was founded in 2012 to support the cultural and social regeneration of the town, amid the closure of its major cement factory (hence the title!)
Held from September 17–20, this year’s festival will bring together artists from across Australia for a four-day celebration of everything contemporary art has to offer.
Expect more than 40 artists exhibiting video, installation, sound, performance and artworks in venues across Kandos, transforming vacant lots, shopfronts and even the golf course into works of art.
This year’s Cementa artists will contribute works that consider their role in regional cultural revitalisation, community engagement and the creation of socially-engaged, place-specific art practice (phew, try saying that three times fast!)
HOLD YOUR HORSES: SCULPTURES IN THE GARDEN
Mudgee’s largest sculpture exhibition is back for its 16th year, and this time, you’re invited to be part of the art-making process.
Say hello to My Kingdom for a Horse – an ambitious new collaborative community sculpture project, set to take over Rosby vineyard during this year’s exhibition.
Visitors are invited to indulge their creative side, helping to build a herd of life-sized horse sculptures. Add a branch or stick to these prefabricated steel creations, or return across multiple days to really help the herd grow!
The installation will evolve throughout the exhibition, becoming a living artwork that reflects the creativity and collective, hands-on contribution of the community.
The completed sculptures will be gifted to locations throughout the Mudgee Region, creating a lasting public art legacy.
This year’s exhibition will run from October 10–25 at Rosby, with 300 large-scale sculptures by more than 130 established and emerging artists from across Australia, set to be on display.
STAY. PAINT. SHOW: MUDGEE AIR
It’s a simple concept: 14 artists. 14 accommodation offerings. 14 works showcasing the spirit of the Mudgee Region. One exhibition and a stand-out long lunch celebrating art, culture, wine and food.
If the success of last year’s inaugural Mudgee Artist in Residence (AIR) program is anything to go by, the 2026 offering is set to be a HIT.
This November, several artists from across Australia will again head to the Mudgee Region to immerse themselves in the area’s distinctive landscape, light and creative spirit.
Over five days, the artists will stay in accommodation offerings across the Mudgee Region and the Capertee Valley, creating works inspired by the region's natural surroundings.
FYI: last year’s works were such diverse interpretations of what makes the region special, capturing everything from the character of the land and strength of the community to that unmistakable local atmosphere. We can’t wait to see what this year’s artists create!
The completed works will be showcased at an exhibition at Rosby Wines & Gallery on November 27, with locals and visitors able to meet the artists, hear about their creative journeys and snap up their favourite pieces.
The popular Mudgee AIR luncheon is also back in 2026, with guests invited to Blue Wren on November 28 to celebrate the coming together of art, food, wine and conversation.
Watch this space for more details…
So make the most of the longer days and come see what spring looks like in the Mudgee Region.
Small Region. Big spring energy.
