By Julie Miller
Since its genesis as a retreat for Sydneysiders to “take the air” and escape the humidity of the city, NSW’s Blue Mountains has traded on its reputation for having four distinct seasons: the blaze of colours as exotic deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn; the flutter of snow in winter, with the promise of snowball fights; the vibrant palette of spring in manicured gardens; and the lazy, hazy days of summer, when it’s a good five degrees cooler than in the neighbouring flatlands.
With the seasons come celebratory festivals, with a focus on the harvest, culture, arts and recreation pertinent to the time of year. For visitors, the Mountains’ healthy social calendar means there’s always an event or theme to tailor activities around, ensuring repeat visitors always have a fresh perspective to create memories.
Summer
Big views in the Blue Mountains.
With Sydneysiders flocking to beaches during summer, this is traditionally low season in the Blue Mountains, with lower hotel occupancy and an overriding ambience of ennui, accompanied by the soundtrack of cicadas in full throttle. But with long days tempered by cooler mornings and evenings, it’s also a great time to get into the bush, exploring the myriad trails of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park. You can escape the heat in deep, shady canyons, or cool off in a river swimming hole or under the spray of sparkling waterfalls that plummet over the sandstone escarpment.
Don’t miss: Watch the setting sun illuminate the sheer cliffs from one of two cellar doors in the bucolic Megalong Valley, sipping on locally grown varietals as you savour a cheese or ploughman’s platter; or head to either Scenic World’s Terrace Bar or The Lookout near Echo Point to toast the golden hour as shadows lengthen across the Jamison Valley. Balmy summer evenings give way to velvet inky nights, bejewelled with a million twinkling stars, admired through telescopes on a tour with Blue Mountains Stargazing.
Key events: During the summer school holidays, the ancient rainforest of the floor of Jamison Valley comes alive to the roar of life-size animatronic dinosaurs, with the annual Dinosaur Valley exhibit at Scenic World. In January, theatre company Sport for Jove traditionally runs a season of al fresco performances of Shakespeare’s classics in Leura’s Everglades Gardens – an atmospheric stage for the Bard’s light-hearted comedies. Another fun annual event is the Lady Luck Festival held in January, celebrating all things rockabilly and vintage, at the historic Carrington Hotel.
Autumn
Everglades House and Garden is never more vibrant than in autumn.Credit: Destination NSW
As the days cool and the leaves of stately oaks lining the streets of Leura, Blackheath and Mount Wilson turn gold to red and russet, before fluttering to the ground in a crunchy carpet, so the “leaf peepers” descend on the region, snapping Insta-worthy images of the Blue Mountains in its most audacious autumn finery. Some of the Mountain’s most glorious gardens are also open to the public during this spectacular season.
Don’t miss: Autumn is also harvest season in the Blue Mountains, with the fruits of the cooler weather showcased on the plates of the region’s leading restaurants. You can also visit farm gates on the Bells Line of Road approach. Apple, chestnut and stonefruit farms at Bilpin open for “pick your own” sessions; you can also forage for mushrooms and truffles in the pine forests of Oberon, at the base of the Mountains. In May, the annual Leura Harvest Festival sees the beautiful Mall at Leura closed to traffic, with stalls showcasing fresh fruit, vegetables, honey, wine and baked goods.
Key events: The inaugural Equinox – Autumn Celebration of the Senses festival in 2022 was an initiative of a bushfire recovery grant, and has now become an annual event held over four weekends in March-April. Featuring free and ticketed events, it encompasses some pre-existing festivities such as the longstanding Blue Mountains Music Festival, with each weekend boasting a different theme: taste, hear, feel, see. From art workshops to wellness sessions, bushland activities and immersive entertainment, this festival unites all that is unique about the Blue Mountains. In May, fitness freaks also make a beeline for the hills during the annual UltraTrail, Australia’s premier running event and the largest trail run in the southern hemisphere.
Winter
Catch Yulefest in the chilly months. Local teapot museum and tearoom Bygone Beautys gets into the spirit.
Mist swirling through the valleys, crackling log fires, steaming drinks and the whisper of snow … when it’s cold outside, the Blue Mountains come into their own, hosting a range of festivities that celebrate the seasonal chill. This is the perfect time to warm up with a vigorous hike along the escarpment or into the valleys, or simply admire the view from a lookout before scurrying back indoors to warm up. And when it snows, be prepared for a real celebration – there’s nothing more joyous than throwing snowballs, making snow angels or tobogganing down a hill in the fluffy cold stuff.
Don’t miss: Since the 1980s, the Blue Mountains has been the epicentre of Australia’s Yulefest festivities. Christmas in July is celebrated at a range of hotels, restaurants and even wineries, with multi-course gourmet feasts loaded with seasonal trimmings – and even visits from the man in red himself. The festivities kick off with an annual winter solstice ball held at historic Carrington Hotel and continue throughout July and August.
Key events: Celebrated around the winter solstice, the Winter Magic Festival is a popular community event held on the traffic-free main street of Katoomba that speaks to the inner pagan – think wacky dress-ups, magic, drum circles, fire twirling, market stalls and art exhibits. Introduced just last year but planned as an annual event, Katoomba Snowmania encourages businesses in the Mountains’ main hub to decorate their shopfronts with snowmen created from obscure found objects, and with the public voting on their favourite.
Spring
Fresh blooms at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden.Credit: Wolter Peeters
As the days lengthen and warm, so the Mountains burst into colour as street-fronts and gardens filled with exotic cool-climate species awake from their slumber. Public gardens such as Everglades or the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah are a picture with carpets of daffodils, beds of irises, soaring rhododendron and riotous displays of azaleas and camellias; while the famous cherry blossoms of Leura Mall are at their Instagrammable best.
Don’t miss: Officially just beyond the Blue Mountains, the former coal-mining town of Lithgow has reinvented itself as the home of weird, with its annual Halloween celebrations arguably the best and largest in the country.
Key events: Take a peek into grand estates and century-old gardens during the annual Leura Garden Festival, held over four days around the October long weekend. Meanwhile, the town of Blackheath celebrates the annual Rhododendron Festival in November, with a street parade, an art exhibition and street stalls. In October, literary types gather at the Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival, featuring workshops and talks by Australia’s most celebrated authors.
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