Flavours of Ipswich is Good to Go!
This April feed your curiosity with Flavours of Ipswich as you try some of Ipswich’s favourite restaurants.
And while you’re heading here why not make a weekend of it, with great accommodation offers available, plenty of shows on and lots of things to do.
Stay over night and wake up fresh to explore the CBD including Queens Park, The Workshops Rail Museum or go antiquing at vintage stores like the Ipswich Antique Centre and the Vintage Advantage.
Stop in at Springfield
If you’re travelling into Ipswich for Flavours of Ipswich, especially from the Gold Coast, stop in at Springfield or base yourself there at Quest Springfield or the Springfield Lakes Hotel and visit the Orion Lagoon and Robelle Domain, or take a hike at White Rock – Spring Mountain Conservation Estate.
Nearby Flavours participants include Raw Energy Springfield, Cafe Kalina and Boulevard at Brookwater.
Sip ‘n’ Paint classes
Coming from up north? Travel through Goodna to visit the Sip ‘n’ Dip studio and learn how to paint or craft.
The studio is close to The Commercial Hotel Redbank, which is also taking part in Flavours of ipswich.
Hike Flinders Peak
Go hike Flinders Peak – the tallest peak in the Brisbane region and higher than the Glass House Mountains.
Nearby, Summer Land Camel farm is participating in Flavours of Ipswich.
Visit Marburg
If you’re heading in from Toowoomba stop in at the charming town of Marburg, have a picnic, take an art class or browse at The Soul Nook Collective, go antiquing at Scotland Yard Antiques and The Black Museum, taste test the gin at the Imbibis Craft Distillery or book in for a ghost tour at Woodlands of Marburg. Grab a coffee at the Special Branch Collective or The Girls’ Coffee Bar.
Then head on into Ipswich to taste the delicious Flavours of Ipswich menu.
If you want to base yourself in Marburg you can stay at Woodlands of Marburg or the Tallavalley Farm B&B.
Watercress Creek Olives and Limes Festival
If you’re heading in around the 11th of April the Watercress Creek Olive Festival will be on! The festival is a unique on farm experience where you can purchase fresh produce and even buy a picnic pack to enjoy in the olive grove.
All 25 other stalls are local and nearby producers selling their products. Visitors come for the country theme and return each year for the quality on offer.
No two festivals are the same and everything can be sampled first before purchase. There is also live entertainment on the day!
Visit the markets
There are some great markets to visit while you’re in town. Every Sunday see the Ipswich Showplace Markets, the Ripley Markets will be on Saturday April 10 from 3pm-8pm, the Handmade Markets will be on April 10 from 9am-1pm at Tulmur Place in Ipswich Central, the Riverlink Market Zone will be run on April 11 from 8am-1pm and the Springfield Markets will be held on April 18 9am-4pm at Orion Springfield Central’s Main St.
See the animals
Book in to visit the Haiglsea Ewe Nique Hobby Farm to feed and pet the cute animals, there’s also great coffee on site.
Or book in for a farm tour at The Llama Farm, llama walks are also available in the afternoons.
Take a stroll down the Top of Town
The Top of Town precinct is a stretch of Brisbane Street right in the heart of Ipswich that has an entire strip of spectacular heritage buildings. It is bordered by Ellenborough and Waghorn streets. A mix of independently owned and family-run shops, businesses and cafes have opened in the area in recent years.
In the best known landmark of this part of town, the Old Flour Mill, you can find a special array of retailers including The Soul Cauldron and Embers and Twine. Back out on the street fashion stores Oh JoJo! Boutique, Soul Sista and Obsession Shoes bring hard to find labels to the city. Cute to Boot specialises in baby and toddler clothing, footwear and nursery items and at Ipswich Massage and Herbal Spa you can indulge in relaxation, take a yoga class or pick up beauty products.
Explore your creative side at Arttime Supplies and step back in time at the Vintage Advantage. Then if you’re after some nourishment check out Fourthchild and The Retro Diner – all in the same stretch and both participating in Flavours of Ipswich.
Wander up to the Brisbane St intersection and head across to see Indian Mehfil restaurant in a historic old bank building. Go a little further down and you’ll be in D’Arcy Doyle place where you can find the Ipswich Art Gallery
Ipswich’s striking new Nicholas Street Precinct, at the old mall site, just a few meters down is now open for business. The area has emerged as an exciting dining and retail pocket in the city.
Located at the site is a new Ipswich library and separate dedicated Children’s library as well as Tulmur Place where live entertainment and events are held and a new zero depth water play area for the kids
Circus Train
Roll up! Roll up! Come to The Workshops Rail Museum these April school holidays for Circus Train.
Grab the kids, your tickets and get onboard for the chance to see some of Queensland’s circus train history, have fun in action alley and see our real life steam trains, diesel locomotives and more.
First stop: Circus Train
- Have fun in Action Alley playing circus games and show off your skills like hula hoops and stilt walking.
- Circus entertainment daily at 10:30am, 11:30am and 12:30pm.
- Wander the Circus Train display with 20 historical photos of the circus trains in Queensland including an historic film from the 1940s with the “greatest show on earth” rolling into Queensland, Wirth’s Circus.
- Get creative in the craft area and make your own clown hat.
Next stop: Hands on, interactive – who doesn’t love hands on fun?
- Put your little ones in the driver’s seat of our diesel train simulator
- Interact with our 20 Sciencentre stations.
- Let loose in the indoor adventure playground Nippers Railway.
- And set your eyes on our model railway.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get you down to The Workshops Rail Museum.
- We recommend a visit of 3 hours + because there’s so much to see and do.
- Opening hours are 9.30am – 4pm daily. We are closed Good Friday.
- All of our exhibitions, events and activities are included in the price of your ticket.
- Our Trackside Cafe is open daily serving delicious hot and cold food and beverages.
- We have changed entry conditions in line with Queensland Government’s COVID-Safe Plan.
Ticket prices:
- Family ticket $44.20 (2 adults, 2 children)
- Adult $14.50
- Concession $12.50
- Child (2 – 15 years) $11.50
- Child (under 3 years) FREE
- Annual Family Pass $99
Date: Saturday 3 April 2021 – Sunday 18 April 2021
Time: 9:30am – 4pm daily
Where: The Workshops Rail Museum, North Street, North Ipswich
Cost: Usual general Museum entry applies.
See contemporary works from the collection
Until April 18 you can explore a selection of Australian contemporary artworks from the Ipswich Art Gallery Collection.
Featured artists include Patricia Piccinini, Alex Seton, Daniel Wallwork, Leila Jeffreys and Jan Nelson.
No Bookings Required for General Admission.
Ipswich races
If you love horse racing the Ipswich Turf Club will be holding three race meets during Flavours of Ipswich.
The first race meet in the period is Wednesday April 7, the second is Friday April 16 and the third on Wednesday April 21.
Gates open at 10am each race day and close at 5pm and it’s free to enter!
Take a hot air balloon flight
Book a flight to take in the Ipswich surrounds floating high in the sky in the basket of a Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flight!
Finish your experience with a delicious breakfast at Fourthchild Cafe, which is also offering a Flavours of Ipswich lunch menu.
Take a Japanese tea tour
Book in for a cultural experience in the tea house at Nerima Gardens.
The Japanese tea ceremonies are performed on the last Saturday of the month, and during Flavours there is one on April 24.
Have a V8 Race Experience
Book in for a V8 Race Experience at Queensland Raceway.
The choice is yours – Holden or Ford – then you’re securely strapped in alongside a professional coach who’ll prep you on braking, cornering and handling the track. It’s all the thrills of being a pro racing car driver but with safety as its number one priority.
Test yourself at Seraphim Escape
At Seraphim Escape Rooms challenge yourself to escape the Executioners Toolshed! It’s one of the scariest rooms in the Brisbane region and its sequel Atonement is just as eerie.
But if you’re after something less intense there’s Santa’s cottage, which is also great to do with kids!
Take a heli-tour
Like mountain biking? How about heli-mountain biking? Well it’s an option that you can book through Pterodactyl helicopters. There’s also picnic tours, scenic tours, pub crawls and winery tours that you can do around the region.
Where to stay…
If you’re looking for family friendly accommodation Quest Ipswich has family apartments as well as one bedroom and studio rooms just down the road from Essence of Indya, or you can rent an apartment at Oaks Aspire Ipswich Suites which are next door to Bakehouse Steakhouse. Cumquat House is a heritage house turned B&B and Best Western Ipswich are close to the Ipswich CBD. While the Country Motel Ipswich’s restaurant Casa Mia is taking part in the Flavours of Ipswich program. If you’re dining at Boulevard or Raw Energy in Springfield, your nearest accommodation is Quest Springfield and the Springfield Lakes Hotel.
For the full list of where to stay visit our accommodation page.
For more inspiration on what to see and do in Ipswich see 75 things to do in Ipswich.
