Yarra Valley Cherry Blossom Festival 2026: Eat, See & Explore

The Yarra Valley Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 runs from 18 September to 4 October at CherryHill Orchards in Wandin East. The orchard is at 474 Queens Road, Wandin East VIC 3139, around one hour from Melbourne.

Expect white cherry blossoms, orchard walks, photography, picnics, family activities and seasonal food. The CherryHill Blossom Festival can also become the starting point for a wider Yarra Valley spring day. This guide covers dates, tickets, things to do, food, practical tips and places to visit afterwards.

When Is the CherryHill Blossom Festival in 2026?

The CherryHill Blossom Festival 2026 runs from 18 September to 4 October at CherryHill Orchards Wandin East.

Current Cherry Blossom Festival tickets list adult entry at $15. Children currently enter free on weekdays and cost $10 on weekends. Ticket prices can change, so check the live booking price before visiting.

The Yarra Valley blossom season follows weather conditions and individual tree varieties. Every section of the cherry orchard will not necessarily flower together. Staff direct visitors towards the strongest blossom displays during the event.

The festival also overlaps Victoria’s September school holidays, which run from 21 September to 2 October for government schools.

Your preferred day should match the experience you want. Weekdays offer smaller crowds and a quieter setting for blossom photography or picnics. Weekends add live music, children’s activities, market stalls and more food vendors.

For couples and photographers, midweek usually provides the calmer experience. Families wanting more festival atmosphere may prefer a weekend.

What Can You See and Do at the Blossom Festival?

The festival centres on orchard walks, cherry blossom photography, picnics and family activities beneath flowering cherry trees.

White blossoms stretch along the orchard rows, framed by green slopes and Yarra Valley countryside. Visitors can wander at their own pace or settle onto the lawns for a spring picnic.

Things to do at the CherryHill Blossom Festival include:

• Wander through rows of flowering cherry trees.
• Take personal photographs among the blossoms.
• Enjoy an orchard picnic with family or friends.
• Play lawn games around the festival grounds.
• Visit the CherryHill Kids Hub.
• Book an optional professional blossom photography session.
• Bring your dog for a pet-friendly Yarra Valley outing.

The Kids Hub includes face painting, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, story time and lawn games. Weekend sessions offer more guided activities, while weekdays create a more relaxed setting.

Dogs are welcome at the Blossom Festival and must remain on a lead. Water bowls are available around the site, while pup cups are sold through the café.

Visitors should not pick the blossoms. Each flower forms part of the pollination cycle that eventually produces cherries later in the season.

The weekday versus weekend choice is therefore quite practical. Choose midweek for quieter photography and picnics. Choose a weekend for entertainment, family activities and stronger festival energy.

What Can You Eat and Drink at CherryHill?

CherryHill offers café food, orchard picnics, festival vendors, cherry drinks and its well-known cherry ice cream.

Visitors can bring their own picnic for the lawn areas. Cooking equipment and BYO alcohol are not permitted. The updated on-site café and bar provide another option for meals, snacks and drinks.

Food and drink options can include:

• Café-style meals and snacks
• Cherry ice cream
• Locally produced cherry-flavoured drinks
• Weekend festival food vendors
• Your own orchard picnic
• Pre-order picnic packs when available

Weekend visits generally bring a wider range of food vendors. Vendor line-ups can change, so avoid planning your visit around one particular food truck.

Cherry products give the festival a flavour that belongs specifically to the orchard. Cherry ice cream makes an easy afternoon treat, while artisan cherry drinks showcase the fruit in another form.

The festival can also introduce visitors to the wider Yarra Valley food and wine scene. A longer lunch at one of the Yarra Valley winery restaurants combines regional produce with vineyard surroundings.

For another produce-focused visit, Yarra Valley cheese experiences add artisan cheese and wine pairing to the region’s food story.

Allow enough time to enjoy the orchard itself. A relaxed picnic among the blossoms can be more rewarding than rushing towards another booking.

What Else Can You Do Near CherryHill Orchards?

The best additions stay reasonably close to Wandin East and complement the festival’s spring, food and countryside character.

This approach creates a more enjoyable Yarra Valley day trip than trying to collect as many attractions as possible.

The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is especially relevant during spring. Its 2026 season runs from 12 September to 11 October, overlapping CherryHill’s festival.

The Yarra Valley Floral Day Pass links both festivals on selected midweek dates from 18 September to 2 October. CherryHill and Tesselaar sit around ten minutes apart by car, making the pass a practical self-drive option.

Puffing Billy creates a very different afternoon. The heritage railway travels through the Dandenong Ranges and works particularly well for families.

Warratina Lavender Farm and Mont De Lancey keep the day closer to Wandin. Both add agricultural or cultural context without sending visitors deep into another part of the region.

Adults may prefer to move towards wine country instead. Sir Paz Estate is particularly convenient because its cellar door sits in Wandin East.

For most visitors, CherryHill plus one meaningful regional stop creates a better day than four rushed attractions. The aim should be to experience the Yarra Valley, not simply tick off locations.

If spring landscapes are your priority, these gardens in the Yarra Valley can help shape a future garden-focused day.

Which Yarra Valley Wineries Can You Visit Nearby?

Wandin East sits within a broader agricultural landscape where cherry orchards, vineyards and cellar doors naturally sit alongside each other.

That makes Yarra Valley wineries a logical next interest for adults who discover the region through the Blossom Festival.

Sir Paz Estate is one of the most convenient wineries near Wandin East. Its estate-grown range includes Shiraz, Chardonnay and sparkling styles.

Payne’s Rise offers a smaller family-run experience in Seville. Seville Estate takes visitors further into the Upper Yarra landscape.

For a broader wine-country circuit, Yering Station, CHANDON and Coldstream Hills introduce different sides of Yarra Valley wine tasting. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine are particularly important to the region’s cool-climate identity.

You do not need to visit every cellar door on one day. One winery can complement a Blossom Festival visit. Several wineries deserve a separate wine-focused itinerary.

If the festival sparks a deeper interest in wine country, compare the best cellar doors in the Yarra Valley before planning another visit.

First-time visitors can also learn what happens during wine tasting in the Yarra Valley before arriving at a cellar door.

Make a Full Day of Your Yarra Valley Visit

The best Yarra Valley itinerary depends on whether blossoms or wine are the main purpose of your day.

The region now offers more than 90 cellar doors, so trying to combine several tastings with CherryHill can quickly overcrowd your itinerary.

For a festival-focused day, start at CherryHill. Then choose lunch, Puffing Billy, another spring attraction or perhaps one suitable cellar door. Responsible driving should remain part of any self-drive wine planning.

For a wine-focused day, give the vineyards a separate day. A guided winery tour handles the driving and allows several cellar-door tastings to fit naturally into one itinerary.

Vinetrekker’s Yarra Valley wine day tour currently visits four wineries. Indicative timings run from approximately 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, with Melbourne transport included.

The current experience is likely to include Medhurst and Coldstream Hills. It also features lunch at Yering Station and wine with cheese at De Bortoli. Winery stops can change when venues close.

That schedule explains an important planning point. CherryHill and a full guided wine tour work better as separate experiences because both deserve enough time.

CherryHill also offers its own Blossom, Wine & Dine experience with Rochford Wines. That is a separate self-drive experience and is not connected with Vinetrekker.

If wine becomes a bigger part of your Yarra Valley plans, compare Yarra Valley wine tours for a dedicated return visit. You can also discover the best Yarra Valley wines to try before choosing cellar doors.

How Should You Plan Your Blossom Festival Visit?

Book ahead, wear practical footwear and keep your itinerary realistic. These three choices make the Yarra Valley Cherry Blossom Festival easier to enjoy.

CherryHill Orchards is located at 474 Queens Road, Wandin East VIC 3139, around one hour from Melbourne CBD. Allow additional travel time during busy spring weekends and the September school holidays.

CherryHill remains a working farm, so paths and orchard ground can be uneven. Spring weather can also shift throughout the day.

Bring:

• Water
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• A light waterproof layer
• Weather protection
• Closed-toe, comfortable shoes
• A camera or charged phone
• Picnic supplies if bringing your own food

The festival can continue during wet weather, so check conditions before leaving Melbourne.

Do not expect every orchard row to display identical blossom. Flowering varies naturally throughout the season. Follow staff directions towards the strongest flowering sections during your visit.

Choose a weekday when quieter photography, open picnic space and slower wandering matter most. Choose a weekend for music, children’s activities, markets and additional food vendors.

Most importantly, avoid treating the Yarra Valley like a checklist. CherryHill plus one well-chosen experience usually creates a more satisfying day.

Visitors staying longer can compare places to stay in the Yarra Valley and give the region a second day.

FAQs About the Yarra Valley Cherry Blossom Festival 2026

When is the CherryHill Blossom Festival in 2026?

The CherryHill Blossom Festival runs from 18 September to 4 October 2026.

Where is the Cherry Blossom Festival in the Yarra Valley?

The festival takes place at CherryHill Orchards, 474 Queens Road, Wandin East VIC 3139. The orchard is around one hour from Melbourne CBD.

How much are CherryHill Blossom Festival tickets?

Current 2026 pricing lists adult entry at $15. Children currently enter free on weekdays and cost $10 on weekends. Check live prices before booking.

What can you do at the CherryHill Blossom Festival?

Visitors can walk through flowering cherry trees, take photographs, picnic and enjoy seasonal activities. Weekends add more entertainment and family programming.

Can you bring food to CherryHill Orchards?

Yes. Visitors can bring an orchard picnic. CherryHill also offers café food, drinks and additional food vendors during weekend sessions.

Are dogs allowed at the CherryHill Blossom Festival?

Yes. Dogs are welcome during the Blossom Festival and must remain on a lead. Water bowls and pup cups are available.

When is cherry blossom season in Victoria?

Cherry blossom timing varies with weather and tree variety. CherryHill’s 2026 festival runs from 18 September to 4 October around its spring flowering period.

What should you wear to CherryHill Orchards?

Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and prepare for changing spring weather. The orchard is working farmland with uneven ground.

What can you do near CherryHill Orchards?

Nearby options include Warratina Lavender Farm, Mont De Lancey, Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Puffing Billy and wineries around Wandin East and Seville.

Which wineries are near Wandin East?

Sir Paz Estate is located in Wandin East. Payne’s Rise and Seville Estate are nearby, with many more cellar doors across the Yarra Valley.

Explore More of the Yarra Valley with Vinetrekker

The Cherry Blossom Festival Yarra Valley 2026 can introduce you to the orchards, produce and rolling countryside of this cool-climate region. Wine country deserves its own time once cellar doors become a bigger part of your plans.

For a separate wine-focused day, Yarra Valley wine tours remove the need to organise each winery, tasting and driving yourself. Vinetrekker handles Melbourne transport and the day’s winery sequence, leaving you free to enjoy the wines, food and regional stories.

Turn your spring discovery into a dedicated wine-country escape. Choose your Vinetrekker Wine Tours experience and secure the Yarra Valley day that suits you.