At a glance
- When
- Saturday 21 November, 11am to 2pm; Santa arrives at 11am
- Where
- Bendigo Marketplace, 37 Garsed Street, Bendigo
- Cost
- Free family entertainment and activities; Santa photos are booked separately
- Parking
- Over 1,200 free car spaces; underground parking at the West entrance is free for customers for 3 hours per day
- Trains and buses
- Bendigo railway station is next door; buses stop in front of it
- Centre hours
- Saturday 9am to 4pm
- Who it’s for
- Families planning to see Santa arrive at Bendigo Marketplace on Saturday 21 November and wanting to know where to park or which bus or train to catch
- What to do now
- Santa photos are booked through a link on the centre’s event page
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the Bendigo Marketplace What’s On, Getting Here, and Services and Amenities pages
- Not yet confirmed
- The price and booking times for Santa photos, and which car park is nearest the Walkers Doughnuts entrance
Santa arrives at Bendigo Marketplace on Saturday 21 November at 11am, and the centre says the free Festive Family Fun Day runs from 11am to 2pm. The centre has over 1,200 free car spaces, and Bendigo railway station is next door.
The event page gives the date without a year. The 21st falls on a Saturday in 2026, which matches. Everything below comes from the centre’s own pages, read on 8 November 2026. Bendigo Marketplace is at 37 Garsed Street, Bendigo, and Centre Management’s number is (03) 5441 6906.
What happens on the day?
The centre says Santa will be escorted by the Australian Defence Force to the Walkers Doughnuts entrance. Elves, reindeer and friends then go with him around the centre to launch the Christmas season and start Santa photos. The centre describes the day as free family entertainment and activities, and lists these:
| Activity | What the centre says |
|---|---|
| Wildlife | Animals from the Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre; you can pet a koala or wombat |
| Reptiles | A photo with some reptiles, “if you are brave enough” |
| Doughnuts | Donut decorating with Walkers Doughnuts |
| Fairy floss | From Donut King |
| Face painting | Colourful Christmas face painting for children |
| Santa photos | Booked through a link on the centre’s event page |
The page does not give a price for the Santa photos or say which times can be booked It also does not say where each activity will be set up inside the centre.
Where can I park?
The centre can be reached by car from Mitchell Street, Edward Street and Arthur Street. It says it has three major car parks, one at each entrance, with over 1,200 free car spaces. Those include disabled spaces and spaces for parents with prams. There is also underground parking at the West entrance, which is free for customers for 3 hours per day.
| Option | Cost | Detail from the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Three surface car parks, one at each entrance | Free | Over 1,200 spaces, including disabled and parents-with-prams spaces |
| Underground car park, West entrance | Free for customers for 3 hours per day | The centre does not say how the 3 hours are tracked |
The centre does not say how full the car parks get on event days.
Can I get there by train or bus?
Yes. The centre says Bendigo’s train station is next door and that a number of Bendigo buses stop at the bus stop in front of the station. It names Castlemaine, Kyneton, Gisborne, Woodend, Kangaroo Flat, Malmsbury, St Albans, Sunbury, Swan Hill, Mildura and Tooleybuc as places whose residents can reach it this way. For train times the centre points to the V/Line timetables, and for buses to the Christian’s Bus timetables for Bendigo. The centre’s own page does not list services for 21 November.
What are the centre’s hours that day?
The centre lists Saturday trading hours of 9am to 4pm. Its other days are Monday to Wednesday 9am to 5:30pm, Thursday 9am to 6pm, Friday 9am to 9pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm. The Fun Day runs inside the Saturday hours, so shops are open before and after Santa arrives. These are the hours the centre showed on 8 November.
What facilities does the centre have for families?
The centre lists two family rooms, at the North and South ends, with change stations, feeding chairs, nappy disposal bins and a microwave, and says they are rated 5 star by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Free wheelchair hire is available from Centre Management, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm; the centre says to call (03) 5441 6906 to arrange it. There are two ATMs, one at the centre entrance near Walkers Doughnuts and one across from Edge/Cotton On. Free Wi-Fi is available under the network name _Free Wifi – Bendigo. The centre also says new amenities at the Woolworths end are now open.
Sources
- Bendigo Marketplace — Santa’s Arrival Family Fun Day (date, time, activities)
- Bendigo Marketplace — Getting Here (parking, train and bus)
- Bendigo Marketplace — Services and Amenities (family rooms, wheelchair hire, ATMs, Wi-Fi)
- Bendigo Marketplace — What’s On (trading hours, address, phone)
Featured image: a myki machine at the entrance of Bendigo Marketplace (photo: Jarred Crowe / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Bendigo Marketplace or its operator. Times and activities can change; check the centre’s website before you go.