The Festival of Fisher’s Ghost takes place every November in Campbelltown to commemorate one of Australia’s most famous ghosts, Frederick Fisher.
The historic event dates back to 1956, and today is an important community affair for the residents.
Festival of Fisher’s Ghost 2023 Dates, Events Program, Fireworks & Times
The festival features a fresh and vibrant re-imagined program of events, with new and exciting events popping up across the city throughout the ten-day festival. Up to 100,000 locals and visitors experience the festival each year and explore the unique and exciting activations across the city.
Carnival at Festival of Fisher’s Ghost
This year’s thrills and spills of the Fisher’s Ghost Carnival will see the Leumeah Commuter Car Park turn into a fun park! Join at this thrill seekers paradise and family fun zone from Thursday, 2 to Sunday, 12 November, as the Carnival returns to Fisher’s Ghost 2023.
Gather your family and friends for a day or night of fun-filled rides and activities, with a spectacular fireworks display at 9pm on Saturday, 4 November and Saturday, 11 November during the carnival.
An exciting new thrill ride will make its Sydney debut at this year’s carnival and will surely impress local thrill seekers! More clues about this new ride will be released in the lead-up to the event.
There will be:
- Delicious food and dessert options
- Sideshow Alley
- Daredevil rides
- Kids rides
- Show bags
- Sydney debut of a new ride attraction
- and much more
Marsdens Law Group Fisher’s Ghost Fun Run
Whether you are a competitive runner or just want to enjoy a fun walk with family and friends, you’ll have until 10am to complete either the 5km or 10km race.
Sign up for the casual 5km course – the minimum age is 7 years old. Or for the more competitive runners, the 10km course that loops the race course twice is the one for you – you’ll need to be 12 years or older on race day.
Walkers and prams are welcome to participate over either distance.
Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize
The Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize is back! Whether you’re a writer of short stories, narrative non-fiction, memoirs or poetry, entering is easy.
Campbelltown City Library has partnered with WestWords to create this prize (now in its third year), open to anyone who lives, works or attends school, TAFE or university in the Campbelltown Local Government area from grade four and above.
Writers are invited to submit works addressing this year’s theme, One Step into Tomorrow.
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award
The Fisher’s Ghost Art Award is an annual art award and exhibition inviting artists to submit works in a variety of artistic categories and mediums.
The Fisher’s Ghost Art Award is one of Western Sydney’s premier art competitions. Now in its 61st year, across the categories, there is over $60,000 in prize money to be won, with the prestigious acquisitive Open Award valued at $50,000.
Other categories include Contemporary, Traditional, the Macarthur Award, Aboriginal Art Award and the Macability Award.
The Art Award exhibition coincides with our Festival of Fisher’s Ghost and will be held from Saturday, 28 October to Friday, 8 December.
Fisher’s Twilight Fair at Festival of Fisher’s Ghost
Join a night of markets, entertainment, food and music right in the heart of Campbelltown CBD and Mawson Park, where the legend of Fred Fisher began.
On Saturday, 4 November, from 4pm to 10pm, Mawson Park and Queen Street (between Broughton Street and Cordeaux Street) will transform into two exciting zones with something for everyone.
- DJ and live stage performances featuring local community talent
- Roving entertainment
- Kids activities, inflatables & face painting
- Chill out areas to sit and take in the park atmosphere.
There will be a variety of food and dessert trucks to delight your tastebuds. Stay tuned for more information on our Foodie Zone.
Retro Rollin’ at Festival of Fisher’s Ghost
Roll along with your family and friends to our Retro Rollin’ event – returning on the first weekend of the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost at a brand new location.
Show off your groovy moves as you zip around our pop-up outdoor retro roller-skating rink at the Dumaresq Street commuter carpark.
- Two rinks – one for beginners and another for seasoned skaters
- DJ rocking some tunes from 4pm each day
- Retro food and dessert vendors for snacks
- Roving Freestyling Performers by the team at Rollerfit
- Friendly professional coaches for beginners
Get decked out in your craziest roller skating attire for a fun skate session. If you’re not a fan of fancy dress, don’t worry, just come along in your comfiest skating gear and get rollin’.
If you have your own skates, feel free to bring them along and any safety gear you may already have – helmet, wrist/knee/elbow pads.
No skates? You can hire skates and safety gear for free on the day.
Sunset Sounds at Festival of Fisher’s Ghost
Bring your picnic blanket and your besties for the chill vibes and beats as we bring the second year of Sunset Sounds to the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost.
Grab a spot on the lawn and enjoy the spring sun at Campbelltown Athletic Centre on Saturday, 11 November, as a huge lineup takes to the stage.
They are so excited to announce Sunset Sounds’ amazing lineup for this year. Australian hard rock band Baby Animals and country rock band The Wolfe Brothers are set to take centre stage at this year’s Sunset Sounds.
This exciting event, presented in collaboration with The Beer Shed Brewing Co, will run from 3 pm to 10 pm and promises a thrilling lineup of country and rock acts.
Treat yourself to a variety of delicious food truck delights and save room for the delicious dessert options. There’s a licenced pop-up bar serving local craft beer and wine. enjoy Craft Beer, Cider, Ginger Beer, Wine, Seltzer, Pre-Mix cans and soft drinks.
Dogs in the Park at Fisher’s Ghost
Bring your dog down to Milton Park on Sunday, 5 November, for Dogs in the Park at Fisher’s Ghost. This event features a variety of pet-related stalls, food vendors, dog competitions and demonstrations. Ensure their dog is kept on lead and is happy to socialise with the other attendees – dog and humans alike.
Enjoy pet-related market stalls offering everything to spoil your furry friend and grab a bite to eat at one of the food vendors.
Want to showcase your four-legged friend? Enter your dog into one of the day’s competitions.
- Strike-a-paw fancy dress
- Most colourful dog outfit
- Cutest puppy
- Cutest dog
- Dog got talent
- Best in show
- Scruffiest dog
- Tallest dog
- Smallest dog
- Dog owner look alike
- Lick-a-mat competition
- Plus more.
Every dog entered into a competition will receive a ribbon on the day.
Art After Dark Trail at Festival of Fisher’s Ghost
In celebration of Campbelltown Central Business District’s iconic Public Art and the 2023 Festival of Fishers Ghost, they bring you the Art After Dark Trail, an Augmented Reality Public Art program.
This tour invites people of all ages to take a stroll across the amazing city and learn about some of the thriving Artists, Cultures and stories connected to Campbelltown.
Featuring colossal local artworks by nationally acclaimed artists across five sites in Campbelltown CBD, you’ll discover at:
- ‘Breathing Life’ by Victoria Garcia & Bayvick Lawrance, located in Patrick St, Campbelltown
- ‘Three Mobs’ by Jason Wing, located at the Corner of Queen St and Dumaresq St, Campbelltown
- ‘Raw Undoings’ by Danielle Mate, located at Carberry Lane, Campbelltown
- ‘Forum Q’ by Feras Shaheen, located at Forum Q, Corner of Lithgow St and Queen St, Campbelltown
- ‘Spinning the Fire Sutra’ by Savanhdary Vongpoothorn, located at Anzac Lane, Campbelltown
Fisher’s Kids Yomise 夜店 Yo-mi-se 2023
Fishers Kids 2023 is a family-friendly celebration of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture and the spectacular Japanese Artists living and working in Australia.
Themed Yomise 夜店 after Japanese night markets, the celebration will be held exclusively within Campbelltown Arts Centre’s beautiful Japanese Garden. It will run from late afternoon into the night, showcasing a dynamic selection of workshops, stalls, installations and performances.
In the Footsteps of Fred – Walking Tour
Who was Fred Fisher? Why is his story still remembered and celebrated nearly 200 years after his murder? These questions and more will be answered on this walking tour of the key sites involved in the Fred Fisher story. From his struggles to leave behind his convict past and become a wealthy businessman to his gruesome demise, the colourful life of our famous spectre will be chillingly revealed.
The Walking tour will begin at HJ Daley Library.
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