A hands-on celebration of the makers, shapers, and creators who keep the old skills alive and the sparks flying.
Step through the gates of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and into a living, breathing world from another time. This isn’t some sleepy museum day out — this is loud, smoky, sweaty, skilful stuff. It’s the clang of metal on metal. The bite of a chainsaw carving through timber. The crack of a cannon echoing across the hill.
This is Wreckfest — where heritage trades aren’t just remembered… they’re unleashed.
🔥 Craft. Skill. Spectacle.
Across the village, the air buzzes with the rhythm of raw talent. Watch hand shearers, coopers, wheelwrights roll up their sleeves to show just how tough, clever, and gritty our forebears really were.
Marvel at antique gun displays, the precision of a scoreboard maker, the delicate craft of wooden spoon carvers, potters, wood turners & more.
The Warrnambool Garrison fire up their eighty-pound cannon — uniforms sharp, powder dry — as the hillside rings with history.
🧶 A Village Alive with Makers
Wander the cobblestone streets and discover spinners, loom weavers, embroiderers, and felters, bringing texture and tradition to life with every thread.
Ever seen someone twist rope by hand? Watch it happen, no gimmicks, no shortcuts, just the pure rhythm of craft passed down through generations. Over in a quiet corner, a fly rod is being crafted from cane, by hand, no machines in sight.
🌿 Get Hands-On
🪚 Men’s Shed Toy Building
The Warrnambool Men’s Shed crew will be on hand, helping kids craft their own wooden toys to take home.
🚣 Canoe Rides with Rikali
Take to the water with a canoe ride on the lake and see the village from a whole new angle.
🍴 Fuel the Fun
Bring your appetite. Wreckfest delivers proper festival food — the kind that hits the spot and sticks in your memory.
🎶 For the Young (and Young at Heart)
Old-school games. Damper by the fire. Live music from the Tin Shed Singers and Wednesday Whistlers floating through the village. This is where nostalgia, skill, and community collide.
Wreckfest Rare Trades Festival is a full-bodied plunge into the sights, sounds, smells and stories that shaped the way we live.
Regular admission prices apply.