- There’s an abundance of things to do in Sydney across the entire weekend (April 3-6) but costs can easily mount up.
- As well as free and cheap Easter events, there’s plenty of ways to make your own free fun.
- Sydney Travel Guide has hunted down the best budget-friendly Easter options for everyone.
Even at the best of times Sydney can be an expensive city to hang out in, but when you’ve got to amuse yourself (and maybe the kids to entertain too) over a four-day long weekend, it’s hard to see how you won’t blow the budget.
But fear not! Like a horde of chocoholics on an Easter egg hunt, Sydney Travel Guide has searched high and low to uncover the best Easter events in Sydney and how to enjoy them without breaking the bank.
Sydney’s Top Family-Friendly Easter Events
The Sydney Royal Easter Show
The biggest event on the calendar by far is the Sydney Royal Easter Show – and if you’re not careful it can end up being the most expensive too. Sure, you have to pay for entry tickets but once you are through the gates, there’s plenty of free fun to be had and ways to curb spending so the day out at Sydney Olympic Park remains a fun family out.
How to save money at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
- Tickets: Buy discounted early bird tickets or choose the “after 4pm entry”
- Travel: Leave the car at home and save on petrol and parking fees at Sydney Olympic Park and take advantage of the free public transport that comes with your Sydney Royal Easter Show ticket.
- Food: Fill up on hot cross buns and pack plenty of snacks and drinks before you head to the Show. Many of the food and dessert stalls give away free samples too. But don’t deny yourself a Dagwood Dog or a sweet treat if you must – after all, that is half the fun.
- Showbags: The showbags are a big drawcard for any child – big or small. Prices start from $5 for budget options, including the much-loved Bertie Beetle showbag. And look for ones that include food or items you can actually use.
- Carnival rides and Sideshow Alley: Get a Carnival Fun Pass which allows you lo load a predetermined amount on to it and then hold fast when anyone asks for more.
- Free fun: The best way to get value out of your ticket is to enjoy all the free fun and entertainment. Seriously, just try dragging your kids (or yourself) away from the adorable baby farm animals at the petting zoo. The whole family will love watching the woodchopping competitions and there’s a full roster of events in the main arena like motocross stunts and nightly fireworks start at 7pm.
Sydney Family Easter Show
Just as it has since 2010, Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter transforms into a vibrant Easter playground with the Sydney Family Easter Show. It’s packed with rides, there’s a farmyard nursery with baby animals, live entertainment, hands-on activities and showbags to buy. Entry is $30 for adults, $15 for children aged 3-15, and a family pass for four people is $75. You can pick up a 3-hour unlimited rider pass for $50 and the Easter Basket Zone is $15.
The Hills Easter Show
There are four days of fun to be had at Castle Hill Showground as The Hills Easter Show returns. Running daily from 11am to 10pm, this outdoor family event offers what you’d expect at a fun Easter outing – farmyard animal nursery, roaming Easter Bunny etc – and what you might not: a reptile display and the high-energy PWA Live Wrestling Extravaganza. There’s a spectacular fireworks display on Easter Sunday and Monday nights.
The Grounds of Alexandria Kids Easter Egg Hunt
Sorry, folks, but this one is just for kids! Billed as the ultimate Easter Egg Hunt, heaps of delicious mini chocolate eggs will be hidden throughout the beautiful gardens at The Grounds of Alexandria for kids under 12 to find. There will also be two very special golden eggs for the chance to win a special prize. Tickets are $20 and limited so don’t wait.
Free Easter events in Sydney for families
Some of the best Easter events are free and they are scattered across Sydney over the course of the long weekend. Most cater for families, and they include markets, Easter egg hunts, and other Easter Bunny-based activities.
Markets
Grab your Easter basket and head down to the Entertainment Quarter Easter Markets on Easter Saturday (4 April) which will feature over 60 stalls with handcrafted gifts and fresh produce, plus a visit from the Easter Bunny.
The Rocks Easter Markets are also free to wander through with stalls by local artisans and entrepreneurs, food trucks, live music, Easter-themed treats and atmosphere.
Family fun days out
Spend Easter Sunday at The Vineyard which offers free activities including an egg hunt, live music, and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
Get your groove on on Easter Saturday (April 4) and take the whole family to Darling Harbour for the School (Holiday) Disco, the ultimate celebration where movement takes centre stage. There’s something for every little – and grown-up – body, from K-Pop dance classes and a parents’ dance competition to a tumble zone featuring hula hoops, elastics games, cartwheels and more. The Easter Bunny will also stop by to show off some breakdancing moves.
There are also community run Easter egg hunts at various locations around Sydney, including Beare Park, Milson Park and Inner West park. They’re either free or gold coin donation-based for entry. They offer simple egg hunts, BBQs / sausage sizzles, kids games and face painting. So grab your Easter egg basket and get hunting.
Low-cost and cheap Easter activities to do in Sydney
The Fairfield Easter Fair is a huge 6-day Easter event jam-packed with entertainment including kelpie dogs and sheep shearing displays, a bubble man, free circus workshops and much more. There’s fireworks every night and a drone show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Entry is a low $5, with rides costing extra.
Campbelltown Easter Fair is a community celebration and Sydney’s only free-entry Easter show. It features carnival games, free Easter egg hunts, a kids’ zone, fireworks, and a meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny.
Where to find the best Hot Cross Buns
Easter Sunday isn’t complete without a Hot Cross Bun and while your cheapest option might be to head to the local supermarket, many top bakeries offer good value for money options. The sweet spot in Sydney is to find artisan bakeries doing $4–$6 buns or $20–$25 packs. This is where you can get quality and value.
The Humble Bakery: Think of classic, fluffy buns packed with fruit and spice, fresh batches baked daily over Easter and the bakery feels premium but still reasonably priced.
A.P Bakery is perfect if you’re into quirky flavours. It’s not gimmicky, just really good quality. This is a great option if you want something “worth it” but not fancy.
Tokyo Lamington is cute for an ‘Easter treat’ moment. Picture hot cross bun and lamington hybrids. That’s chocolate, coconut, and spiced flavours. They’re slightly pricier, but still reasonable for something unique.
Where to find budget-friendly Easter treats in Sydney
It’s not all about the buns! Sydney’s best bakeries and chocolatiers get creative to deliver inspired chocolate Easter eggs and find mouthwatering irresistible inspiration.
KOI Dessert Bar isn’t the cheapest in the street but soooo worth it. $25 per Easter egg dessert / $65 bundle. They’re famous for their egg-shaped desserts you smash open with flavours like chocolate, banana and hazelnut. It feels very “special occasion” but still cheaper than fine dining.
Black Star Pastry is your go-to place for an Insta-worthy treat. Most treats are light, pretty, and not overly sweet. It’s easy to grab a slice instead of committing to a whole cake.
Pro Tip: Wait until Easter Monday (6 April) to purchase treats and decorations. Prices for seasonal stock often drop significantly on the final day of the holiday.
Delicious dining options in Sydney during the Easter break
With many restaurants closed over the Easter long weekend – or at least for part of it – it’s the perfect time to enjoy “Feaster” with friends and family and do the catering yourself. Whip up some Easter magic in the kitchen.
Bring a Plate Menu: Invite your family and friends over for a home gathering. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you have to cater! Everyone brings a dish (yes, you need to specify that means a dish with food on it!) and if you’re really organised you can get specific and delegate who brings what. Nominate some mates to bring gourmet treats and make it an to it’s a feast to remember! It’s a smart and savings-savvy way to entertain without breaking the bank.
Simple Menu Swaps: Skip the expensive options this year of decadent seafood or succulent roast lamb. Consider cheaper alternatives like a build-your-own burger station, taco bar, or a silly sausage sizzle. First up, it’s more interactive and secondly, the kids actually prefer these types of meals!
Find your community garden: In many corners of Sydney neighbourhoods, there’s a community garden to be found. They’re an amazing opportunity to source some fresh and creative local produce while meeting new friends, doing a little bit of volunteer work, getting healthy in a gardening environment and teaching the kids about how our food grows.
It’s a Bake off: Grab your aprons folks and get the little ones involved! This year we are baking our own delicious treats instead of buying premium store-bought options. Simple recipes like Easter nests (made with melted chocolate and noodles) or bunny-shaped pancakes are inexpensive and fun for kids. Our top tip, sit the family down and tune in to a hilarious show like Nailed It! where the worse the baked creation the better! This helps manage kids expectations of what your “bunny cake” may actually look like and becomes a memory to last forever.
Be in it to win it. Local RSL’s and pubs and clubs offer great meal prices for a local night out – where you can also snap yourself up a raffle ticket or two that goes in the draw for some fantastic prizes! Bowling clubs are famous for offering giant Easter raffles so head to your local and see what’s on offer.
Make it a picnic. Grab a rug, some cushions, some paper plates and cups and go via Aldi or your local budget supermarket for some fun picnic ingredients for a delightful day out at a local park near you. The beauty of a picnic lunch is that you and your guests are more excited about the beautiful surroundings – duck ponds, cricket matches, silly dogs who look like their owners – than the food, so even a simple bbq chicken with fresh bread rolls and mayonnaise will taste gourmet in the right setting. Top Tip, check the forecast first and bring a ball for some fun park games.
How to make your own fun and the most of Easter on a budget in Sydney
Instead of focusing on what’s out there to go and see, make your own fun – literally!
Upcycled Baskets: Upcycling is the new recycling. Use old baskets, cardboard boxes, or even egg trays decorated with ribbons and paper to create personalised Easter baskets. Do a big spring clean of your wardrobe, and linen closet and turn some fabulous fabrics into upcycled tote bags… they keep on giving long after easter as shopping bags and carry bags or storage for craft items around the house.
Hit up Vinnies: Do something for charity and hit the salvos stores for some vintage-style easter inspired outfits, home decor and even kids games. Top tip, do a fabulous home spring clean before you go and donate a few bags of your own unwanted items at the same time.
DIY Camp Out: Ditch the over-priced Holiday & Caravan parks and set up your own backyard tent or teepee! Turn it into a glamping adventure (way easier to do when you don’t have to fit it all into the boot of the car first!) Grab some fairy or festoon lights from the local $2 discount store or Bunnings, and all the rugs and blankets and cushions you can carry. If you live in an apartment, build a “blanket fort” indoors for an “camp-out” experience. Or, create a nighttime fun activity when the lights go out is to stick on a bunch of glowsticks, crank up the music on your bluetooth speaker and throw your own mini Easter dance party!
Creative Egg Hunts: Instead of buying multiple expensive large eggs, hide affordable mini chocolate Easter eggs or reusable plastic eggs filled with stickers, temporary tattoos, or loose change. Discount stores and Kmart also offer huge craft sections filled with environmentally friendly crafty eggs and Easter hampers you can make that add to the impact of the hunt without it having to include costly chocolate eggs.
Air Dry Clay: Forget the fancy clay that used to mean a kiln or a month to dry it. Now you can easily buy (at a fraction of the cost) air dry clay that literally does as it says, meaning you can mold your own fabulously fun pots, mugs, cups, baskets, eggs, plates, just about anything you can think of actually, and here’s the best part, they’re easy to decorate with pastel paints, glitter, patterns and stripes. Even the easter bunny would approve of these masterpieces.
Home Traditions: Host a family movie marathon with Easter-themed films like Peter Rabbit or Hop, or engage in low-cost games like egg and spoon races or a family dance off. Turn the family pets into your very own private petting zoo.
The Games Night: This can be easily done on a budget! Host an afternoon or evening full of fun family games like a murder mystery, a treasure hunt, hide and seek, musical chairs, charades, or make your own versions of popular board games like Who Am I?, Pictionary, Twister, and more.
It’s Show Time: Each family member is tasked with performing their own small stage act for the best talent show in town! The less professional the performance the better, meaning there’s no performance anxiety! And there’s no rules to what can be performed. It’s like the family circus where anything goes. Ideas could include a puppet show, a dance routine, telling jokes, balloon animal making, mime, ventriloquism, the list is endless. Props, music, family pets as assistants and costumes are also encouraged, especially if it’s a magic show!
Karaoke night: All it takes is one cheap microphone and an absence of fear (tone is optional) and you have yourself the makings of a top family night! Download some karaoke apps and sing away to your hearts content, with scoring from the audience for talent, enthusiasm, creativity and stage presence. Top Tip, instead of offending the neighbours, invite them to join! Kmart sells bluetooth karaoke mics for under $20.
The cake stall: This one is pure genius! How do you turn $30 into $300 in one morning? Easy, you bake up a giant bunch of cupcakes in the oven at home, using some simple packet cupcake mix, have a blast decorating them in easter designs and then get the kids to set up their own cake stall to sell them for a few dollars each. The kids can make some bright coloured signs and learn the art of sales and marketing in the process. If you’re feeling really savvy you can branch out to do easter brownies, or fresh home made lemonade.
Top Tip, if you’ve got the money to spend, invest in a Square tap and go from Officeworks so people passing by can buy your delicious treats if they’re not carrying cash. Trust us, you make your money back in no time!
So there it is. The only thing standing between you and a memorable Easter long weekend full of family-friendly fun which won’t break the bank is a bit of imagination and a willingness to try new things. There’s festive fun to be had throughout the city so check out these events and make some new traditions.
