Fisher's Ghost Festival 2026 Guide: Parade, Fireworks And A Bradbury Stay
Campbelltown's biggest week of the year lands between Thursday 29 October and Sunday 8 November 2026, and this one is special: it is the 70th Festival of Fisher's Ghost and it marks 200 years since the ghost story that started it all. A street parade down Queen Street, two nights of drone shows and fireworks, a carnival at Campbelltown Showground, market streets at twilight, a free art exhibition and a Sunday fun run all sit within a few minutes of Bradbury. This guide explains what is on, when, where, how to get around and how to build an easy two- or three-night stay around it.
Key Takeaway
The 2026 Festival of Fisher's Ghost runs 29 October to 8 November across Campbelltown Showground, Queen Street, Mawson Park, Campbelltown Arts Centre and the Western Sydney University campus. Bradbury sits a few minutes from all of them, so a guest can see the parade, eat at the twilight markets, watch the fireworks and still be home in bed before the crowd has cleared the car park.
The Two Big Dates
Council's published program puts the headline events on two Saturdays. Confirm times on the council festival page before you travel, because street events can shift with weather.
1Saturday 31 October: parade from 2pm on Queen Street, Twilight Streets from 3pm, drone show 8pm and fireworks 9pm at the Showground.
2Saturday 7 November: second drone show at 8pm and fireworks at 9pm at Campbelltown Showground.
3Sunday 8 November: Fisher's Ghost Fun Run, 8am to 12pm, 5km and 10km, Western Sydney University Campbelltown.
Build The Stay Around Three Layers
The festival is more than one night out. Give the group a headline event, an easy daytime layer and a quiet fallback.
1Headline: the parade and fireworks Saturday, or the fun run Sunday.
2Daytime: the carnival, the Art Award exhibition and the Footsteps of Fred walking trail.
3Fallback: Bradbury shops four minutes' walk away, Campbelltown Mall and Macarthur Square when it rains or everyone is spent.
Why The 2026 Festival Of Fisher's Ghost Is The One To Catch
Campbelltown City Council describes the Festival of Fisher's Ghost as the city's signature community festival, held in late October and early November each year. It has been running since 1956, which makes 2026 the 70th festival. It also falls exactly 200 years after October 1826, the month a local farmer said he saw the ghost of Frederick Fisher sitting on a bridge rail and pointing toward the creek where the missing man's body was later found.
That double anniversary is why council has leaned into the program this year. According to the council's 3 September 2026 announcement, the 2026 festival runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 8 November and includes the street parade, two drone shows, two fireworks nights, the carnival, twilight market streets, the Fisher's Ghost Art Award exhibition, a self-guided history walk and the fun run. The drone imagery is described as inspired by the legend and the history of the town.
The festival spans two full weekends plus the working week between them. Choose the weekend that suits your group, add a weekday element if you are staying longer, and let the rest go.
Seventy festivals, two hundred years and one very persistent ghost: the 2026 program is the most complete version of this event a visitor is likely to see for a long while.
The Legend Of Fred Fisher In Five Minutes
It helps to know the story before you watch a parade built around it. The version told on the Visit Campbelltown site goes like this. Frederick George Fisher was born in 1792 and transported to New South Wales in 1815 for forging bank notes. By 1822 he had served half his sentence and bought a farm at Campbelltown. On the evening of 17 June 1826 he vanished. His neighbour George Worrall, who held power of attorney over Fisher's property, told people that Fisher had sailed for England to avoid a forgery charge.
Late one October night in 1826, John Farley, described as a wealthy and respectable local farmer, came into town in a state and said he had seen Fisher's ghost sitting on the rail of a bridge over the creek. The apparition had pointed to a paddock down the creek and then faded away.
On 25 October 1826 two boys found blood stains on a fence on Fisher's farm. An Aboriginal tracker brought from Liverpool followed the creek and found Fisher's remains in a shallow grave on Worrall's land. Worrall was convicted of murder and sentenced to death; he was hanged on 5 February 1827 after confessing on the scaffold, though locals doubted the details of his account.
Read the council's own history guideCampbelltown City Council publishes a free guide called Frederick Fisher and the Legend of Fisher's Ghost on its website. Download it before you arrive and the Footsteps of Fred trail makes far more sense.
The 2026 Program At A Glance
These dates and times are taken from the council's September 2026 announcement and the festival's official pages. Always check the council festival page in the week before you travel, as times, road closures and wet-weather arrangements can change.
Fisher's Ghost Art AwardCampbelltown Arts Centre, 26 September to 4 December 2026. Free entry, open daily 10am to 4pm.
Fisher's Ghost CarnivalCampbelltown Showground, King Street, 29 October to 8 November. Rides, sideshow games and food stalls.
Street ParadeSaturday 31 October from 2pm, Queen Street toward Mawson Park. Community floats and walking groups.
Fisher's Twilight StreetsSaturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November from 3pm across Queen, Lithgow and Cordeaux Streets.
Drone Shows And FireworksSaturday 31 October and Saturday 7 November: drones at 8pm, fireworks at 9pm, Campbelltown Showground.
Fisher's Ghost Fun RunSunday 8 November, 8am to 12pm, 5km and 10km at Western Sydney University and TAFE Campbelltown campuses.
The Footsteps of Fred self-guided walking tour runs throughout the festival and links the key historical locations in and around the town centre. It has no fixed time, which makes it the easiest thing to slot into a quiet morning.
Parade Day: Saturday 31 October On Queen Street
The parade is the heart of the festival and the reason most families choose the first weekend. Council's program has it stepping off at 2pm on Saturday 31 October, travelling along Queen Street toward Mawson Park with community-designed floats, marching groups and walking entries from local schools, clubs and cultural organisations.
Queen Street is Campbelltown's original main street and it is narrow enough that a good position matters. Arrive well before 2pm, pick a stretch of footpath with shade if the day is warm, and keep small children on the kerb side of an adult. The Mawson Park end tends to gather the biggest crowd because it is where the parade finishes and where the afternoon entertainment spills into.
Because 31 October is also Halloween, expect plenty of costumes among spectators as well as in the parade itself. If your children want to dress up, it will not look out of place. Face paint, a light layer for later and a refillable water bottle are the practical basics.
Do not try to do the parade and the carnival in the same hourThe parade and Twilight Streets happen in the town centre; the carnival and fireworks happen at the Showground on King Street. Plan the afternoon in the CBD and the evening at the Showground, with a rest at the house in between if you have little ones.
Fisher's Twilight Streets: Markets, Performers And An Easy Dinner
From 3pm on Saturday 31 October and again on Sunday 1 November, council's program turns Queen, Lithgow and Cordeaux Streets into Fisher's Twilight Streets, with market stalls, roaming performers and entertainment. On the Saturday it flows straight on from the parade, which means you can stay in the town centre from early afternoon until it is time to move to the Showground for the drone show.
This is the easiest dinner of the weekend. Stall food, a wander, a busker or two and no bookings. Bring a little cash as well as a card, because market stalls vary in what they accept, and agree a meeting point in case the group separates among the crowds.
Drone Shows And Fireworks At Campbelltown Showground
Two nights of sky shows are scheduled: Saturday 31 October and Saturday 7 November. On each night the drone show is listed for 8pm and the fireworks for 9pm at Campbelltown Showground, which sits on King Street in Campbelltown. Council says the drone imagery draws on the Fisher's Ghost legend and the town's history, so the 70th and 200th anniversaries will be told in lights before the fireworks begin.
An 8pm drone show followed by 9pm fireworks is a long evening for young children, especially after a parade afternoon. One workable approach is to head back to Bradbury after Twilight Streets for a quick dinner and a rest, then return to the Showground for 7.30pm. Bradbury to the Campbelltown town centre is a matter of minutes by car, and the listing for Matilda's Urban Escape gives Campbelltown Mall as a four-minute drive, so the double trip is realistic.
Two chances at the fireworks means a wet Saturday is not the end of the plan. If 31 October washes out, 7 November is the backup.
The Carnival: Rides, Sideshow Alley And Where It Fits
The Fisher's Ghost Carnival runs at Campbelltown Showground for the full festival, Thursday 29 October to Sunday 8 November, with amusement rides, sideshow games and food stalls. Council describes the Showground as turning into Fred Fisher's playground for the duration, and it is the one part of the program that is open across the weekdays as well as the weekends.
For a Bradbury guest this is useful in two ways. First, it gives the group something to do on a weeknight or a Friday afternoon without waiting for the Saturday headline. Second, on fireworks nights the carnival is already where you need to be, so an early evening on the rides flows straight into the drone show.
Daily opening hours, ride ticket or wristband prices and any family passes are set by the carnival operator and council, and they were not published at the time of writing. Check the council carnival page for the current hours and pricing before promising the children a particular night.
Fisher's Ghost Art Award: A Free Exhibition Ten Minutes Away
The Fisher's Ghost Art Award is one of the oldest parts of the festival and the 2026 exhibition is its 64th year. Finalist works hang at Campbelltown Arts Centre, 1 Art Gallery Road, from 26 September to 4 December 2026. The Arts Centre lists free general admission and is open daily from 10am to 4pm, and the cafe, Japanese Garden and sculpture garden remain open during those hours.
The exhibition opens weeks before the festival proper and runs well past it, which makes it the ideal weekday or wet-weather element. Pair it with an hour in the Japanese Garden and a coffee in the cafe and you have a calm half-day that costs nothing but the drive.
Footsteps Of Fred: Walk The Story Yourself
Council's 2026 program includes a self-guided walking tour called Footsteps of Fred that runs throughout the festival period and connects the key historical locations linked to the legend. It has no start time and no ticket, so it suits an early morning before the crowds, or a weekday when the carnival is the only other thing running.
The story's landmarks cluster around the old town: Queen Street, the site of the bridge where John Farley said he saw the ghost, and the line of Fishers Ghost Creek. Reading the council's free legend guide the night before, then walking the trail with the map in hand, gives adults and older children a genuine connection to what the parade and drone show are celebrating.
Fisher's Ghost Fun Run: Sunday 8 November
The festival closes with the Fisher's Ghost Fun Run on Sunday 8 November, listed in council's program from 8am to 12pm at the Western Sydney University and TAFE NSW Campbelltown campuses. The event's running-calendar listing puts the start in front of the School of Medicine building on the university campus, off Goldsmith Avenue and David Pilgrim Avenue, with a 5km course run as one lap and a 10km course run as two.
The course is described as a gradual incline that weaves around the two campuses with views over the city and the surrounding hills. Walkers are welcome over either distance and the course is pram-friendly, which makes it a realistic goal for a mixed family group rather than only for regular runners.
Registration for 2026 is through the online entry link on the event page. Entry fees, cut-off times and race-pack collection details were not published at the time of writing, so check the council fun run page and register early rather than relying on entry on the day.
Runners: book the second weekendArrive Friday 6 November, watch the fireworks on Saturday night, run on Sunday morning. The house's washer dryer and full bathroom make the post-run clean-up simple before the drive home.
Getting Between Bradbury And The Festival
Bradbury is a residential suburb immediately south of the Campbelltown town centre, and that closeness is the whole point of staying here for the festival. The Matilda's Urban Escape listing gives Campbelltown Mall as a four-minute drive, Campbelltown Station and Macarthur Station as six minutes each and Macarthur Square as six minutes. Queen Street, Mawson Park and the Showground on King Street are all part of the same town-centre cluster.
On parade and fireworks nights, the bus is worth serious thought. The listing notes that routes 884, 885 and 885A service Bradbury and connect through Campbelltown routes. A bus into the town centre removes the road-closure and parking questions entirely and puts you a short walk from Queen Street. Check the current timetable on the Transport for NSW trip planner, and note that Saturday evening frequencies are lower than weekday peaks.
If you drive, treat the town centre as a no-go on parade afternoon and aim for the edge streets or a shopping-centre car park with a walk in. For the Showground, arrive early, bring a picnic rug and a warm layer, and expect a slow exit after the fireworks. Rideshare from the town centre back to Bradbury is a short, cheap trip and is the sensible answer if the adults want a drink at Twilight Streets.
Everyday Food, Coffee And Supplies Around Bradbury
Festival weekends run late and start early, so the boring logistics matter. The listing describes Bradbury Shopping Centre as a four-minute walk from the house, which covers bread, milk, snacks and the odd forgotten item without moving the car. Campbelltown Mall, four minutes by car, and Macarthur Square, six minutes by car, cover the bigger grocery run, chemists and a wide spread of casual food.
A simple rhythm works well. Breakfast at the house, using the kitchen's induction cooktop, oven, coffee machine and toaster. Lunch wherever the day takes you: the Arts Centre cafe on a gallery day, stall food at Twilight Streets, or the food stalls at the carnival. One planned dinner out somewhere in the town centre, and one easy night in with something from the shops.
Why Matilda's Urban Escape Suits A Fisher's Ghost Weekend
Matilda's Urban Escape is a private, 2024-built two-bedroom home at 1A Coachwood Crescent in Bradbury, sleeping up to five guests. Its listing puts Bradbury Shopping Centre a four-minute walk away, Campbelltown Mall a four-minute drive, and Campbelltown Station, Macarthur Station and Macarthur Square each six minutes by car. For a festival that plays out across the town centre, the Showground and the university campus, that is about as close as a self-contained stay gets.
The layout suits the way a festival weekend actually runs. Bedroom one has a king bed; bedroom two has a tri-bunk with a double on the bottom and a single on top, so two adults and up to three children fit without anyone on a sofa. Both bedrooms are on one level, each has a 50-inch smart TV and double mirrored built-in wardrobes, and the combined living, dining and kitchen area has two sofas, a five-seater dining table and a 65-inch smart TV. A large heating and cooling unit in the lounge handles a cool fireworks night or a warm spring afternoon.
The kitchen has an induction cooktop, oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge, freezer and coffee machine, with toaster and jug supplied and general kitchen essentials included. The full bathroom has a shower and floor-to-ceiling tiles, and a washer dryer is available for guest use, which matters when the parade day ends with face paint and the fun run ends with muddy shoes. Linen, towels and toiletries are supplied.
Self check-in is by lockbox, so a Friday-evening arrival after work does not depend on meeting anyone. Street parking is available at the property. Wi-Fi is measured at 734 Mbps, and Scott is the guest contact during the stay.
Check the live listing for current availability, rates, the minimum stay and any multi-night discounts before you book.
About this stay
Where Matilda's Urban Escape fits a Fisher's Ghost weekend
Matilda's Urban Escape is a private, 2024-built two-bedroom home in Bradbury with a king bed, a tri-bunk for the kids, a full kitchen and a washer dryer, sleeping up to five. Its listing puts Campbelltown Mall four minutes away by car and Campbelltown Station, Macarthur Station and Macarthur Square six minutes each, so the parade, the Showground fireworks and the fun run are all a short hop.
Self check-in by lockbox suits a Friday-evening arrival, Bradbury Shopping Centre is a four-minute walk for breakfast supplies, and bus routes 884, 885 and 885A give you a car-free way into the town centre on parade and fireworks nights. Check the live listing for availability on the 31 October and 7 November weekends.
Families with children in the primary-school years are the natural fit. The parade, the drone show, the carnival and a costume for Halloween Saturday are a strong combination, and the tri-bunk means three children can share a room without a fuss. A four-minute walk to the local shops for milk and a quick return to the house between the afternoon and the evening events keep the day manageable.
Couples and pairs of friends can use the same base for a more grown-up version: the Art Award exhibition and Japanese Garden on the Saturday morning, Twilight Streets for an early dinner, the fireworks from a picnic rug, and a slow Sunday with the Footsteps of Fred trail before the drive home.
Runners and walking groups should look at the 6 to 8 November weekend. Fireworks on the Saturday, the fun run on the Sunday morning, and a house with a proper kitchen for a sensible pre-race breakfast. The washer dryer earns its place here.
Two Festival Weekend Itineraries From Bradbury
Option One: Parade Weekend, Friday 30 October To Sunday 1 November
Friday: arrive and self check-in by lockbox. Walk to Bradbury Shopping Centre for breakfast supplies. If there is energy left, drive to the Showground for a first look at the carnival, or keep it simple with dinner near the house and an early night.
Saturday: a slow breakfast at the house, then the Art Award exhibition and Japanese Garden at Campbelltown Arts Centre from 10am. Lunch before 1pm. Into Queen Street for a parade position well before the 2pm start. Stay on for Twilight Streets from 3pm and eat from the stalls. Back to Bradbury for a rest, then to the Showground by 7.30pm for the 8pm drone show and 9pm fireworks.
Sunday: Footsteps of Fred in the morning while it is cool, coffee in the town centre, and a short return to Twilight Streets from 3pm if the group wants one more turn before heading home. Or leave the afternoon empty and let everyone recover.
Option Two: Fireworks And Fun Run Weekend, Friday 6 November To Sunday 8 November
Friday: arrive and settle. An evening at the carnival is optional; a quiet night is smarter if you are running on Sunday.
Saturday: the Arts Centre in the morning, an easy lunch, then a lazy afternoon at the house or a walk in the local area. Head to the Showground early in the evening for the carnival, the 8pm drone show and the 9pm fireworks, and get home at a reasonable hour.
Sunday: breakfast at the house, drive the short distance to the Western Sydney University campus for the fun run between 8am and 12pm, then back for a shower and check-out. Register online in advance rather than relying on entry on the day.
If you can only manage one night, make it Saturday 31 October and arrive by lunchtime. It is the only day of the year when the parade, the markets, the drones and the fireworks all land in Campbelltown together.
What To Pack For A Spring Festival Stay In Campbelltown
Late October and early November in south-western Sydney is warm by day and can be cool once the fireworks are over. Pack hats, sunscreen and water for the parade afternoon, and a jumper or light jacket for the Showground at night. A picnic rug, a small torch for finding the car after the fireworks and a portable phone charger are the things people wish they had brought.
For children: a costume if they want one for Halloween Saturday, a change of clothes, snacks that survive a queue, and something quiet for the wait between the drone show and the fireworks. Ear protection for very young children is worth considering if they are sensitive to loud bangs.
The house has a full kitchen and coffee machine, so bring or buy the coffee you like, breakfast basics and one easy dinner. Bradbury Shopping Centre covers the rest within a four-minute walk.
Before Leaving Home: Your Fisher's Ghost Check
1Program: re-check the council festival page for final parade, drone show and fireworks times and any wet-weather changes.
2Road closures: look up council's parade-day closures and plan where you will park or which bus you will catch.
3Carnival: confirm daily opening hours and ride pricing on the council carnival page before promising a night out.
4Fun run: register online, note the start location off Goldsmith Avenue, and check race-pack collection details.
5Arts Centre: confirm the 10am to 4pm daily hours and that the Art Award exhibition is showing on your dates.
6The house: check the live listing for bedding, check-in instructions, parking and current house rules.
Book The Festival Weekend Early
The Festival of Fisher's Ghost is Campbelltown's largest annual event, and a 70th-anniversary program with two fireworks nights will draw more visitors than usual. Accommodation close to the town centre is limited, so if the 31 October or 7 November weekend is the one you want, book early rather than in the last week.
FAQs About The Festival Of Fisher's Ghost 2026 And Staying In Bradbury
When is the Festival of Fisher's Ghost 2026?
Campbelltown City Council's published program has the 2026 festival running from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 8 November 2026. It is the 70th festival and marks 200 years since the events of the Fisher's Ghost legend in 1826. Check the council festival page for final details before you travel.
What time is the Fisher's Ghost parade in 2026?
The parade is listed for Saturday 31 October 2026 from 2pm, travelling along Queen Street toward Mawson Park in the Campbelltown town centre. Arrive early for a kerbside spot and expect road closures around the route.
When are the Fisher's Ghost fireworks and drone shows?
Two nights are scheduled at Campbelltown Showground on King Street: Saturday 31 October and Saturday 7 November 2026, with the drone show at 8pm and fireworks at 9pm each night. Both are weather dependent, so check council updates on the day.
Is the Fisher's Ghost Carnival open every day of the festival?
Council lists the carnival at Campbelltown Showground from 29 October to 8 November 2026 with rides, sideshow games and food stalls. Daily opening hours and ride prices are set closer to the event; confirm them on the council carnival page.
Does the Fisher's Ghost Art Award exhibition cost anything?
Campbelltown Arts Centre lists free general admission and daily opening hours of 10am to 4pm. The 2026 Fisher's Ghost Art Award exhibition runs from 26 September to 4 December 2026 at 1 Art Gallery Road, Campbelltown.
When is the Fisher's Ghost Fun Run 2026 and can I walk it?
The fun run is on Sunday 8 November 2026, listed from 8am to 12pm, starting in front of the School of Medicine building at Western Sydney University Campbelltown. There are 5km and 10km options, walkers are welcome and the course is pram-friendly. Register online in advance.
What is the legend of Fisher's Ghost?
Frederick Fisher, a Campbelltown farmer, disappeared on 17 June 1826. In October that year a local farmer, John Farley, said he saw Fisher's ghost sitting on a bridge rail pointing to a paddock by the creek. Fisher's body was found nearby on the land of his neighbour George Worrall, who was convicted of the murder and hanged in February 1827.
How far is Bradbury from the Campbelltown festival venues?
Bradbury sits directly south of the Campbelltown town centre. The Matilda's Urban Escape listing gives Campbelltown Mall as a four-minute drive and Campbelltown Station, Macarthur Station and Macarthur Square as six minutes each, with bus routes 884, 885 and 885A serving the suburb.
How many people can stay at Matilda's Urban Escape?
The listing shows two bedrooms, one bathroom and up to five guests: a king bed in bedroom one and a tri-bunk with a double on the bottom and a single on top in bedroom two. Check the live listing for current bedding and booking details.
Do the NSW spring school holidays overlap the festival?
No. The NSW spring school holidays run from 28 September to 9 October 2026 and Term 4 starts on 13 October, so the festival falls during term time. Weekends will still be busy, but weekday carnival and exhibition visits should be quieter.
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