The 16-day festival kicks off on Saturday and runs until July 22 and will feature a rang of family-friendly events.

The McDonald’s Bathurst Ice Rink will have dedicated accessibility sessions for skaters on Friday, July 13 with tickets already on sale.

A Bathurst Regional Council spokeswoman said they wanted to “empower those with a disability to enjoy the fun of the Bathurst Winter Festival” and a partnership with LiveBetter was established to provide ice skating sessions for people with disability and their families.

The skating sessions will run with a reduced capacity and volunteers from LiveBetter will be on hand to help out those who require assistance.

“Our aim is to ensure people of all abilities can be part of the Bathurst Winter Festival, in a safe and supported environment,” the council spokeswoman said.

The available sessions are: 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm.

The House of Mirrors attraction, the cafe beside the ice rink and each Illumination location will also have wheelchair access.

The hugely-popular street parties will make a return, with Ignite the Night on July 7 and Brew and Bite on July 14, with wheelchair access available via the corner of George and Russell streets.

Both parties run from midday until 9pm and they feature a range of food, wine and beer stalls along with local musicians and artists who will entertain throughout the events. Entry to both street parties is free.

ReadSpeaker will also be available on the Bathurst Winter Festival website.

LiveBetter will be open form 9am – 5pm Monday to Saturday for anyone requiring additional change room facilities.

Tickets to skate during the accessibility sessions cost $5 each and carers are not required to purchase a ticket. To book contact LiveBetter on 0428 068 776 or council on 6333 6111.

Visit the Bathurst Winter Festival website to find out more.