A new week-long festival next month hopes to get more people stopping, staying and exploring what Bright has to offer in winter.

The inaugural 'Bright Winter Festival' will run from Friday, 24 July to Saturday, 1 August.

Created by a team of local business owners and backed by the Bright and District Chamber of Commerce, the event aims to prove Bright is a town for all seasons, offering those heading through to the snowfields at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek more reasons to stop.

The festival kicks off with the ‘Winter in the Village’ shopping night; an event which ran last year and has since evolved into the Winter Festival.

A street party will be held in the Barnard Street precinct, featuring late-night shopping, fire-pits for marshmallow toasting (supervised by the SES, of course), food trucks and live entertainment, including the ice-carving work of Kevin Kapusi Starrow.

The evening will be set under the warm glow of festoon lighting, with local retailers also getting behind the festival spirit.

Shopfronts and businesses are encouraged to light up for the occasion, ensuring the winter-glow stretches town-wide.

Saturday, 25 July will bring Family Fun Day, to engage the festival's youngest visitors with live entertainment, face painting, sled-dogs, jumping castles and more, to keep all kids entertained, while coffee vans and food trucks look after the grown-ups.

The day will be marked by the snowman-making competition, with real snow set to be brought from the mountains for the occasion.

The inaugural 'Winter Ball' will close the festival.

A long-missed local tradition, the Winter Ball will return for the first time in years with live music, nibbles provided by the High Country Chef, and a bar to keep the fun flowing.

A silent auction will be held at the ball, featuring prizes from local businesses and service providers, to make it the perfect ticketed evening to send the festival off in style.

Throughout the festival period, participating local businesses will be running special events, promotions and seasonal menus, giving visitors even more reason to stop and discover what Bright has to offer in winter.

For more information, find the 'Bright Winter Festival' on Facebook and Instagram, visit: www.brightwinterfestival.com.au or email: brightwinterfestival@gmail.com