Goat Gallery director Rob Grenfell said the spectacular weather display and dramatic power failure added to the theatrics of the night's events.

Dr Grenfell said the rain stopped long enough for the colourful Hay and Thespian Parade and the official opening in Natimuk's Market Square before other events were moved indoors as the skies opened again.

He said the opening of the Frinj exhibition at the Goat Gallery was also made all the more theatrical by the absence of conventional lighting.

"But in the usual innovative Natimuk way we moved around it and conducted guided tours by torchlight which proved to be very successful," he said.

"We have some extremely strong works in this exhibition and the torchlight brought out hidden details in some of the paintings, further enhanced by the fact we were in such a dark environment."

Dr Grenfell said one of the highlights of Saturday's program was the Whinj at the Frinj contest at Natimuk's Football Club rooms where Jennifer Noonan of Noradjuha was crowned the Wimmera's biggest whinger.

He said the VIP judging panel consisted of Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty and Mail-Times editor Rod Case who awarded Mrs Noonan a perfect score for her whinge about grammatical errors in the media.

Dr Grenfell said a capacity crowd filled Natimuk Bowls Club on Sunday night to enjoy the southern flavour of a Crawfish Boil with music by the Beachniks and other live bands.

He said the three-day Nati Frinj was an `outstanding success' and he had received positive feedback from people who had attended and participated in the festival.

"Some outstanding features were the Feet of Clay installation piece in Nat's House which is one of the highest international standard artistic pieces I have ever seen," he said.

"The Theatre Gumbo performance was quirky, mesmerising and beautiful and there were other little gems including the Welcome to Country in the Shadow Lab, David and Jacob in the Jail House who managed to stage a break-out on Sunday and haven't been seen since, the Astronomical Society projection on the town silos and the amazing puppetry in the beautiful Lantunda."

Nati Frinj pictures - see today's Mail-Times.