PLANS to restore Horsham’s Kannamaroo Festival to its former glory are underway, with this year’s program running across two days.
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Kannamaroo Festival chairwoman Emma Hynes said the event’s relatively new organising committee had the opportunity to review the festival’s direction.
The committee met at the start of the year to reflect on past festivals and determine the future.
Ms Hynes said the group had to answer two questions: ‘What does the festival mean for us’; and, ‘Where do we want it to go?’
The Kannamaroo Festival was traditionally a three-day event on the final weekend of November.
The event decreased in size to a one-night street festival, where Firebrace Street came to life with music and food.
Ms Hynes said the committee’s long-term goal was to return the festival to its former three-day program.
She said the main feature of this year’s festival would be a full program of events on Saturday, November 25.
“Expanding the festival to Saturday is a stepping stone for us to achieve our long-term plan,” she said.
“We hope to see it get bigger each year.”
The Saturday program will include a range of festivities at Sawyer Park from noon.
The riverfront will come alive with lawn games – including zorb balls, hobby horses, and a pushbike toy run – as well as dancing and food vendors.
Ms Hynes said Horsham’s Up Tempo Cafe would operate in the Horsham Angling club rooms, which would be converted into a license area in the evening for casual drinks.
There will also be live entertainment at Horsham Soundshell.
The committee has also organised a fireworks display for Saturday night.
Ms Hynes said the committee was not short of ideas, however the struggle was getting the manpower and money to bring their vision to life.
She said the committee worked hard to secure sponsorship and ensure the festival could remain a free family event.