Organisers of Murtoa's Big Weekend 2019 are hoping the event's major drawcard will set a precedent.
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Friday night will see a giant puppet show in the Stick Shed backed by a dazzling light projection and music display.
The puppet performance will run at the shed in conjunction with "Flicks and Tricks in the Sticks", a competition for short films made by Wimmera residents, from 6pm until 11pm.
Big Weekend event chair Claire Bibby said it was something no one should miss.
"This is a change for us in the sense that Friday night used to be movies down at the lakes and now we're in the Stick Shed," she said. "We'll have food vendors on site so people can come along and have dinner."
"Each year we try to keep it new and interesting for people visiting or coming back to the community. In previous years the shed has just be open all weekend for viewing and guided tours.
"If this is a success - which it will be - the committee will have to put their heads together to work out another big idea for next year and the years after. It's certainly a venue we will use more into the future."
The Stick Shed will also host a farming photography exhibition until the end of the year.
Mrs Bibby said the committee was expecting a larger number of visitors compared to previous years in 2019.
Natimuk artist David Jones had the original idea for the puppet. He said the Stick Shed event marked the end of a residency that involved artists from the "Made In Natimuk" collective.
"Jillian Pearce is directing the performance and coordinating the local puppeteers, Anthony Schellens - who did all the rigging - and myself," he said.
"The puppet was originally created for a show at November's Nati Frinj but the Stick Shed is the perfect site for the puppet and creating a show with (Jillian) there has been something I've wanted to for nearly 10 years.
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"I've also worked with Murtoa pianist Margaret Fleming and Andrew Clark who does the lighting in the Murtoa Hall to design an interactive lighting array that responds to her piano to light up the stick shed as she plays."
Mr Jones said the artists had been working in the shed for the past three months exploring its artistic possibilities, and Murtoa residents would keep the equipment used to stage the show after it ended.
"Hopefully now they have all the gear and skills they need to create their own events in the Stick Shed, the Big Weekend event is just the first of many," he said.
The 23rd annual Murtoa Big Weekend will begin with the Murtoa Show from 11am until 4.30pm on Friday.
On Saturday, a Monster Street Market will take place on McDonald Street, before a colour run on Sunday. The water tower museum and cemetery will also be open for tours across the weekend.
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