Are you a bit of a creative type? Love listening to some live music? Or just enjoy getting out and about in your local community? Then you must come and join in the fun at WestFEST, Geelong West's free community arts festival. It's back again in 2016, so make sure to keep Sunday 20 March free for this fabulous event celebrating all things community and creative arts.
WestFEST will be held at the lovely West Park on Pakington Street (at the corner of Autumn Street), with its green lawns, shady trees and glorious gardens. The beautiful rotunda in the middle of the park will be decked out in true celebratory style, and the park is just a short stroll up from Geelong Station, making it easy for everyone to get to.
Pakington Street is home to some of Geelong's best multicultural restaurants and cafes, boutique shops, fresh produce, bakeries, pubs and alfresco dining, and is the perfect location for this festival of fun, art and people. There's plenty to see along Pakington Street, with its beautiful buildings, vibrant atmosphere and community feel, so take a stroll along before or after WestFEST and soak up all that Pakington Street has to offer.
The fun of WestFEST begins at 1pm, and runs through until 6pm. Come on down to check out the truly amazing work our local artists produce, and perhaps discover some things about Geelong's creative industries that you hadn't known before.
Local community groups will be there to engage and inform, and you might even find a group near you that tickles your fancy, be it gardening, food, crafts or music. WestFEST's aim is to bring the people of Geelong together, and what better way to get to know your local community than at this fun and festive afternoon in the park.
As well as all things art, there'll be a fantastic line-up of music on the main stage to keep you entertained all afternoon long. Plenty of food will be on offer too, so you can chill out on the grassy lawns, have a bite to eat and tap your feet to the music as WestFEST kicks along for another year.
Bring a basket too, and take a leisurely stroll around the market stalls with all sorts of homemade, homegrown and home baked goodies to take home. There'll be 'come and try' activities, interactive demonstrations, and crafts and music for the little ones.
The team at the Geelong West Neighbourhood House are the fabulous folk behind WestFEST, who bring this festival of art and community to the people of Geelong together with the generous support of the City of Greater Geelong's Community Festival Grants Program. It's festivals like this that make Geelong such a wonderful place to live and play, and helps to creates a positive sense of community—as well as a whole lot of fun!
The Geelong West Neighbourhood House is part of the wider Barwon Network of Neighbourhood Centres, and their mission in this lovely little pocket of Geelong is to celebrate diversity and build community. As well as the annual WestFEST celebrations, the GWNH have a range of activities and programs for all ages and abilities running throughout the year from craft workshops, to art classes to beekeeping and yoga. Check out the GWNH
website for more details, give them a call on 0427 703 218 or even drop in and see one of the friendly team—they have an 'open house' on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 12pm. Want to get more involved? You may even wish to volunteer to help out at WestFEST, or perhaps even submit an application for a food or market stall—email Jo Brown at the GWNH (
[email protected]). She'd love to hear from you.
West Park will come alive on the afternoon of 20 March 2016, and everyone is welcome. Come along to meet some local artists, perhaps buy some handmade bits and pieces for your home, enjoy a bit of live music and some delicious food, and maybe even find a new hobby. You'll love this vibrant community and everything it has to offer. Check the
Facebook page for regular updates and see you there!
