Deans Marsh Free Family Festival

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Posted 2017-03-22 by Tricia Ziemer ⇒ follow

Sun 26 Mar 2017

This is your chance to escape the city to a true country festival. You can travel quickly via the inside straight roads to Deans Marsh, or meander along the stunning Great Ocean Road to Lorne and then head north. By all means take your towel and bathers and stay in lovely Lorne and drive up to the festival for a wonderful day outing.

But whichever way you drive, it is worth the trip. Just make sure you get there, it is well worth it. This is an old style festival with old style fun. It will have the standard live music, art and crafts, local beer, wine and produce plus market stalls. But then the really fun activities begin.

Step up for the gummy boot throwing contest. Then stop to watch the kelpies as they round up the sheep for shearing. Other dogs are working on the "jumping circuit", showing off their awesome skills.

The huge and stunning draft horses are turning the hay, providing carriage rides, and love to be patted. They have the softest noses.

Even better, join in the queuue for the petting zoo and cuddle a baby "BABE" pig.

You will surrounded by food including their famous "wood fired" pizza oven. That is the queuue worth standing in. They are yumm.

If you want to know about the history of Deans Marsh and the stunning handmade curtain across its stage, ask any proud volunteer on the day or find Lisa Jarvis, the Deans Marsh Community Cottage Coordinator, who loves to give a grand tour of the grounds. This curtain was lovely, handmade and stitched by the local mums, daughters, grandmums, and aunts during the war using left over burlap four bags. The history depicted in its panels is priceless.

Meet the local Aboriginal Elders and chat about the origins of the lands.

Finally watch the animal evolve out of the log to become an animal about to spring into action.

Meet local chainsaw artist Alex Lorenzi. He loves to share how he got started with this local art and how much the tourists love it. He talks about how the local school kids helped design some of the pieces such as the panther and how they helped chisel and refine the art as well and then put their names to it.

History unfolds everywhere around you. The day will not be long enough, but it will be extraordinary fun.

Everywhere you turn there are more and more fun sights to behold, special things to do, and treats to eat. The Deans Marsh Singers will be serenading you with some grand old tunes.

And make sure you dress to impress in your best olden day outfits to match the environment.

And for those more active kids, bring the skateboards, the rides are swift and safe.

You might ask where? Deans Marsh Reserve, Pennyroyal Valley Road. The event is on March 26, 2017 from 10 AM to 5 PM
For more details see the website .

All copyrighted photos by Photojournalist Tricia Ziemer.