Subscribe      List an Event or Business      Invite a Writer      Write for WN      Writers      Other Locations
list an event      1 million Australian readers every month      facebook

Wooden Boat Festival

Home > Melbourne > Boating | Community Events | Family | Festivals | Long Weekend
by Ree Winter (subscribe)
Check out my blog at https://www.wintervagary.com
Event: -
For land-lovers and sea-lovers alike
An action-packed long weekend is in store in Geelong. The Wooden Boat Festival will run from the 10th - 12th of March.

The official opening ceremony will be presided over by Commodore York at 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon- but there's plenty to do before that.

wooden boat festival, geelong
Wooden Boat Festival


Starting at 10am, there are kids activities at Fairnie Park including face painting, performances by local buskers, doughnuts, ice cream, Funfit and Captain Jack Sparrow.

kids activities, family fun, festival, geelong


Entertainment at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club includes a variety of jazz bands and evening rock'n'roll performances. There will also be exhibitions, historic walks and art displays.

Committee member, Stuart Dickson says "It's a real community festival. We try and use local talent."

Of course, the Wooden Boat Festival is called that for a reason. Mr Dickson says "we have on water events. We have racing. There will be about 50 odd classic yachts coming here. Some of these are the oldest classics in Australia."

"Two secondary schools have a boat building project as part of their curriculum. Newcomb Secondary and Lara Secondary College are building boats called 'herons' - those boats will be on display."

"We have a 'quick and dirty' boat building competition. They're all community-based groups like the Coast Guard and the Fire Authority - they get about half a dozen sheets of plywood, some sticks of timber, glue and nails and they get two hours to design and build a boat - and the next day they have to sail around the bay. In the past, it's been fantastic - no one sank."

"The coast guard guys were the winners last time so they'll be out to defend their title."

Mr Dickson said the Wooden Boat Festival had "quite a humble beginning" with a "total of 30 boats and we didn't do anything outside of the club."

"We're expecting 130 boats this year," Mr Dickson said.

The Festival extends down to Eastern Beach with activities all along the beach.

For more information go to www.woodenboatfestivalgeelong.com.au

Help us improve  Click here if you liked this article  9
Share: email  facebook  twitter
Why? Family fun on land and in the water
When: From the 10th of March - 12 of March 2018
Phone: 5229 3705
Where: Geelong Waterfront Eastern Beach
Cost: Free entry
Your Comment
Articles from other cities
Featured
Top Events
Popular Articles
Categories
Lists
Questions