Berry will host the very first family oriented Fairgrounds Festival this Friday and Saturday. Director Colin Daniels said the boutique festival was bringing “a carnival of music, film and fun”.
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“It’s designed for people who want a more interesting and encompassing experience. The music is the tent-pole of the festival … but it’s not just dodgy old hamburgers, we’ve got an oyster truck coming,” said Mr Daniels.
Local artists like Shining Bird and Le Pie will join global stars Meg Mac and Mercury Rev – all amongst artisan markets, organic food stalls, egg and spoon races and other kid friendly amusements like a custom-built planetarium and hay bale maze.
Dane Taylor from Austinmer band Shining Bird believes the smaller boutique festivals are becoming more popular because people are sick of events that get “too big and out of hand”.
“They often focus on more things that matter like good quality drink and food, and the lineup that isn’t your normal commercial music,” he said. “I think it will attract a lot of people from out of the region.”
Originally from Gerringong, singer-songwriter Le Pie said the event will have more meaning “because it’s local” and her mum lives in Berry.
It follows a number of the country’s leading festival promoters agreeing at the Australian Music Week Conference last November, that multi-day events will continue to thrive while single day festivals will continue to fall by the wayside.
The event runs over December 4 and 5 in Berry, www.fairgrounds.com.au
Other attractions at the festival include:
- Paint your own Ukelele
- Swimming in the village pool
- Independent record label market
- Outdoor cinema (Friday night)
- Egg and spoon races
- Lawn Twister
- Story Time for children (Little Fairgrounds)
- Planetarium (Little Fairgrounds)
- Hay bale maze (Little Fairgrounds)