The Illawarra's largest natural bush reserve has been flagged for a new summer music festival.
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Blackbutt Forest Reserve - which covers 250 acres - is planned to host The Hidden Forest festival, which would welcome up to 3,500 music lovers on Saturday December 14.
The inaugural family event is the brainchild of the Shellharbour City Council events team, with a development application currently before council.
"The reserve is a key feature of Shellharbour and is the last remaining viable remnant of coastal plain forest in the Illawarra," the application stated.
"The reserve is also known as an active recreational precinct and has played host to cultural festivals, arts events and other activations."
The festival is still in planning stages but intends to host approximately 22 artists from 2pm to 10:30pm, including six "mid-scale Australian music acts".
"The event is light hearted, fun, aimed at families, and seeks to enliven and invigorate the public domain," the application stated.
"It is a proposed to be a small to medium scale event with an expected capacity of 3,500.
"The overall aims of the festival are to promote and activate the natural beauty and assets of Shellharbour City."
The one-day event would also have artisan market stalls, various food trucks/stalls on site and would be licenced.
The Hidden Forest is one of several key events that come under the broader banner of the Shellharbour Surf n Skate Festival.
It's hoped to become a "destination event" and be cemented on the annual calendar for the city.
The application also outlines that event management staff would work in conjunction with council's parks and gardens staff on a strategy to minimise damage to the parklands.
Hidden Forest would add to a rich and varied events schedule across the Illawarra in coming months.
September boasts the new South Coast Food and Wine Festival, spread out across Berry Showgrounds and surrounding venues.
October will see the return of North Wollongong's biggest music festival, Yours and Owls, with around 8,000 patrons packing into Stuart Park to see 70 acts.
Later that month Bulli Showgrounds will be transformed into artisan heaven for the Illawarra Festival of Wood.
In November the spring racing carnival brings the who's who of racing to Kembla Grange for the newly established milliondollar race, The Gong.
While December sees the return of the family-friendly Fairgrounds Festival to Berry, and a Yours and Owls New Years Eve party for 4,000 at Bulli Showgrounds.
The Hidden Forest development application is on exhibition with Shellharbour Council until September 4.