Everyone is invited when a small town hosts a big festival once again

Bate Street in Central Tilba will be the site of music, food and much more when a loved community festival returns – this time with a new date.

Jasmine Bond, a volunteer working with the Tilba Chamber of Commerce in organising the community event, said favourite events would be returning.

“We’ve got the perennial favourites of cheese roll and egg toss,” she said.

“The Bate Street shops will, of course, all be open as well.”

A Welcome to Country will be performed, and several community organisations and groups will have stalls alongside other market and food stalls.

“We’ve also got bands coming from as far away as Bega and as far north as the Wollongong area coming to town.

“But I would say most are from around Tilba,” she said.

“I’m keen to actually be able to hear a lot of musicians on the day – personally, I’m looking forward to hearing them all.”

A changed element for 2023 is the new date, with the festival moving to 29 July.

“For the past 30 years, this was always an Easter event,” Ms Bond said.

“But we’ve decided to change it to a winter date because it’s already so busy in town during Easter that bringing extra people in for the festival can get quite challenging.

“Having something like this in winter is a really nice change of pace for what can be quieter days and it’ll be a great day out,” she said.

Ms Bond said the hope was that those who might be busy over the Easter period, perhaps with plans to travel or visit family, could make the new date in July.

“As one of the volunteers organising the festival, we’ve heard that most people have been happy with the change.

“It’s outside of school holidays as well, which means families can come along without messing up any travel plans they’d made during those holidays,” she said.

Ms Bond and her fellow volunteers are hoping there will be a strong showing for this year’s Tilba Festival.

“We are expecting a lot of people to come along from up and down the coast,” she said.

“People from Eden and Bega areas, and all the way up to Wollongong, can come along when they possibly couldn’t have been able to come for a festival held at Easter.”

As Bate Street will be the site of the festival itself, Ms Bond said free parking would be made available at Tilba Tilba Oval.

“The parking is being arranged by the local Cobargo Scouts, and they’ll manage all of that for a gold coin donation,” Ms Bond said.

“There will be shuttle busses to bring people up to Central Tilba.”

Ms Bond said furry friends would have to sit this event out, as dogs were not allowed on the shuttle buses.

In 2023, the Tilba Festival will be held on Bate Street in Central Tilba on 29 July from 9 am to 4 pm.

Tickets cost $5 for concession card holders or $15 for adults, with children under 16 free, and are available via Humanitix.