After a year in isolation, it’s time to pull on a pair of jeans – or yoga pants – and head to Goulburn’s free Festival of Place where grooving jams and a relaxing yoga class will be on offer between 10 am and 3 pm this Saturday, 20 March.
Taking to the main stage in Belmore Park will be local artists including the blue-billy-grass-rockin’-roots band 19-Twenty (1 pm), Megan & Mackenzie (11 am), DJ VERTEXiAL (2:30 pm), Isy Cappo (10 am), Leaving Reality (12 pm) and Bryn Wood (2 pm).
If those performers don’t tempt you to Saturday’s festivities, perhaps a yoga class by Life Yoga Goulburn (11:30 am, Belmore Park), a circus workshop (12 pm to 2 pm, Lieder Theatre), an art workshop (1 pm to 3 pm, Creative Space Goulburn), or a bass and guitar workshop with the 19-Twenty musicians (3 pm to 4 pm, The Hume Conservatorium) will.
You can also practice your karate moves at Goulburn Martial Arts Centre (12:15 pm to 1 pm); play giant games including snakes and ladders and Jenga (10 am to 3 pm); have a go at a tug-of-war and boxing at Police Citizens Youth Club (11 am to 2 pm); or listen to story time inside Goulburn Mulwaree Library’s Big Read Bus (10:45 am to 11 am) in the park.
The festival has been funded by a $10,000 grant from the NSW Government in a bid to support community wellbeing by drawing people back into the community, and it is being organised by Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
“This is an opportunity to get back out and about after having no events for a while with COVID-19,” said council’s events officer Angela Remington.
“That’s what the whole festival is about. Re-emerging into your community and supporting the local economy – businesses and artists who may have done it a bit tough.”
Ms Remington said there should be something for everyone at the festival.
“Not only are these workshops free, but they’re also by local artisans who are normally booked out,” she said. “So this is an opportunity to try something you might not have tried before, or something you might have wanted to give a go before but weren’t able to, or it was cost prohibitive.”
While the circus workshop is aimed at children, all other workshops can be attended by adults and children. There will also be another art workshop for children aged between five and 12 at Creative Space Goulburn, between 10 am and 11 am, leaving the afternoon art workshop for high school aged children and adults.
Finally, festival-goers will also be able to take part in an online scavenger hunt. Those who take the best photos of Goulburn’s centre will be in with the chance of winning a $30 Lilac City Cinema voucher or Shop 2580 gift cards.
Those people wanting to attend are encouraged to bring their own chair or picnic blanket. A COVID-19 Safety Plan has been developed for the festival, which will require attendees to check-in via a QR code with the Service NSW app and abide by social distancing rules.
People must also book in for workshops, which are limited to 20, however spaces are still available.
For more information, visit The Festival of Place on Facebook.