PLANNING is well under way for this year’s Geltwood Festival with organisers anticipating another successful event.
The festival will be held in Millicent from April 13 to 17 and act as a draw card for tourism to the area.
It will host a number of workshops and exhibitions, as well as the popular Geltwood Family Fun and Market Day organised by the Millicent Lions Club.
“Last year’s market day was one of the best, if not the best that we have had in years,” Wattle Range Council tourism officer and Geltwood committee member Tamara North said.
“There were a lot more stalls than previous years and we are aiming for that again this year.
“Numbers in tourism definitely increase, there’s more people floating around the town with many traveling from western Victoria.”
There will be a change to the program this year, which has been cut from 10 days to five.
Event organisers decided to make the cut so the festival would be “more intense”.
“Last year there was a gap where nothing was happening,” Ms North said.
“We wanted to get rid of the gap and make it more consistent so there is something happening every day.”
Among the activities squeezed into the jam-packed five days is a quilting convention, South East Family History Group open days, the popular sell-out Murder at the Museum, a Millicent craft group demonstration and display, craft exhibitions, a film night and country music.
Shop windows will also be a sea of colour with over 250 quilts on display in George, Glen and Davenport Street, as well as the Millicent Visitor Information Centre.
Those displayed at the visitor information centre are donated to “Quilts for a Cause” with crafts people nominating ovarian cancer as their charity for this year.
The quilts will be donated to the cause to raffle or to give to patients.
