Fair puts Drysdale in the spud-light

DRYSDALE Primary School will celebrate the township’s farming history this afternoon (Friday, March 21) at its annual Potato Fair, while raising much-needed funds for infrastructure upgrades for its students.

The festivities will begin at 3.30pm at the school’s Clifton Springs Road site, with live music, kids rides and activities, food trucks selling plenty of potato-related fare, and a community twilight market on offer.

For the first time, the event will also include a silent disco, while several teachers have put their hand up for the “dunk tank” challenge. A variety of community groups, including the CFA, local scouts and sporting clubs, will also be in attendance.

Principal Glen Lauder said the school was excited to bring both the school community and the wider community together for the event and encouraged everyone to join in the fun.

“Come on down, the weather’s looking perfect,” he said.

“It’s just a fun night, it’s going to support a really good cause and we really hope that everyone can come down and just enjoy a nice, relaxing night at the school.”

Now in its third year, the Potato Fair serves as a major fundraiser for the Bellarine Peninsula school, with the funds raised earmarked for improvements to its outdoor play spaces, including the construction of an inclusive playground to replace the school’s ageing equipment.

Drysdale Primary School received an almost $300,000 grant from the Department of Education to help build the playground, and preliminary works have already begun, with the school to contribute $20,000 toward the project.

Mr Lauder said a key focus of the new playground, which is also used frequently by the broader community, is ensuring the school’s equipment is more inclusive for all youngsters, including those who may experience mobility issues.

“Given out location right in the heart of Drysdale, this is a very popular spot for community use outside of school hours,” he said.

“We think it’s a really good thing to be an integral part of the community and play a role to support it, and having [the school’s facilities] open and accessible for everybody is really important to us.”

To support its fundraising goal, the school is holding a raffle with seven prize packs, donated by local businesses, up for grabs, including a two-night stay in Bright, a Sea All Dolphin Swims experience valued at $350 and a $500 gift voucher for Portarlington’s Grand Hotel.

The raffle will be drawn this evening at about 6.30pm and everyone is welcome to buy a ticket. Ticket buyers do not need to be present at the draw.

For tickets, head to rafflelink.com.au/dps-potato-fair-2025