Hands needed for Port Mussel Fest

THE Portarlington Mussel Festival committee of management is feeling a nervous excitement ahead of the event’s long-awaited return.

In just over a month, festival president Richard Underwood and his team will host the annual seafood festival at Portarlington Park for the first time in three years, an event he says many visitors are eager to return to on January 14.

“We’re all pretty nervous I reckon, just not knowing how it’s all going to go, particularly with another COVID-19 wave on at the moment,” Mr Underwood said.

“It seems to be a bit harder to get everything confirmed compared to previous years, but the hard work of the committee has overcome that challenge and now the excitement is starting to come through.

“What we’re now emphasising is volunteers.”

The Mussel Festival has become a staple of events in Portarlington. Beginning in 2007 as a street festival to promote the local mussel industry, it has grown into one of the most popular community festivals in Victoria with more than 30,000 visitors attending in recent years.

To accommodate the influx of visitors, Mr Underwood estimates the festival will need about 350 volunteers, a number significantly higher than the existing number at this point.

“We’re currently at just 20 volunteers at the moment, but we do expect that number to start rising,” volunteer manager Donna Stankovski said.

“Groups will start to confirm their attendance closer to the event and with that comes a bulk number of volunteers.

“Groups include the Queenscliff Coast Guard, Portarlington and Drysdale Football and Netball Clubs, the respective cricket clubs, the local RSL, tennis and angling clubs and many more.

“The numbers are continuing to rise, but we’re definitely on the lookout for additional hands.”

Mr Underwood said more than 200 stallholders will fill out the festival in 2023, a similar number to the turnout in 2018 where the festival sold three tonnes of mussels in one day.

“It’s not an event for just Portarlington, it’s an event for the entire region and beyond.

“We’ve got all types of volunteering roles, no matter someone’s experience, and we’ve always received good feedback from previous volunteers.

“It’s a great experience and shifts last no longer than three hours, allowing volunteers to enjoy the festival as well as contribute to it.”

To get involved with the Portarlington Mussel Festival as a volunteer, head to portmusselfestival.com/volunteer