A quacking season of events

THE next few weeks are set to be big for communities across Golden Plains Shire with three major events on the horizon.

The iconic Shelford Duck Race is back this year, to be held on the same day as the Smythesdale Arts and Music Fiesta on Sunday, 26 February, while the Inverleigh Dachshund Derby Day is set for the following weekend, Sunday 5 March.

Shelford Duck Race organiser Glenn Jeffery said their aim is to attract a crowd of at least 2000, and the event usually draws people from as far as Melbourne.

“I like to walk the crowd, find out who people are and where they’ve come from, tell them about the town and what we do,” he said.

“There are complete novices, and questions like ‘how do you train the ducks?’ from people who don’t realise they’re plastic, to those who come every year and wear a duck-related t-shirt.”

One of Mr Jeffery’s main objectives, alongside showcasing Shelford, is to get more locals involved and enjoying the fun of the festival of rubber ducks.

“What I appreciate the most is locals getting involved, being out and about and feeling proud of their community.

“We want to bring people out and make the set-up and pack-up a bit of an event. I still meet locals I’ve never met before at every single duck race, which is a bit weird, but it’s good,” he said.

Smythesdale Arts and Music Fiesta organiser Barry Wemyss said he puts on the event each year not only to attract visitors, but to celebrate his hometown, give back to it, and provide local Shire visual artists and performers a platform to showcase their creativity.

“We’re offering as much art as possible, something entertaining, and opportunities for artists,” he said.

Back in the south of the Shire, Inverleigh Dachshund Derby Day co-organiser Melissa Gillett said the dog-centric day “puts Inverleigh on the map.”

“That’s for sure,” she said. “People know Inverleigh because of the derby that’s been running for 11 years.

“It creates a lot of business for local shops like the general store and the pub, and it’s a lovely day out for the community.

“We’re expecting about 100 entrants and 2000 people. We have people come from all over Victoria. It grows every year.”