Surf Coast Kite Festival called off again

THE ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have knocked another event off the calendar, with the Surf Coast Kite Festival cancelling its 2021 event.

The annual festival, which is a fundraiser for the Jan Juc Preschool, also did not run in 2020 because of the coronavirus and was originally scheduled to be held on October 24 this year.

The organising committee’s Emily Torney said repeated lockdowns and changes to COVID-19 restrictions meant the odds were unfortunately stacked against the festival this year, and the committee met with the Surf Coast Shire earlier this month to make a final decision.

“We held out as long as we could, but unfortunately, that’s the way we’re going to have to go, it’s getting too close to get it sorted.

We’ve still got no feedback either way as to what we can do, we kind of anticipate the lockdown in Melbourne will extend for a few more weeks, and if it’s that the case, there’ll be nothing happening down here.

“It’s a volunteering community at the event, so for us to get it sorted, it takes a lot longer – they’re not event professionals, so to speak; they’re volunteering their time.

“You don’t really want to have the vendors waiting around either; they want to know one way or the other if it’s going ahead.”

The committee organised an informal fly your kite day on the same date the 2020 festival was scheduled to run, and Ms Torney said she hoped that could be done this year.

“it’s literally just grab your kite and go outside, and do it in your own time, so we’re thinking we might do that again.”

A tentative date has been set for the next festival, on October 25, 2022.