Seafood festival off for 2024

THE Apollo Bay Seafood Festival will be a no-go in 2024, with organisers citing financial issues and volunteer burnout as key deciding factors.

The postponement of the major event comes after last year’s event was described by committee members as “the biggest event in Colac Otway Shire history”.

Organisers flagged the loss of a major sponsor in December due to state government budget cuts as being a “big blow” to the 2024 event.

The redevelopment of the Apollo Bay Harbour and a “very tried and worn out” event committee also weighted into the “tough decision.”

Apollo Bay Seafood Festival director Bill Hurley Fraser said he was “very apologetic” to those who were looking forward to the February 10 event.

“We were all systems go until we heard late from our major sponsor that they would have to withdraw for 2024. Essentially it just put us in a situation where there was too much financial risk,” he said.

“This combined with the severe volunteer burnout a

d the fact there is a redevelopment of the Apollo Bay Harbour about to start meant that we had to take a year off.

“The same volunteer committee that manages the seafood festival in summer also manages our major winter event WinterWild, a music and arts festival.

“7 years of festivals back-to-back, including putting on and rescheduling throughout covid has just worn everyone down.”

The annual seafood extravaganza has grown to become one of the region’s premier culinary and social events, featuring a pack-filled day of pop-up restaurants, cooking demonstrations and seafood markets.

While the full-scale festival will not be happening, a series of special seafood dinners will still go ahead at the region’s best restaurants.

The Apollo Bay Fisherman’s Co-op will also be launching a new sashimi bar and oyster bar, and the Big4 Apollo Bay Pisces Caravan Park will be putting on a ‘Celebration of Seafood’ event.

Mr Hurley Fraser said there was certainly silver lining to waiting another year for the festival.

“When the harbour redevelopment is finished our festival site will allow for more food vendors, reducing the dreaded queues,” he said.

“It will also provide proper infrastructure, new toilet blocks, room for larger stages and viewing platforms, boardwalks and grassy areas.

“It’s quite exciting not just for the festival but for the fishing industry and for the town.

“Hopefully it’ll be full steam ahead for 2025.”