Surf Coast welcomes the return of events

It’s exciting to see live events start to return in the Surf Coast Shire, and now there’s a place where you can find out everything that’s on and how to get involved.
Surf Coast Events is the new home for local events. Established by Surf Coast Shire Council, the website brings together all events and markets in the one place, where you can search by date, category and location. There’s also an e-newsletter so you can be the first to know what’s coming up.
We all know the enormous impact the pandemic has had on events. In a normal year, Surf Coast Shire hosts some 200 events, festivals and markets, ranging from boutique community gatherings to world-famous sporting events such as the Rip Curl Pro and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
When COVID hit in March, every event was cancelled, but now we’re slowly starting to see the return of events that can be delivered in a COVID-safe way.
One of our hallmark events, Surf Coast Century, is happening next weekend, and much-loved events like the Aireys Inlet Market and local surfing competitions are already underway.
Other crowd favourites like Bells Bash, Pier to Pub, Mountain to Surf and Afterglow Night Trail Run have gone virtual for the time being, allowing participants to complete the event on their own or in smaller groups. With more than 350 runners participating in last weekend’s virtual Afterglow Night Trail Run, people have embraced these options as they wait for the real thing to return.
Newly elected Surf Coast Shire Councillor Mike Bodsworth welcomed the return of local markets in Aireys Inlet and Anglesea.
“It’s reassuring to see events gradually returning to the Surf Coast; we’ve missed them! Events and markets bring our community together and create fun experiences. They also support local business and help showcase our beautiful region to visitors. The new Surf Coast Events platform is a great way for people to stay connected with what’s happening across the shire,” he said.
Events will play a critical role in our region’s recovery, not just in an economic sense, but also in reconnecting us.
While summer is going to look a bit different and it will be some time until things return to ‘normal’, it’s wonderful to see events returning in a COVID-safe format.
To find out everything that’s happening in the Surf Coast Shire, go to surfcoastevents.com.au, sign up for the e-newsletter and follow Surf Coast Events on Facebook and Instagram.