Autumn festival springs ahead

By Lachlan Ellis

The Ballan Autumn Festival (BAF) has been sorely missed with cancellations in 2020, 2021, and Autumn 2022 – but the Festival will be making a spectacular return, this time in spring.

The BAF Committee has announced that BAF will return on November 26 this year, with Ballan’s last Autumn Festival held all the way back in March 2019.

Kevin Harper is Acting President of the BAF Committee, after former President Deryck Carruthers stepped down in April.

He said this year’s BAF was still a work in progress, but it would be exciting to have one again after a long hiatus.

“The Autumn Festival won’t be the superhero-themed event that it was planned to be, that’s still to be decided as to whether that’s going to happen next autumn…but there will be a Festival next autumn as well,” Mr Harper told the Moorabool News.

“Safety is paramount, and BAF has always been the largest event in town, bringing 10,000 people into the town. So we’ve had to work around an event that’s COVID-safe and sustainable. It’s not just the Committee that’s been disappointed with the festivals being cancelled, but the whole town…so I think there’s general excitement that something will be happening again.”

Mr Harper also thanked Deryck Carruthers for his hard work and commitment as President of the BAF Committee.

“On behalf of the Committee, I’d like to thank Deryck for the sterling work that he’s done over his time as President…we’ve been grateful for his guidance and his abilities,” he said.

The Committee has thanked both the State Government and Moorabool Shire Council for providing funding, which will be used to plan the festival in a sustainable, COVID-safe manner.

A community survey has also been conducted as part of the planning process, with the parade deemed the most important part of BAF by the community, followed by food and drink.

Planning for BAF 2022 is still in its early stages, but more exciting news will be revealed in the months ahead.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-05-17/7

in the 17 May 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.