Super festival is just two weeks ‘up, up and’ away

By Kate Taylor

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No… it’s a town full of people dressed in superhero costumes.
This year, the Ballan Autumn Festival theme is “celebrating local superheroes” and it’s attracted the sponsorship of the iconic Oz Comic-Con event.
Oz Comic-Con is Australia’s premier pop-culture convention with tens of thousands of attendees in Melbourne each year.
Oz Comic-Con will be sponsoring prizes in the Ballan Autumn Festival’s costume competition and by dressing up in “cosplay” as their favourite superheroes for the annual costume competition, entrants of all ages will be in the running to win family and couples passes to attend Oz Comic-Con in Melbourne later this year.
“Oz Comic-Con, Australia’s Ultimate Pop Culture Experience, are proud to be supporting superheroes of every age,” said Oz Comic-Con spokesperson Jess Yates.
‘Cosplay’ competition entrants are encouraged to register their details on the Ballan Autumn Festival website, so they are easier for judges to find on the day. There are prizes for all age divisions.
The Festival’s major sponsor, Moorabool Wind Farm, has also organized costumed superheroes to wander the festival and contribute to the spectacular visuals of the day.
The “superheroes” theme informs not only the cosplay competition, but also the theme of the annual parade, a costumed pet-show and cake decorating competition – all of which have their own specialized prize sponsors.
“To attract a prize sponsor of the calibre of Oz Comic-Con says as much about the Ballan Autumn Festival’s reputation as a regional event, as it does the popularity of the ‘superhero’ theme,” said BAF President Deryck Carruthers.
“We’ve already received heaps of ‘cosplay’ competition entrants and excitement is growing in our town for the energy and excitement cosplayers bring with them to events. For families, it’s going to be a very memorable day,” he said.
The Ballan Autumn Festival is on Sunday 15 March from 9am-4pm in Inglis Street.