General News
25 October, 2024
Kaleidoscope event to liven up town
Four community groups have joined forces to put Avoca under the Kaleidoscope with a three-day festival of fun this weekend.
Collectively organised by Advance Avoca, Avoca Riverside Market, Avoca Chinese Garden and Avoca Community Arts and Gardens, the Kaleidoscope of activities officially lights up tonight with the latter’s Art Show gala awards evening at the Avoca Town Hall starting at 6.30 pm.
Avoca Community Arts and Gardens president Hugh Forster said the show, which is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm, is only the appetiser for local art lovers.
“There will be a fantastic array of artistic talent on display throughout the weekend,” he said.
“The art makers market is at Gallery 127 on Saturday morning from 9 am to 1 pm — we will have music there and a coffee van with some food.
“I’m doing a live demonstration of the glow-in-the-dark elements at the Barking Owl Silo Saturday at 8.30 pm as well.
“It shows that a small town [like Avoca] can put on high quality events across a spectrum of artistic endeavours.”
Other activities filling the packed weekend program include the annual Whole Town Garage Sale on Saturday followed by the Avoca Riverside Market on Sunday.
The market will be joined by a fiery friend as the Bendigo Golden Dragon Museum will perform a dragon parade before entering the chinese garden for an official ceremony.
Avoca Chinese Garden treasurer Marg Pilgrim said it was “a no-brainer” for the groups to create a memorable weekend together.
“I think this weekend will be just like a Kaleidoscope — colourful, active and lots happening,” she said.
“It’s the opportunity to showcase all the different elements of the town, but it’s also a way to bring visitors, help local businesses and make it bigger than what we normally do.
“All of our organisations have very small committees, so trying to run a major event with a few people is very difficult — if you can pool your resources together then it certainly makes it easier.”
This weekend’s festivities will also mark the 10th birthday of the garden designed by Australian Chinese artist Lindy Lee to acknowledge the contributions of the early Chinese immigrants to Avoca during the gold rush.
Ms Pilgrim said the celebrations will be even more special considering how far the space has come.
“From the corner that it was where it was overgrown, rat-infested and had snakes everywhere to now being able to have [the garden] is just amazing,” she said.
“You will often come down here and see people sitting in the pavilion on their phone or enjoying the scenery.”
The Kaleidoscope of Activities in Avoca runs from tonight to this Sunday.
Saturday’s Avoca Whole Town Garage Sale runs from 8 am to 1 pm, with maps available for purchase for a gold coin donation at the Avoca Information Centre between 7.30 and 9.30 am.