Festival

As if celebrating 75 years of petal power was not enough this year the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers features Petals and Pups – an official dog-friendly program, completely dedicated to hounds and their humans. The dog friendly program is a salute to Toowoomba’s first canine Ambassadog, ‘Puppy’ the Pomeranian, who led the very first grand parade all those years ago.

One of Australia’s longest running and most prestigious music festivals, the iconic Byron Bay Bluesfest will have its final curtain call at the 2025 festival. Since the first East Coast Annual Blues Festival in 1990, which was headlined by American performers Charlie Musselwhite and Canned Heat at the Byron Bay Arts Factory, Bluesfest has been held every year at Easter in the Byron Bay area, except for 2 years during the Covid pandemic.

Little heroes are encouraged to prepare for the adventure of a lifetime when PAW Patrol makes their way to the Lockyer Valley! Heroic pups Chase and Marshall, together with their fearless leader Ryder will visit this year’s Laidley Spring Festival come September and remember, no job is too big, no pup is too small for these heroes!

The Goldfields Gothic Festival took place last weekend and was once again a perfectly sombre, solemn and melancholy event; attendees had a wonderful time and the organisers declared it a success … Under the steam of Peter Thompson and a number of key helpers — including Sasha Cuha, Gabrielle Kelly and a crew wearing top hats — most of the main events in 2024 took place at the Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum.

Locals and visitors in town experienced an exciting long weekend filled with festivities during the annual Desert Harmony Festival. The four-day event featured a diverse range of activities that catered to everyone, from Drag Storytime with Constantina Bush for the little ones to captivating musical performances by talented Barkly artists throughout the weekend.

Line dancers from all over the country descended upon Narrandera recently, turning the town into a lively festival of twirls and stomps. Locals jumped in, mingling with the competitors, creating cherished memories and savouring the electric atmosphere.

With the introduction of several new attractions including a competitive chainsaw competition and a bullock team, the 2024 Glenreagh Timber Festival attracted more than 6500 attendees to the Glenreagh Recreational Grounds ... families of all ages enjoyed themselves as they celebrated the rich heritage of the rural village.

Get ready to dance through the decades as Toodyay Agricultural Show commemorates its rich history with the Decennial Dance on Saturday 31 August, 2024. To be hosted at the iconic Toodyay Memorial Hall, the evening promises an enchanting blend of nostalgia and festivity, set against the backdrop of warm country hospitality. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the theme of "Op Shop Chic" or bring out their own wardrobe gems for a night of timeless elegance and fun.

Port Pirie Regional Council is thrilled to announce that Port Pirie SALA Winter Festival 2024 is coming together beautifully, thanks to our generous sponsors ... The event promises an extraordinary celebration of arts and community spirit.

The festival is just over one week away! For those who haven't yet joined us, or perhaps are curious about what a day at Byron Writers Festival holds, we extend a warm invitation. Each year the Byron Writers Festival is where a community of readers and inquisitive minds gather.

Whimsical works by Copper Coast artists Julie Cheshire and Claudia Bollmeyer will be among a feast of art on display in August for the annual South Australian Living Artists festival. Their joint exhibition at Kadina’s Ascot Theatre is one of five to be held on Yorke Peninsula during the festival.

Rockhampton Regional Council and Advance Rockhampton are celebrating a fantastic weekend with thousands of people attending the 10th Annual Rockhampton River Festival.

Powerful, enlightening and entertaining,  My Cousin Frank  is a storytelling experience with one of Australia’s greatest artistic and cultural leaders, Rhoda Roberts AO. Join Rhoda in a special evening as she shares  tales of her first cousin Frank Roberts, a boxing champion who was the first Aboriginal Olympian.  

The Board of Castlemaine State Festival announced last week that it will commence planning for a 2026 festival and expects to appoint a new artistic director later this year. In March the board had stated that it was entering voluntary administration and that specialists from Deloitte Financial Advisory had been appointed to "assess the options available to restructure the operations, preserve the legacy of the festival and determine a path forward."

The Empire’s popular family festival Thrive on Arts will return from September 26-29, celebrating all things nature and the environment. Sponsored by C&K Childcare and Kindergarten, Thrive on Arts is an annual four-day festival celebrating play, imagination, creativity and storytelling, held during the spring school holidays alongside the iconic Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

The guest speaker at the Donald History Society July meeting was local Festival Director and recycler extraordinaire, Sam Goldsmith ... Last year 10,000 people were catered for totally, camping, food wise and entertainment wise at the Esoteric Festival.

Recognising the Centenary of the iconic Cobb & Co, who played a vital role in Australia’s royal mail service, a special commemorative Cobb & Co ‘Carrying mail on Australia’s Last Run’ – First Day cover and Maxicard stamp sets with Surat Postmark will be released by Australia Post on August 13 to celebrate the 100-year milestone and Australia’s last coach run. The new stamps will form part of the centenary celebrations at the Cobb & Co Festival...

The highly anticipated Rockhampton River Festival program is now live! Mark your calendars for next weekend, from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, as Rockhampton gears up to host River Fest X. This year’s festival, themed “Reflection,” celebrates a decade of growth, transformation, and community spirit in the region since its inception in 2014.

This weekend you can enjoy the attractions and hospitality of Allora. It’s just an easy 15 minute drive north of Warwick and you’ve arrived at the Best little Town on the Downs.

The program for the 2024 Goldfields Gothic Festival has been announced and it promises to be another celebration of all things mysterious and darkly glamorous. Spread across the weekend of Friday 2 August to Sunday 4 August, the festival will feature poetry, parlour games, spectres and stories plus magic and lots of music.

Allora’s Clint Kenny brought home some good wins from the Heavy Horse Festival held over the weekend. His mount Rivoli Royal Revelation was a stand out with two 1st prize wins.

The Warwick Chapter of the Historical Motorcycle Club of Queensland will host their 30th Anniversary Rally in Allora this weekend with riders coming from Northern New South Wales, Brisbane, Townsville, Brisbane and all around South East Queensland. At least 140 riders and pillions with their precious bikes will gather at the Allora Showgrounds.