Bushtime to fill gap of Woodford Folk Festival cancellation

Organisers of the Woodford Folk Festival have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.

Instead, they will host a Bushtime event from December 27 until January 1, the same dates that were planned for the festival.

General manager Amanda Jackes says while the decision is disappointing, it provides greater certainty for vendors, who risked losing money if they invested in supplies and then the festival was canned at the last minute due to COVID-19.

“We had hoped we might be able to put together a 25 percent scale festival this year and that it would provide work for stall holders and performers, but the risk was just too great,” she says.

Broad program for Bushtime

Amanda says last year’s Bushtime was a sell-out and this year’s program would be even better.

Rather than a series of four and five-day camping experiences, Amanda says this year Bushtime will be held as one event in the picturesque 500-acre grounds of Woodfordia.

“Bushtime will be a broader and larger program than we have offered previously,” she says.

“We’ll still have a slower start to the day, but there will be cabaret, comedy, concerts and some great stalls – the creative juices are flowing.”

The program for the popular arts camp experience will be finalised in October, with tickets launching mid-September – first to Woodfordia citizens and people who had their January Bushtime experience cancelled, then to the general public.

School holiday camping

If you’re keen to immerse yourself in the wonder of Woodfordia, the property will open for camping for the school holidays from September 18-October 4.

“It’s not something we’ve offered previously – this is an opportunity for people to get away to a great campsite and great facilities.

“We’re hoping people who have not visited our festival before will come.”

The site is set against the backdrop of Lake Gkula, featuring waterfalls, native fish, an island and sandy beaches.

Amanda says camping at Woodfordia will ramp up a notch for Bushtime, with the installation of 20 luxury glamping tents thanks to a grant from the State Government Growing Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

“They’ll have their own bathroom and shower in them,” she says.

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