ALL the hallmarks of a highly successful street festival will again be in place for Kalbar Country Day 2025.
While there’s an essence of deja vu in the huge line up of attractions, all aspects of the main event are reviewed annually to make sure it’s fresh and exciting, every year.
Artfully designed haybale sculptures with quirky ‘hay you’ messages are appearing along the district roadsides and beyond and every year the entries seem to push the imagination envelope.
Fassifern Lions Club members, the hosts of the street festival, have begun the brain teasing decisions of how and where to place the anticipated 150 stalls along the streets.
“We’ve focussed a lot on country lifestyle type stalls,” said another of the lead organisers, Joy Young.
“All the really popular stalls will be at Country Day again but there’s a bigger emphasis on ‘country; we even have one called ‘Everything Chicken’.”
Back by popular demand, bus tours of some of those highly imaginative haybale sculptures are being run by the School of Arts committee.
Turning back to the main event, Don says one, if not the only, carrot throwing competition in the country, will be ‘back with bells on’.
The Kalfresh sponsored competition is a winner all round.
“We have an under 15 section and an open section. You throw a carrot for a chance to win the prize money and a trophy,” he said.
At its core, Kalbar Country Day is about two things.
“It is all about family … families having fun together and getting to know other families,” Don said.
“Also, it’s about raising funds for charities and Lions Club projects around the community.”
Keeping the day family friendly, entry is free and $5 buys a wristband for the kids, which means they can have fun on the rides as often as they like – this year there will be a jumping castle, a cup and saucer ride and a boat ride.
Tickets are already on sale in the monster multi-draw raffle.
“You don’t have to be there for the draw,” says Joy. “It’s usually drawn between 1.30 and 2.00pm but you do have to put your phone number on any ticket you buy.”
The Deju Vu Band will be the live entertainment under the big tent in the Salvation Army yard as well as the Boonah Town Band and just up the street, in the churchyard of the Fassifern Christian Church, there’s more live entertainment.
“Fresh from their win at the Ipswich Battle of the Bands, the Boonah High School Rock Band will be there with their opening act, the Kalbar Primary School Rock Band.”
The Bush Poet’s breakfast begins at 7.00am and signals the start of everything on the day.
The Lions Club will be making their famous bacon and egg burgers and if you’re one of the early birds, you’ll be able to secure one of the 350 breakfast treats for the price of a gold coin donation.
After breakfast, the Bush Poets will wander down Railway Street and take up their spot between the stalls and what’s expected to be a big display of vintage tractors and cars.
The people mover train will be running all day picking up people, and dropping them back, to their cars parked in the showgrounds.
• Kalbar Country Day is on Saturday, October 18.
