When he was a child, Mark Foletta and his sister came across photos of the Yin Barun Beer and Wine Festival held on their parents’ farm in the ‘70s. The images stayed in Foletta’s subconscious as he travelled through the United States, Canada and Japan. One day, Foletta showed pictures of the festival to Bodin Campbell, the so-called ‘rough housemate’ who was staying on Foletta’s farm. Campbell’s response was immediate. “Why don’t you have a festival here again?’
And so the Happy Wanderer Festival was born. “We had literally no idea what was involved in organising a festival. It’s not an easy task, as it turns out,” Campbell says dryly on the phone from Benalla, where he, Foletta and a tribe of volunteers are preparing for the next Happy Wanderer Festival.
“We were naïve and very optimistic. I think the thing that got us through is that it wasn’t just us who were optimistic. There were a whole lot of people who wanted to help to make it happen.”
Situated on the Foletta family farm, the Happy Wanderer Festival, which takes its name from the weed found regularly on the property, is now into its fifth year. The three-day festival features bands and local produce, and even ‘wandering tours’ in which Foletta takes a group of festival patrons across the farm, showing them the agriculture grown on the property.
The first festival was organised in six weeks, with Foletta and Campbell realising rapidly what was involved in putting together a festival – including the importance of working closely with local government and fire protection agencies. “We came to them so late that they must have thought we were complete jokers, and rightly so,” Campbell laughs. “But now we have this amazing working relationship, and the Happy Wanderer Festival is part of the local tourist promotion for the Benalla Tourist Festival that happens around the same time.”
Like its 1970s antecedent, The Happy Wanderer Festival is about community. There are good bands, good food and good vibes. “On the farm there’s a whole lot of stuff that’s grown. Mark grows these beautiful pumpkins and wine. The pumpkins are given to the food stalls [volunteers are also plied with Foletta’s homemade pumpkin soup to keep up their stamina] and the wine that’s sold comes from grapes that Mark grows on the farm,” Campbell says.
The original idea of the festival in the ‘70s was to bring together people from the local region. Musical performance was limited. “They had a lot of activities and competitions, like the slippery log contest,” Campbell says. “But I don’t think they had a lot of bands. In my mind, there’s a bunch of Toranas with the volume of the stereos turned up really loud.”
By contrast, music is now an intrinsic part of Happy Wanderer. The festival draws upon a network of local artists and musicians keen to come along and play at the event. “One of the hardest things is saying no to people who want to come back,” says Jarrah Bassal, one of the festival’s three directors and long-time volunteer at the festival. “We’re always looking for a diverse range of music, and up and coming talent.”
This year’s festival is headlined by Immigrant Union, and features everything from roots/rock (The Woodland Hunters), to folk (Didirri, Grace Turner, Mandy Connell), to garage rock (Hollie Joyce), to hip hop (Echo Drama). The festival put the hard word on African jazz band The Senegambian Jazz Band to play. The group wasn’t enticed by the promise of Foletta’s organic wine, but was excited by the prospect of non-alcoholic ginger beer brewed on premises. “So that’s what got them over the line,” Campbell laughs.
Foletta’s father wasn’t initially enthusiastic about the Happy Wanderer Festival. But Ian Foletta gradually came around to the idea, and is now one of the festival’s strongest supporters. “Last year after we cleaned up, Ian decided to do a last check around to see if there was any rubbish left over. All he found was a scrunched up ten dollar note,” Campbell says.
