“We find with our festivals we do have such a broad range of people coming of all ages so we do like to offer a bit of variety just to make sure we’ve got something to please everyone,” says Kingston media officer Tracey Cheeseman.
There’s non-stop music all day Saturday May 7, spread across the Big Top and the Jam Café. The majority of main stage acts hail from Melbourne, while the Jam Café focuses on Kingston locals, such as William’s Cave and Daniel Cooper.
“We like to have a mix of established artists, such as Stonefield, but also we want to support young up-and-coming musicians,” Cheeseman says. “The Jam Café is more locally-based, young up-and-comers looking for that next step. Obviously as a local council we do want to support our own local community, but also we’re interested in getting some great acts so we do look further afield.”
Stonefield have become an internationally recognised band over the last five years, and their contemporary relevance and rural Victorian beginnings make them ideal headliners.
“There’s still that buzz around them,” Cheeseman says. “They’ve got a strong following and we’ve seen through social media that people are keen and they’re probably coming from some distance away. On our social media page the other day someone was asking if young people, like 12 year olds were allowed, because they really wanted it to be their daughter’s first concert.”
If Stonefield are representing contemporary Australian music, Mick Thomas offers a look into the past. He’s been active since the early-‘80s playing with Weddings Parties Anything, and his appearance directly before the headliners will provide a nice juxtaposition.
“Last year at the Harvest Festival our headliners were Boom Crash Opera, so that was that Gen-X generation revisiting their youth. We do try to keep it interesting.”
There’s a lot going on outside of the music. It’s designed to be a family affair, and the kids’ amusements include face painting, theatre shows and a petting zoo. “I’m very keen to see the duck herding,” Cheeseman says. “I’m told we’re going to have very cute little ducks wearing sweaters, and I think it’s a sheep dog herding them up and getting them in the right place.”
The duck herding demonstration is part of the festival’s Green Hub, which is centred on getting people active and elucidating environmental sustainability in the process. A particularly eye-catching inclusion is the billy cart making and riding workshop, open to both adults and kids. “It’s about encouraging people to be thinking about reusing old items. So they’re sustainability messages presented in a fun way.”
There’ll be a bevy of fresh food options, as well as cooking demonstrations in the Harvest kitchen. “There’ll be lots of food trucks on offer. We do try to keep it in support of local businesses, but we want to make sure we have an interesting mix of food. You need to always provide some vegan options and vegetarian options and some lower cost things.”
This year’s Harvest Festival takes place at Bicentennial Park in Chelsea, moving away from its former location in Carrum. Entry is just $2 per person or $5 for an entire family, erasing any concerns about affordability.
“If you don’t know the acts, well that’s OK because it’s not a big risk. And if you do love them and you’re really keen to see them, well you’ve scored an absolute bargain. So it’s the best of both worlds.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
