17 April 2019

Tilba Easter Festival celebrates a rich and colourful community

| Ian Campbell
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The Tilba Easter Festival is on this Saturday - April 20. Photo: Tilba Easter Festival website.

The Tilba Easter Festival is on this Saturday – April 20. Photo: Tilba Easter Festival website.

Tilba is famous for many things, this tiny town of 400 people packs a punch.

European settlers moved in during the 1850’s, the unique character of that time still lives, Tilba is the only town in Australia to be fully heritage declared by the National Trust.

The farming influence that flowed from those pioneers still inspires people like Nic and Erica Dibden at Tilba Real Diary and Paul West of River Cottage Australia fame.

These lush green hills also have a deep Aboriginal heritage, something that feeds the town’s energy and looms large in the form of the ‘mother’ mountain – Gulaga.

This Saturday all that comes together in a terrific community celebration along Bate Street for the renowned Tilba Easter Festival.

A sleepy little town for most of the year, every Easter Saturday the main street is closed and handed over to good times that attract around 10,000 people.

Bate Street is filled with an eclectic mix of food and market stalls along with roving entertainers, buskers, three stages of music, a Kids Zone and two historic halls full of entertainment and demonstrations.

The famous stilt walkers are back in 2019 along with Sidewalk Fairies and MC Sol Romano, who will take charge of games on the day and commit random acts of kindness. Three major prize packages with a total value of over $1000 are also up for grabs.

And rumours abound that there will be a wet sponge throwing competition in the Kidz Zone involving a Tilba School teacher!

What you need to know to have a good day…

Between 8 am and 5 pm – Bate Street will be closed to traffic and Corkhill Drive will be closed between Latimers Lane in the north and Foxglove Gardens in the south.

Access to the Festival is via Corkhill Drive, off the Princes Highway. There is parking at both the north and south ends of Corkhill Drive, and a free shuttle bus will take you to the Festival entry point.

There is very limited access to cash in Central Tilba on the day. There is no ATM. The Cheese Factory and Tilba Sweet Spot are happy to give cash out with purchases.

Tickets – kids under 16 are free, family tickets $30, adults $15, concessions $5. Buy online now and beat the queue.

For more information including the full festival program check the Tilba Easter Festival website.

Bate Street is filled with an eclectic mix of food and market stalls along with roving entertainers. Photo: Tilba Easter Festoval website.

Bate Street is filled with an eclectic mix of food and market stalls along with roving entertainers. Photo: Tilba Easter Festoval website.

Original Article published by Ian Campbell on About Regional.

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