Yesterday was such a beautiful day. It was perfect weather for a lunchtime wander around the Surry Hills Festival. There were LOTS of other people who’d come to a similar conclusion. What I experienced this year was pretty good : still very community focussed, but with broader appeal. Much improved from the years when the festival had aspirations to be a “big rock festival” with (I thought) little connection to the community itself. Here are some photographs I snapped.
As the St Kilda Festival has become a ‘rock festival’ which locals above the age of 30 hate and it costs we Port Phillip ratepayers a lot of money. It began as small community festival. I am pleased yours has gone back to its community roots.
These festivals are, ultimately, about who gets involved in the organisation of them. For some it’s about community engagement, for others it’s about their own personal aspirations which may or may not be connected with the community. You know what I’m saying? When I wrote a post a few years ago, noting how it had become a young persons music festival, I received a rather “fuck you” response that it was a “kids festival too”. Seriously. When it comes to these community festivals, I’d much rather a first rate, strong community festival than a third rate “Big Day Out”.
Interesting. Third rate Big Day Out sums up ours well.