Moorabool News The
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Tuesday 11 August, 2020
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Vol 14 No 32
Last straw for festival
By Lachlan Ellis (3rd Yr Deakin Uni)
It is not ‘berry’ good news as there’ll be no fireworks, no music and no carnival in Bacchus Marsh this November, though fresh strawberries and cherries will still be available. The Bacchus Marsh Tourism Association announced last Monday that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Strawberries and Cherries Weekend Festival was cancelled. President of the BMTA, David Durham, told the Moorabool News the postponement was another source of disappointment for local agriculture and tourism workers, but it was the right thing to do.
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“Everybody’s already down in the dumps with corona, aren’t they…the [BMTA] committee were a bit upset, but there’s not much we can do,” Mr Durham said. “It’s a public safety thing really, not to have the event… we don’t want to be a case like one of those meatworks, if there is a flare-up at the Festival.” Mr Durham said with Melbourne in Stage 4 lockdown, the COVID problem has been massive. “I know some of the fruit and vegetable shops and the tourism places rely on out of towners for 70 to 80 per cent of their business. Most of our customers are locked out,” he said. While there will be no festival, a BMTA spokesperson said fresh fruit will still be available from November, and
locals can come and pick their own – albeit in smaller numbers than originally planned.
“Even though there will not be our usual fantastic festival weekend there will be tonnes of fabulous sweet juicy fruit produced during November through till May for everyone to enjoy. We are hoping to do some extra special smaller weekend attractions during the summer/autumn harvest time.” the spokesperson said.
Mr Durham told the Moorabool News local fruit and vegetable growers were eager for the Strawberries and Cherries Festival to go ahead in November 2021, but this was only possible “if the restrictions lift by March next year”.
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