The Mullumbimby Community Gardens were buzzing with more than the usual working bee sounds earlier this month.
With attendance at a record-breaking 6,000 plus, people packed dozens of workshops, panels, hands-in-the-dirt garden and green art projects, learned about the newest alternative methods of personal transport, watched fresh-picked plants transform into magical organic meals, had some hands-on healing, socialised, sang, danced, skated, and helped raise the funds to build an educational centre on the site.
ABC TV garden gurus Costa Giorgiadis and Jerry Coleby-Williams said how impressed they were by our community’s gardening mania, and they hope to return.
It all began with the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce and their resurrection of the old Chincogan Street parade in the Living Community Street Parade.
Mullum’s main street came to life with 32 organisations on display, lead by the ever hoppin’ Blue Skillet Rovers, followed by the Rural Fire Brigade, stilt walkers, clowns, and floats of many colours and creativity.
Festival director Sarah-Jane Potts sums up: ‘we wanted to invite people into the magic of the community garden to encourage, in the many ways we can, all to become part of the solution together.
And we wanted to do a unique blend of practical, cutting-edge info, creativity, arts and plain old fun, for all ages.
Thanks to our generous community volunteers, the wonderful support by our locals, and our major sponsor, Santos, we were able to fulfill these intentions. We’d like to make this powerful event an annual one, every Spring, on Fathers Day.
Alison Pearl, Mullumbimby
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