By Tania Phillips
Jack Frost is nipping at noses and the temperature is dropping rapidly – it can be only one time of year, Snowflakes in Stanthorpe time.
The bi-annual event, to be held from 30 June to 2 July, is on again and the Stanthorpe and District population are hard at work preparing for another bigger and better festival.
New Snowflakes in Stanthorpe president Trace Gosney, who has long been involved in the festival on the music and sound side, said it was all systems go for the winter family favourite event.
“We held a launch on Friday May 27 with over seventy people, sponsors, volunteers and supporters,” Trace said.
Held at the Showground the event allowed the organisers to trial three brand new fireplaces (with toastie marshmallows for all) and another of the big Snowflake attractions – two of the three new snow-globes.
“The new globes are a little bit different, they’re Snowflakes branded so you can take photos inside and have the snowflake symbol,” he said.
“One of them has actually got a photo of Marlay the mascot. The globes are pretty popular, people love getting in there and we have synthetic snow inside them. We’re looking to put some small blow-up balloons in one of them for a bit of fun.”
All Trace and his committee and volunteers need to do now is hope for the good cold weather that brings in the locals and visitors from across Queensland and Northern NSW for the event. After all there is nothing quite like Stanthorpe anywhere else in the Sunshine State.
“That’s what people come here for, in summer they go to the Coast but in Winter they come to the big cold climate areas,” Trace said.
“Well, we are supposed to be the coldest place in the State.”
He said there were a few changes to this year’s event, promising more fun, frivolity and activities across the three days.
“On the Friday we have tried to make it a locals’ day and we’re not closing the street off this year,” Trace said.
“We got activities happening in the Piazza and there’s another stage down near Mitre 10. The big attractions are the chainsaw ice challenge later in the afternoon and at night there is the lantern parade and the fireworks from 5-6pm.
“Saturday, its all at the showgrounds starting from 9am. This year we’ve got two tiny seven-metre-long blowup obstacle courses and a big blow-up climbing wall and we’ve got the synthetic iceskating rink inside. We’ve created a section for children’s entertainment, a puppet show, badge making, sand art, igloo building blocks – building out of big foam blocks. There’s entertainment happening on the two stages all weekend, one inside and one outside.”
There will also be an animal nursery, a snake catcher, assortment of markets outside and plenty of food with a LED Hoola-hoop Show and a Fire-show at the Showground on the Saturday night and of course the ever-popular man-made snow field – which will be open from 9am on both days. The local farmers, companies and supporters are already freezing their ice blocks in preparation and will be up early Saturday morning to get it all happening.
“There really is lots happening this year,” Trace enthused.
“The Enchanted Forest is moving into the old tearoom which is going to be interesting lots of coloured lights we can’t wait to see how it turns out.
“We reckon it will be best one ever out of the five we’ve run.”
For more information and to secure tickets head to www.snowflakesinstanthorpe.com.au
