A tale of two festivals

Goulburn’s George Lazenby at the inaugural Spyfest Ball. Photo Darryl Fernance, GOULBURN POST.

Event planning can be a crap shoot.

Do you bet big, plan a whole bunch of new activities and hope the people will respond, but be prepared for a few flops and some financial losses.

Or do you take the conservative route. Stick with the tried and tested, the old and the stale, limit your losses but also limit your potential engagement, success and growth.

This year, Goulburn has gone all in with the most ambitious spring calendar ever attempted locally.

The packed three-month-long Spring Series of events is only a little more than a month old and already the hardy crew at the Visitors Information Centre feel like they’ve run a marathon. The bad news for them is that this year it’s a triathlon and they still have the bike and swim legs to go.

There are a stack of big events still to come, but two of the biggest events are already behind us – the Lilac Festival and Spyfest, the old and the new.

As the dust starts to settle on the two big events, it’s timely to take stock of the two, how they fit together and what’s in store for both.

Spyfest

By any measure, the inaugural Goulburn Spyfest was an unqualified success.

National coverage and publicity, tick.

Variety of events with different price points, tick.

Overall success and popularity, GREAT BIG TICK.

Conventional wisdom suggests that an event of this magnitude can’t be organised in less than a year, but Spyfest happened with much less than half a year’s preparation from start to finish.

The various events all went off without a hitch. Despite pretty crappy wet weather, the parade drew big numbers which stayed for the official ceremony as people queued for a chance to meet and get a signature from Goulburn’s very own George Lazenby.

And the centrepiece of Spyfest, the Secret Agent’s Ball, was the event’s crowning glory.

It looked great. I don’t think people were prepared for just how good the Veolia Arena would look on the night. Classy decorations and mood lighting made the arena seem anything but a sporting stadium.

It sounded great. Typically big empty square boxes like Veolia Arena are caverns into which quality sound disappears but the sound was also crisp and clear throughout.

And there was a lot more to love. The tucker was top notch. The entertainment was superb. The idea to have Chris Havilland aka “Sir Sean” host the Ball (I think it was Wendy Antony’s idea) was a masterstroke. The music set the perfect tone and the guest of honour (who made himself available for photos and chats all night) made the event the momentous occasion it was.

Negatives? Surprisingly few. The need for men to use outside toilets bugged some people.

All considered, it was one hell of an accomplishment by the Spyfest Committee (of which I’m not a member) to bring all of these incredible ingredients into the big empty box that is Veolia Arena. The great news to flow on from the event is Council’s determination to overcome the building’s deficits (audio, heating, toilet amenities, heating, cooking amenities) so that organisers of future events don’t have to solve all of those logistical problems independently.

And just on the subject of the Council, they deserve a huge tick for their support of Spyfest, including sponsorship, the writing off of some council costs and the provision of staff to assist in preparation of the event. They saw the vision and potential of Spyfest, and backed it accordingly.

Lilac Festival

And so to Lilac Time (as it was called when I was a kid).

There was a lot missing from the Lilac Festival this year. No Queen candidates. No parade. It was very much “Lilac Time Lite” with many bits and pieces from the highlights reel, but with two of the major elements missing.

So let’s start with the bits that did happen.

Saturday in the park was fantastic. The weather was a huge improvement from just a week earlier and so the markets, rides, music and official opening were showcased in almost perfect conditions.

And the town responded with great crowds.

The long weekend in October almost guarantees great weather and a relaxed audience, so it’s the perfect backdrop into which to place the Lilac Festival.

And that’s the real identity of the Lilac Festival and its point of difference from Spyfest. It’s our local festival. It’s primarily for us. Sure, it’s great that visitors want to come and we’d like more to come, but it’s our town’s opportunity to let our hair down and have some fun – a bit like the Goulburn Show but with less sheep and cows.

It’s a real disappointment that the event seems to be frozen in time and lacking two of its biggest elements, but this could easily be fixed.

A sponsor could be sought to provide the winning Queen candidate with a 5 day holiday for two at the Gold Coast. Solved.

The Chamber of Commerce can take control of the parade and possibly seek sponsored prizes for it to encourage entrants and community groups. Solved.

Yes, there was a parade only a week ago but bear in mind the two festivals will usually be a month apart and the Spyfest parade will always be very specifically themed, whereas the Lilac Time parade is a glorious and random hodge podge of elements.

The two main problems facing the Lilac Festival are that the committee has been unwilling to co-operate with Council on many occasions and doesn’t welcome new members with new ideas or elections.

None of which is criticism of the committee’s many achievements both past and present. The elements of Lilac Festival that did take place – the markets, rides, flowers, pets, dancing, singing, fireworks, and Humphrey – were great. But it needs more. And it’s the town’s event, so the town should get a say in it. It isn’t owned by the committee, and it is in dire need of a spring clean and a lick of paint.

Two festivals

So we now have two spring festivals. And they both went quite well.

Despite being just a week apart, it’s clear there is room for both of the two very different events. They have different audiences, different elements and very different vibes.

They definitely can coexist. But it’s also becoming clear that there is less NEED for Lilac Time, with Spyfest and so many other Spring events on the agenda.

The crowds last weekend suggest Goulburn still likes Lilac Time. But there are now many spring events that could be cobbled together into an October-long-weekend event if the Lilac Committee remains inflexible. And the sad truth is, no-one will probably even miss Lilac Time if its replacement was open to new people and ideas, and was more flexible.

In a tale of two festivals, there IS room for both. But where Spyfest’s future seems sparkly bright, there remains a question mark over Lilac Time unless it opens its doors and works with Council.

Back in the Industrial Revolution, a fella called Sir Thomas Babbington Macauley, realising the ruling class needed to make some reforms to prevent being overthrown completely, suggested “Reform that ye may preserve.”

There might be something in that.

(Originally published on the Goulburn Post website).