Federation festival organisers Gary Poidevin, his daughter Stacey, and Robyn Rhodes are looking forward to the big three-day weekend celebrating the town’s history.
The Rotary Club of Corowa’s Federation Festival will be back in full splendour this month celebrating the town's status as the 'birthplace of Federation'.
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Held over the Australia Day weekend, the theme for the 43rd festival is ‘royalty’ celebrating the enduring legacy of Queen Elizabeth II and acknowledging the new monarch, King Charles III.
The festivities begin with the Rotary Federation Dinner and Tim Fischer Oration on Friday, January 27, with guest speaker Elizabeth Mourik OAM.
The popular Rotary Australia Day B&S Ball will take place on Saturday at the Cougars Rugby League Ground for those who enjoy a quintessential Aussie country shindig.
RSL Park will be the place to be on Saturday for a night of fireworks, delivered by Griff’s Pyrotechnics. The free community event, sponsored by the Corowa RSL Club and Rivalea, kicks off at 9:30pm and is the perfect opportunity for families and friends to pack a picnic and enjoy a spectacular pyrotechnic display.
The festival continues on Sunday with the Ecumenical Service in Bangerang Park. The 9am service is an inclusive and interfaith event, open to people of all backgrounds and providing an opportunity for people to come together in a spirit of unity.
Following the service, the popular Grand Street Parade commences at 10am, featuring over 30 floats, vintage cars, and pipe bands. The parade will proceed down Sanger Street, led by Corowa’s Dylan Forge on the bagpipes.
A special highlight of this year’s parade is the inclusion of the 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse Regiment from Wangaratta as well as the Scots School Albury Pipe Band who will be travelling to Scotland to perform later this year.
This year’s floats are encouraged to participate in the royalty theme. To encourage creativity and competition, there is $1000 in prizes up for grabs for the best decorated floats, a great opportunity for local organisations, clubs, and businesses to showcase their skills and have some fun while celebrating the town's history and cultural identity.
The popular Grand Parade returns on Sunday, January 29 with over 30 floats, bands and vehicles participating in the procession down Sanger Street.
After the parade, festival-goers will have a chance to enjoy the Rotary Club’s Monster Market at Bangerang Park offering everything from handmade crafts and locally produced products, to vintage items and collectibles.
Federation Festival has a long and proud history dating back over four decades. First established in 1979, the festival celebrates the momentous occasion when the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia was drafted and agreed upon in Corowa in 1893.
Since 1980, Federation Festival has been held annually on the last weekend in January, attracting visitors from all over the region and beyond.
The Federation Festival committee is looking forward to once again providing the community with a fantastic weekend of activities.
“The Rotary Club has been working hard behind the scenes to deliver a great weekend for locals and visitors to enjoy,” organising committee member Gary Poidevin OAM said.
“We would love to see everyone in the community come and celebrate our town and history. It’s a big weekend for our region and we look forward to seeing everyone there!”
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