Glen Innes is warming up for the second Chill N Glen festival, which will make the town a wintry hotspot this July.
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“Chill N Glen is a great way to promote one of our great features, our winter climate,” Glen Innes Severn Council Mayor Cr Steve Toms said; “to actually rejoice in it; and to draw people up to the Glen Innes Highlands.”
The two-day community event runs from July 21 to 22. This is the second year the festival has been held.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced on Friday that the NSW Government had provided $20,000 to support the festival, through the state’s tourism and events agency Destination NSW.
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“Last year’s inaugural festival was a huge success,” Mr Marshall said. “At the time, I told the organising council I would be more than happy to support getting some funding to really expand it.
“They've been able to use the money to put in an ice skating rink this year, which will attract a lot of people, especially younger people, but also those who may not have tried ice skating before. It will add to the festival.”
A winter fair will be held in the main street on Saturday July 21, with more than 50 market stalls selling food from around the world and local gourmet produce.
There will be activities and games for children, art and craft exhibitions, vintage cars and hot rods, guided history tours, fashion parades, street entertainment, and music and dance.
The festivities continue into the night, with movies, a disco, band performances, traditional Christmas dinners, and firecrackers.
Sunday July 22 features the Arts North West Arts Trail, artisan workshops, cultural displays, tours of History House, and live music.
The ice-skating rink – which promises to be one of the biggest drawcards – will run next to Landmark in the three weeks leading up to the festival, from July 2 to 22.
"The ability to add that ice rink has been phenomenal,” Business in Glen secretary Kylie Hawkins said.
The festival also brings tourist revenue into the Glen Innes economy.
‘Each and every external dollar that comes into our micro-economy gets turned over three or four times before it leaves town,” Council general manager Hein Basson said, “and that’s got a multiplier effect on our micro-economy, which is all positive.”
Chill N Glen is one of four events set to make the town the Northern Tablelands’ festival centre. It joins the Celtic Festival in May, the Outlandish Outlander Festival in October, and the new Vintage Rose Festival in November.
“All that plays on our climate, our location, and also our Celtic backgrounds,” Cr Toms said.
“We have beautiful summers, but we have four seasons, so let's celebrate them all!”
For more information about the festival, visit the Chill N Glen Facebook page.
Schools are invited to book in groups of up to 30 children for a 40-minute ice skating session from July 2 to 6. Other bookings will also be taken during this time for individuals if the sessions are not fully booked out. The cost is $7.50 per child.
If you are a school or group interested in booking a session, please email Kylie Hawkinssecretary@businessinglen.com.au to secure your place. Information about individual sessions will be on the Facebook page.