A papier-mâché bust of Henry Lawson, often seen bobbing through the crowds during the festival weekend, is among the popular attractions returning for this year’s Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts in Grenfell. Photo: Weddin Shire Council.
Henry Lawson’s connection to Grenfell is impossible to overlook.
A monument marks Lawson’s birthplace on the Grenfell goldfields, shaded by a sugar gum planted by his daughter Bertha. In the town centre, visitors can sit beside an interactive bronze statue of the writer on the corner of Main and Forbes streets, while a bust near the Grenfell Ambulance Station allows people to press a button and listen to recordings of some of Lawson’s best-known poems.
This June long weekend, the town where Lawson was born in 1867 will once again commemorate that legacy as the Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts returns for five days of literature, music, art, history and community celebration.
Running from 4 to 8 June, the event is regarded as one of the longest-running arts festivals in regional NSW, drawing visitors from across the country to Grenfell and the wider Weddin Shire region.
This year’s “Larrikins and Legends” theme reflects both Lawson’s writing and the character of the community that continues to celebrate it.
Festival president Belinda Power said the concept reflected the humour and spirit long associated with both Lawson and Grenfell.
“Larrikins and Legends feels instantly Australian,” she said.
“It captures the humour, heart and resilience of Lawson’s writing, but it also reflects the people, stories and country spirit that make Grenfell such a wonderful place to visit.”
Lawson remains one of the nation’s best-known writers, with works such as The Drover’s Wife and The Loaded Dog helping shape a distinctly Australian literary voice through their portrayal of bush life, hardship and humour.
The festival was established in 1958 to honour his contribution to Australian arts and culture and continues to attract entries from throughout the country in verse, short-story, painting and photography competitions.
This year, the festivities begin on Thursday (4 June) with the official opening of the art exhibition and competition displays, giving visitors their first look at entries from artists and photographers across Australia.
The annual Festival Queen crowning will also take place, continuing one of the event’s longest-standing traditions.
Friday’s program includes school activities, exhibitions, live entertainment and the official opening-night concert, while visitors can also explore Grenfell’s museums, galleries and heritage attractions throughout the weekend.
Saturday (6 June) is expected to once again be the festival’s biggest day, with Grenfell’s main street transforming into a hub of activity.
The popular street parade will return alongside market stalls, busking performances, live music, food vendors, community displays and the much-loved country street party. Cobb & Co coach rides will again provide visitors with a glimpse into the region’s past, while the Kids Zone in Proctor Park offers entertainment for younger festival-goers.
The festival program also includes poetry events, exhibitions, pub entertainment, church services, historical displays and a range of community competitions, reflecting the broad appeal that has helped the event endure for decades.
Other returning attractions include the Grenfell Car Show and the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Show and Shine, both expected to draw strong crowds over the long weekend.
Long-time Grenfell residents Mary and Peter Moffitt have been named the festival’s 2026 official guest couple.
The Moffitts’ connection to the Henry Lawson Festival stretches back more than 50 years, after the pair first met while performing in the Grenfell Dramatic Society’s production of The Boyfriend during the festival.
Peter, a third-generation Grenfell solicitor, received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2014 for service to the community through sport, tourism, economic development and health initiatives.
Mary arrived in Grenfell in 1974 for her first teaching appointment at Grenfell Public School and has since become a well-known educator, volunteer and long-time festival supporter. She has coordinated the festival’s Verse and Short-Story competition and assisted with the Festival Fun Run for more than a decade.
Festival organisers described the couple as “the very definition of Larrikins and Legends”, recognising their longstanding contribution to both the festival and the wider Grenfell community.
Beyond the festival itself, visitors are being encouraged to explore the wider Weddin Shire region, with scenic drives, heritage attractions and national park walks all forming part of the long-weekend experience.
Among the standout attractions is the heritage-listed Iandra Castle, near Greenethorpe, which opens to the public only a handful of times each year and regularly draws large crowds during the festival weekend.
Visitors can also explore the Glencara Rustic Maze and Bulla Creek Brewery, while the festival program highlights several of the region’s best-known natural attractions, including the Lookout Rock Loop Walk, Ochre Arch and The Pinnacle in Weddin Mountains National Park.
Many visitors are also expected to take in Grenfell’s painted grain silos and the Light Up Grenfell project, which aims to further enhance the town’s historic streetscape through creative lighting installations and public spaces.
Also returning, a little further afield but worth the 28-minute drive west, is the Caragabal Camp-Oven Cook-Off at the Caragabal Sports Ground on Sunday, featuring camp-oven and smoker competitions, live music, a bonfire, raffles, games for children and camping across the long weekend.
Organisers are encouraging visitors to “come for the cook-off, stay for the campfire”, with campsites available throughout the weekend as part of the family-friendly event, which raises funds for the upkeep of the Caragabal Memorial Hall.
For many, however, the Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts is about much more than history or heritage.
It’s a chance to experience Grenfell and the wider Weddin region at their liveliest — with music spilling from pubs, poetry echoing through community halls, campfires burning late into the night and locals welcoming visitors from across Australia.
As Lawson once wrote: “And I somehow rather fancy that the bush will suit ’em both” — a fitting sentiment for a festival that continues to celebrate country Australia, its people and the landscape that inspired one of the nation’s most enduring writers.
The Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts runs from 4-8 June throughout Grenfell. The full 2026 Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts program is available online.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
