5 September 2024

Wattle Time Festival returns to Albert Park with entertainment for all ages

| Shri Gayathirie Rajen
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Wattle Time in Albert Park

Wattle Time returns on Saturday for a day of family fun and festivities in Cootamundra’s Albert Park following the street parade in Parker Street starting at 10:30 am. Photo: Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council.

Cootamundra’s legendary Wattle Time Festival is set to return this weekend after a four-year break.

The Wattle Time Festival will be held at Albert Park on Saturday 7 September from 11 am. It has been on hiatus since 2019 due to the pandemic, and inclement weather in 2022.

“Wattle Time Festival is a cherished event in the Cootamundra community,” said Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC).

“It marks the start of warmer weather and the blooming of the iconic Cootamundra Wattle. Street parades, market stalls, live entertainment, and children’s amusements have all made Wattle Time a generational event.

“Popular band The Mighty Yak will perform during the day, along with dancing from local dance students, and a performance from our Islander Friends will be popular.”

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CGRC spent several months planning the festival, assisted by a Transport for NSW Open Streets Program grant.

“The festival’s future was assured: it would come back bigger, brighter, and better in 2024,” CGRC said.

“The Wattle Time festival represents the traditional period when the famous Cootamundra wattle blooms in the town and around the district.

“It will be a day that creates memories for young and old.”

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The 2024 theme around Cootamundra Wattle focuses on everything local, from markets to entertainment and food.

CGRC said 55 market stalls had registered for the event to ensure a wide variety of goods would be on sale.

“There will be something for everyone, from local produce, including olives and chilli sauces, to locally made candles, handcrafted leather goods, garden art, and jewellery,” CGRC said.

The popular and traditional street parade will kick the festival off, with floats, vehicles, and participants on parade in Cootamundra’s Parker Street from 10:30 am.

Marshalling of all vehicles and participants will begin at 9:30 am on Bourke Street (between Murray and Crown streets).

There’ll be plenty of entertainment for children, including face painting, henna tattoos, a mega slide, and an air racer/ball balance inflatable game. Dora and Diego’s learning adventure and DIY kids’ crafts will also keep the little ones entertained.

Visit Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council for information on the Wattle Time Festival.

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