Melba on song!

By Dion Teasdale
MELBA Festival organisers are expecting 25,000 visitors to flock to the Yarra Valley for the staging of next year’s revamped event.
The annual two-day festival, which was kicked off during Easter this year, has received a huge cash injection.
Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos announced last week that the Bracks Government would contribute $17,500 to next year’s festival.
This comes after the Shire of Yarra Ranges committed $5000 to the event, to be held in and around Yarra Glen from 23 to 25 March.
Festival organiser Marjorie Woollands said the funding boost would help draw large numbers of metropolitan and interstate visitors to the region.
“The funding increase means the festival will be at least five times bigger than it was this year,” she said.
“I think a big part of us getting increased funding has been that the Government and the shire can see how much potential the festival has for bringing people to the valley.”
Ms Woollands said next year’s festival would again focus on live classical music performances and a celebration of the region’s food and wine.
“The festival has been moved to coincide with the staging of the Yarra Glen Cup and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival,” she said.
Some of the highlights will include a performance of Romeo and Juliet at Balgownie Winery, international music acts performing at Domaine Chandon and a feast of cooking demonstrations by the area’s leading chefs.
“There will be a special Melba exhibition at Tarrawarra Museum of Arts, a breakfast down the main street of Yarra Glen and an Italian festa at De Bortoli,” Ms Woollands said.
“It’s going to be bigger than Ben Hur and we are already looking for around 100 volunteers to help us bring the whole thing together.”