By JESSE GRAHAM
THE community came out for a day of garden-based fun, food, music and family activities last weekend with Healesville’s Autumnfest drawing crowds down to Coronation Park.
The festival, which was held from 9am-3pm on Saturday 22 March, drew wandering crowds of locals and visitors to the park where a range of stalls gave tips on gardening, environmental care and sold homemade and organic wares.
The aim of the event, which was organised by Permaculture Yarra Valley, was to promote sustainable living and local agriculture, along with encouraging people to buy local organic produce.
Sustainable living and agriculture were at the forefront of the festival with a bright orange Talks Tent set up near the Healesville Community Garden, offering talks from community members about environmental issues.
Healesville Environment Watch Incorporated (HEWI) member Steve Meacher spoke about climate change while Andrew Djurovich spoke about farmers’ markets and their purpose.
Between talks, local musicians The Mountain Mob performed sets, with members Woody, Glynn and Karen providing entertainment for passers-by.
Children were also well catered for at the event with plenty of colouring sheets and bubble wands at the Healesville Community Bank’s promotional tent, along with discussions about edible weeds and plants at other stalls.
Community groups also shared the limelight, with the Healesville CFA and SES bringing down their fire trucks and talking about safety in floods and fires – a timely topic after last Friday’s fire in Healesville.
