Funding boost for more events post pandemic

New events and festivals across Bayside will assist in community recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a $245,000 funding boost from Bayside City Council.

Funds from the annual Bright n Sandy Food and Wine Festival will be redirected to establish new local events and festivals, with additional funding provided to local trader associations to create more opportunities to bring the community together once social distancing restrictions ease.

Bayside Mayor, Cr Clarke Martin said the Bright n Sandy Food and Wine Festival would be discontinued as it no longer provides the community benefits it once did.

“When we started the festival back in 2004 it was to showcase Bayside businesses and provide a cultural opportunity that creates a sense of identity, pride and place for the community,” said Cr Martin.

“A review of the 2020 event found dwindling attendances and low participation by local food and wine businesses. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our social connections, creating more local events across Bayside to foster a sense of community will be more important than ever.”

“When COVID-19 social distancing restrictions are lifted the redirected funds from Bright n Sandy can be used to support new and exciting events that bring our community together,” he said.

“We also want to make sure we can continue to support our hard working traders associations and service groups such as Rotary and Lions who already work together to offer some great local events. The additional funding will help to make these existing events even bigger and better while also encouraging them to develop new events,” Cr Martin said. 

Council is open to receiving proposals from alternative providers to use Green Point as the site for a reimagined festival that may or may not include a food and wine component.