Soak up the festival atmosphere

THE four-day Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues kicks off tonight, while Tarrawingee's Plough Inn will host its second annual Tarra Blues Fest over Saturday and Sunday, and a host of other complementary events are set to lend a real festival feel to the North East's pre-Melbourne Cup weekend. The staging of the 34th jazz and blues festival is a story in itself, coming 12 months after the event's 'Last Hurrah'. This time last year, it appeared financial constraints, an uncertain landscape for music festivals, and diminished resources for the volunteer board had combined to sound the death knell for the Wangaratta institution. It had returned to a live format in 2022 after two years of COVID-enforced online festivals and a cancellation in 2019 aimed at ensuring its future, but last November's event ran with a reduced program. However, community passion for the festival meant there was an almost immediate groundswell of support for moves to reboot the event. Following a series of meetings held in the wake of the 2023 event, a new board was elected in February and set about attracting donations and grants, and developing a new-look venue-based model which could carry the festival forward. What you can see, do and hear and where this weekend: * Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, Friday to Monday at venues across the Rural City of Wangaratta. Visit https://wangarattajazz.com for all the details and a downloadable program. * Tarra Blues Fest 2, Plough Inn, Tarrawingee from 4pm to 10.30pm Saturday and 11am to 4.30pm Sunday. For details, visit https://tarrapub.com.au/?tribe_events=tarrablues2 * King Valley Art Show, King River Brewing, November 1 to 4. Visit https://kingvalleyarts.com.au/ for details. * Jazz and blues-themed light projection on The Railyard façade in Norton Street from 7.30pm to 10.30pm on Friday, following opening launch party at the venue. * Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues free community stage, Wangaratta Club bowling green, 11am to 4pm Saturday - live music, children's activities, food vendors close by. * Wang's Big Record Fair, 10am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday at The Centre in Chisholm Street, with an estimated 20,000 records and CDs on sale covering all genres. Free entry. * Free musical walking tours of light projections in Wangaratta's CBD, departing 8pm and 10pm Saturday from Holy Trinity Cathedral area. * Jazz and blues festival community hub in Holy Trinity Cathedral grounds, Sunday afternoon. * Jazz Riverside Market hosted by Rotary Club of Milawa Oxley, Sunday, November 3, 9am to 2pm in Apex Park (free entry). * Jazz mass featuring Bob Sedergreen and Annemarie Sharry from 10am on Sunday at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

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