Gold, grit and Beechworth pride takes over Golden Horseshoes Festival

An entertaining finale to this year’s Grand Parade in the Golden Horseshoes Festival was a fun surprise for some 15,000 spectators on Ford Street, with the ‘Beechworth City Drum Band’ making their first appearance in eight years. Local organiser Kel Clark said the group had previously performed in the parade for 15 consecutive years, with its return drumming to the tune of 'We Will Rock You'. “We always have a different fun theme and this year’s was based on Freddie Mercury from the band Queen," he said. “It’s about promoting Beechworth and the community as well as having a laugh particularly in tough times.” Magnificent weather set the scene for a fabulous Golden Horseshoes Festival over the Easter long weekend. Beechworth pumped with an estimated crowd of up to 15,000 locals and tourists on Saturday drawn to the popular family-friendly event. A huge variety of attractions stretched from one end of town to the other, with the Rotary Club Easter Market held in Queen Victoria Park, the first Quercus Easter market for young entrepreneurs to the Farmers Market. A swag of entertainment in between included local talented musicians, roving performers, Irish dancers and gold panning by the Burke Museum as well as plenty of fun rides for the kids in the Police Paddocks. Crowds lined Ford Street for the 2pm Grand Parade with a combined 40 floats and groups. Some fire brigade trucks were keeping ducking spectators cool with the occasional burst of light water hosing. GHF committee chair Jo Voigt said floats were a great surprise every year. “The number of entrants in this year’s parade has been the biggest for a long time and it’s great to see the community take part,” she said. “This event is purely run by the community for the community with generous support by local businesses sponsorships. “We weren’t successful with any funding or grants this year. “The festival is volunteer run, and we couldn’t do it without them – they’re the backbone of our community.” Ms Voigt said Indigo Shire had supported the event, including payment for road closures. She said the Correctional Centre community team helped with setting up and packing up while running a barbeque for their charity ‘Prisoners on the Run’ during the day. Beechworth Secondary College student Elena Dean helped Cr Price officially open the festival with a ‘Welcome to Country’ and Indigenous song by Corryong artists, didgeridoo craftsman and player Jon Juda. Cr Price said the festival celebrates everything loved about Beechworth with the committee placing a lot of work into making it a success. “This festival has been part of our story for many generations and this year’s theme ’Gold, Grit and Pioneers – Resilience through Time’ is fitting," she said. “Beechworth has always been shaped by people with determination and imagination, from the goldfields and the famous ride of Daniel Cameron (on which the parade is based) to the vibrant Chinese processions of the 1800s to the Lions Club members who revived the festival in the early 1960s. “This community has never shied away from rolling up its sleeves and creating something memorable, and that spirit is still alive today." Cr Price acknowledged the months of work by the dedicated GHF committee to bring the event to life and the many other volunteers, including those from the Correctional Services. The mayor said it was a day to explore, reconnect and enjoy the pleasure of being part of community celebration standing the test of time. A first-time festival visitor Lauren McKay from Melbourne said she loved the area’s heritage. “We’ve brought the kids to see their nanny and pa - Ian and Shelly McKay - for Easter who moved to Yackandandah," she said. “We did not realise the festival was this big and are blown away. "We have to come up every year now.” Beechworth’s 10-year-old Lucas Armstrong had a busy and fun time selling pre-loved clothes and books at the first-time Quercus Beechworth Easter Market for young entrepreneurs. His mum Jessica said the market was a great experience in learning business skills and handling money.

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