Creswick is a tiny town, a place that were it not for its beautiful gold era buildings, its lovely lakes and its wonderful cafes, you just might blink and miss as you drive through on your busy way from Geelong to Bendigo, or from Ballarat to Daylesford.
On the A300, A440 is becoming a catch cry, as more and more locals take up the challenge of joining a group and showcasing their music at the town’s award winning folk and roots music festival, CresFest.
Held each April, CresFest has quickly established a reputation as a welcoming place for local community groups and professional artists.
“When we first started dreaming about this festival it was lockdown,” says Director and founder Judy Turner, “and there was a dearth of opportunities in Creswick for people to hear, learn or play music. Pretty much the Creswick Brass Band was it, but now, after only three years, thanks to the combined efforts of the Neighbourhood Centre, Leavers Hotel and the CresFest team, headed by our Associate Artistic Director Stella Savy, we have seven local Creswick groups performing at CresFest 2024.”
Running from April 5-7 CresFest happens right across the town, and will bring together local groups with visiting professionals from across Australia and the world.
“Creswick Chorus will be working with Melisande from Canada and The Spooky Men’s Chorale from NSW, to present a fantastic concert featuring close to 200 massed voices in the Town Hall. Creswick Ukestra will be learning from the wonderful Hawaian Ukelele player AJ Leonard, and the Creswick Drum Circle have the chance to hear from world renowned south Indian drumming expert Tunji Beier from Queensland.”
Other local groups hail from Gordon, Buninyong, Ballan and Ballarat, as CresFest proves itself a feast for all comers.
“In a town where there is no high school, and no music programs in our three primary schools, we are building on the great work down for over 100 years by the local brass band, providing diverse ways for people to experience the joy of live music.
Visit cresfest.com.au to see the full program and buy tickets – weekend passes and day tickets available, children 1 and under free.
This article is based on a media release from CresFest.
