By Mikayla van Loon
It may only be July but thinking ahead to December, it’s important to save the first Saturday of the month for something a little bit special.
Christmas festivities, people coming together and experiencing the best of Lilydale as the gateway to the Yarra Valley, are just some of the things a proposed ‘Street Fair’ will have on offer.
The Running Company’s Bec Rosel has been working alongside the Lilydale Township Action Group (LTAG) to design and coordinate a Christmas themed street fair for December this year.
“Following on from Covid I guess we wanted something to celebrate how the people of Lilydale, residents and business owners had gotten through Covid really well and had supported each other, and really kind of banded together,” she said.
“And I thought there’s so many towns that have street fairs and Lilydale hasn’t had one for many, many, many years. But I thought it would be a really good way to celebrate the town and to bring more people into the area.”
With the new station being built, Ms Rosel said she wants to promote Lilydale as the gateway to the Yarra Valley rather than the end of the line and show what Lilydale has to offer.
“I feel like we’ve got this kind of stigma about us that we’re at the end of the line.
“So just to really highlight for the residents and visitors what’s here. And for the businesses to be able to get a bit more business coming into Christmas, and to promote themselves and to meet other business owners or service providers or artists or performers.”
With the help of LTAG and the support of Yarra Valley Business, Rotary and the RSL, Yarra Ranges Council has provided a grant to get the street fair set up.
Now Ms Rosel just has to register the event and get stallholders and businesses onboard.
Proposing to use the Main Street Service Road as the central hub of the fair, Ms Rosel would also like to have carolers, Santa, entertainers and face painters using the lawn of the cenotaph.
Local traders, businesses, artists and crafters are invited to have a 3m x 3m marquee, while shops along Main Street are encouraged to extend their hours into the early evening to allow visitors and residents the chance to shop at twilight.
“I just think it’s really important for community spirit. I think a town like this, it’s got so much going on but I really feel like the community could do with coming together more and knowing each other more and connecting more,” Ms Rosel said.
So save the date of Saturday 4 December and to get involved email lilydale@therunningcompany.com.au.
