With a jam-packed program full of bee-themed arts and crafts, as well as live circus entertainment, face painting, and storytelling, kids of all ages are bound to be buzzing between activities during the second annual Bee Happy Day celebrations at Forest Hill.
Held as part of the annual Laidley Spring Festival, Bee Happy Day is a free family-friendly event that highlights the magic of bees and the important role they play in our ecosystem.
The event will be held at the Forest Hill School of Arts Hall on Sunday, September 8 from 8.30am-12pm, with the hall set to be transformed into a magical spring wonderland for busy little bees and their parents to explore.
Whether you have planned your festival visit down to the minute or just plan on winging it, Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor Tanya Milligan says this unbelievable event should be on your itinerary.
“Last year we had people swarm to the sweet little township of Forest Hill for Bee Happy Day, and given how successful it was, we knew it had to be part of the 2024 Laidley Spring Festival,” Cr Milligan said.
“We have packed so much fun into this one morning that the kids won’t even realise they are learning lots of fun facts about bees because they will be too busy laughing and taking in all the sights and colours around them – it really will be the bee’s knees!
“Since it is held on the third and final day of the Laidley Spring Festival, Bee Happy Day is worth extending your stay in the Lockyer Valley for, meaning you can fully immerse yourself in everything the festival and the region has to offer.”
One of the day’s highlights will be a special theatrical performance by Cluster Arts called ‘Garden Party’ featuring renowned Aussie performers Robbie Curtis (Circa, Cirque du Soleil, Circus Oz, Australian Ballet) and Lizzie McRae (A Bee Story, Living Sculptures: How the birds got their colours).
From the team that brought you ‘A Bee Story’ at last year’s festival, this brand-new show explores new themes around sustainability (pollination), teamwork and community spirit, with Queen Bee and Worker Bee returning to the stage alongside some new friends.
Robbie Curtis, who is the co-creator of A Bee Story, says the show incorporates a kaleidoscope of acrobatics, dance, magic and live music.
“I want to tell meaningful stories that communicate and change people through art and physical storytelling,” Robbie said.
“At its core, ‘Garden Party’ is a comedic piece for kids and families -it deals with the important subject matter of climate change but in a lighthearted way.
“There are many lighthearted and funny moments, including Worker Bee’s failed attempts to impress Queen Bee, and a very impressive entrance from Lipstick the stick insect.”
The day will also feature performances by local children from Move and Groove Dance School, who will showcase the routines they have been learning to the wider community.
Tamara Harm from Move and Groove Dance School says the kids are very excited to be part of the festival.
“All of our students are looking forward to entertaining the crowd and also exploring all of the other fun things to do on the day,” Tamara said.
“We will have approximately 60 students in our show performing multiple routines from our Ready Set Dance preschool students through to our nine-year-olds.
“We will dance a variety of routines to show the audience what we offer here at Move and Groove Dance School.”
For little ones who love to get messy, make sure you head to the arts and crafts station where you can make your own floral seed bomb, nature wand, dried flower bath bomb, and create your own masterpiece with petal pounding and leaf printing.
There will also be live entertainment by Rebecca Lee Nye, spring-inspired market stalls, delicious breakfast options, a wide array of treats to take home for afternoon tea, and the all-important coffee van.
The day will also help raise funds for a good cause, with all monies raised from stallholder fees to be donated to the Qld Leukaemia Foundation.
Afterwards, visitors can head down to Victoria Street in the heart of Forest Hill and browse the many boutique stores, or grab a bite to eat at one of the great cafes and pubs.
The 61st annual Laidley Spring Festival will run over three big days from September 6-8, with this year’s theme being Spring Magic.
The Laidley Spring Festival is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
The event is also made possible thanks to the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Kambu Health, Urban Utilities, Pohlmans Nursery, Australian Organic Farmers, The Lockyer & Somerset Independent, and River 94.9.
To help you make the most out of your visit, log onto www.laidleyspringfestival.com to see the full festival program.
More updates closer to the event will also be posted on the Laidley Spring Festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Kommentare