Lamb and Potato Festival

Many small towns across rural Australia organise festivals to bring in tourists and their money to boost local income but also provide an opportunity for local citizens to come together socially. One such town is Guyra located c. 35 km north of Armidale. It's known for its altitude which is c. 1330 m (4364 feet) above sea level. The town's population is only about 1947 but the extensive surrounding countryside might add another 1,000.

Every January - the warmest time of year - the town stages its Lamb and Potato Festival which lasts maybe 10 to 12 days. Dot and I frequently visit the event yearly to sample local farm produce and see other interesting events. If you'd like to find out more about the place and its event see respectively:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyra,_New_South_Wales and

https://guyralambpotatofestival.com/ 

The day we chose to go was quite warm and sunny, which was lovely given the wet weather we experienced for much 2022. Even at 1330 m, the temperature at lunch-time must have been close to 27 C (about 80F). Not bad, eh?

These pictures reveal some of what we saw. Here's a guy selling belts. I bought two.

Many other stalls were selling clothing, food and farm equipment like this one.

Here's the cafe where we bought lunch. Mine was an excellent - very tasty lamburger.

In the middle of the fair, which extended alongside the New England Highway was a permanent memorial to the local farm economy - a statue of a sheep.

As is usual in such events, there was a tent that served as a stage for a guy singing 'country music'.

Another  great feature was a train ride. The track shown here experienced its last long-distance service maybe 30 years ago. And the track is now scheduled to be turned into a mountain-bike trail. However, the locals have developed their own service - for the festival only. Here are the 'station', two pictures of the 'passenger train'. It was vary popular with local families and kids.

All up, it's an interesting and entertaining experience.

AS