Festival PAVE’s the way for fun

By Tania Martin
EMERALD came alive last week to the sound of music as its annual arts festival proved popular with the crowds.
The Performing And Visual arts in Emerald (PAVE) festival kick-started on Monday (5 April) with a multicultural spectacular at Emerald Lake Park.
Festival spokeswoman Mary Farrow said the week-long event was growing in popularity every year.
She said both the comedy and women in song nights were a huge success.A screening of the ‘Age of Stupid’ at Emerald Library also proved popular with more than 50 people watching the documentary.
The photography exhibition was also a big hit again this year with a heartfelt tribute to mountaineer snapper Alfred Gregory.
But, the grand finale for the festival this year, the Emerald Funfest didn’t run as planned.
The funfest was to be held on Sunday 11 April but rain put a dampener on the day. The event, which was originally known as the winterfest was cancelled shortly after 12.30pm following a morning deluge. But some people braved the weather.
Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato said it was good to see so many people supporting the organisers by visiting local stallholders and shops, despite the rain.
Ms Lobato even took the chance to distributed free organic apples, which she had bought from the Organic Farm Shed in Woori Yallock Road.
But she said it was concerning to see how some residents treated local CFA volunteers.
Ms Lobato said Emerald and Clematis firies turned out to set up road blocks to ensure visitors and stallholders to the event were safe but were abused for their efforts.
“The actions of these people were selfish, disrespectful and deserving of condemnation,” she said.
The PAVE festival and funfest are expected to return again next year even bigger and better.