Cooktown Discovery Festival 2022 brings visitors from all over Australia

A successful weekend at the Cooktown Discovery Festival brought a crowd of about 2000 people, with the Mayor hinting at what might be in stall for the town’s 150th birthday celebrations. FIND OUT WHAT IT IS

THE success of Cooktown's flagship festival on the weekend has organisers already frothing at the prospect of planning the town’s 150th birthday celebrations in 2023.

Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said he was ecstatic with how this year’s Cooktown Discovery Festival had brought visitors to the Far Northern hamlet.

“We are so incredibly proud of how the town, council teams, and our whole community really came together to showcase and celebrate the festival’s themes of history, adventure and culture,” he said.

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Cheryl and Peter Zerbe at the Cooktown Discovery Festival over the weekend. Picture: Supplied.

“We are already looking ahead to next year’s event.

“With the success of last year’s Cooktown and Cape York Expo still fresh in our memories, plus the fact that 2023 is the 150 year anniversary of Cooktown being founded, there is so much to consider.”

The three-day event drew a large crowd of locals and tourists from all over Australia to watch bicycle stunts, fireworks and ballet.

Cook Shire Council manager of tourism, arts and events Sally Eales said a lot of visitors attended the 2022 festivities which began last Friday.

“We probably have had about 2000 people over the weekend. A lot of local support as well as interstate and intrastate visitors,” she said.

Nash and Nyurin Snider at the Cooktown Discovery Festival over the weekend. Picture: Supplied.

“Town was fully booked out for the weekend which is very good for the local economy.”

Ms Eales said the festival brought the community together.

“At the regional street parade we had 20 float entries from local school and community groups,” she said.

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The weekend has a mixture of events for the family.

“Most of the activities were free to make it family friendly. There was a big kids creator space, magic shows, clown, bubble blowing activities,” she said.

The festival had multiple events but some highlights included market stalls on Friday, Roaming Wild Animal Encounters, and Banks Banquet Dinner event on Friday.

On Saturday there were performances by local performers like Hope Vale Ballerinas and the event ended on Sunday with the Hats and High Tea event.

Margy Dessman, Cath Jene, Susan Gaynor and Sayor Scott at the Cooktown Discovery Festival over the weekend. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Eales said there was an aim to make the weekend educational as well as fun.

“We wanted to educate people on Cooktown history all of the history through to the Indigenous history, Captain Cook’s story and the gold rush story,” she said.

“There was something for everybody really.

Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said he was proud of the event.

Over the weekend there was also a surprise visit from Governor of Queensland Dr Jeannette Young.

Originally published as Cooktown Discovery Festival 2022 brings visitors from all over Australia