Ongoing impacts of COVID cancels another Burnett event

For the first time in seven years, a Burnett festival has been cancelled due to economic pressure as a result of COVID-19.

For the first time in seven years, a Burnett festival has been cancelled due to economic pressure as a result of COVID-19.

THE flow on effects of COVID continue to be felt across the region with Yarraman’s New Year’s Day Festival the latest event to get the axe.

Heavily dependent on the support of local business and fundraising, the event was cancelled due to lack of funds and COVID restrictions.

Local businesses that normally support the event had to withdraw as they recover from months of lockdown and the Yarraman Progress Association’s fundraising efforts could not go ahead this year.

Joe Simpson from the Yarraman Progress Association said they left it as late as possible.

“Obviously everyone is disappointed, a lot of people look forward to it each year, but we just weren’t able to fundraise this year because of COVID,” Mr Simpson said.

“It costs a few thousand to run each year and the reason we had to cancel was because we were unable to fundraise and the businesses who usually support us also had a bad year financially.

“We tried everything and left it as late as possible, but we just couldn’t get the funding.”

This year would have marked the seventh year of the Yarraman New Year’s Day Festival, attracting people from all over the region for a day of rides, entertainment and celebrations.

With the event location situated on council grounds, organisers were again met with COVID related issues.

Mr Simpson said because the event was on council land the COVID restrictions would have also made it difficult to run the event.

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