‘It’s been hard’: Event organisers lament cancellation of Curryfest 2021

“People like to jump on social media and criticise when an event is cancelled, but they just don’t realise how much goes on behind the scenes.”

Covid-19 has dealt yet another blow to the local events industry, with Curryfest cancelled just weeks from what was meant to be its grand return.

The vibrant festival celebrating Punjabi culture was expected to attract thousands of people to Woolgoolga on September 25, and with celebrity chef Miguel Maestre booked in, anticipation was building.

But event organisers Another Tasty Event were left on edge after the latest Sydney outbreak.

Deflated, event planner Sherry Price told The Advocate they were already carrying the losses from last year’s cancellation and simply could not afford to keep going.

Ms Price said the team were left disappointed after having worked tirelessly over the months to bring “one of the best” Curryfest events ever.

Another Tasty Events' Carl Mower and Sherry Price at Curryfest. The team have announced the "disappointing" cancellation of Curryfest 2021.

“We were really hopeful for this year but after the Sydney outbreak happened, there was no way. It just kept getting worse and worse,” she said.

She said the pandemic had proved incredibly hard to navigate, with many of their other local events and festivals being cancelled. Ocean Harvest Festival, which was set to take place last weekend, was also canned.

Another Tasty Event is also behind a range of other popular events across the northern NSW region including Street Eats @ The Jetty, The Village Farmers Market Woolgoolga, Blues and Berries Festival, and Eat Street Woolgoolga, Grafton, and South West Rocks.

All the colour of Curryfest 2019

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Curryfest, which had been running on an annual basis for 15 years, was last held in 2019.

“It’s been hard. The rules just keep changing, and the rules we had in 2019 I don’t think we’ll see again for a very long time. Definitely not in New South Wales,” Ms Price said.

The cultural festival has been rescheduled to take place on September 24, 2022.

The popular event, Curryfest, draws over 15,000 people to the seaside village of Woolgoolga.

It was too early for Ms Price to make a call on the fate of Blues and Berries Festival scheduled for November.

“All of our artists are already locked in but it’s about whether or not we can actually hold it. There’s a lot to consider, like whether the artists are able to come and perform with the border closures.

“People like to jump on social media and criticise when an event is cancelled, but they just don’t realise how much goes on behind the scenes.”

In more positive news it was revealed a brand new, local food and cultural event is will be held in Woolgoolga early next year if Covid allows. Ms Price remained tight-lipped on the plans which are still being finalised, but said the team aim to hold the event in April.