Record-breaking year for 2024 Alice Springs Beanie Festival as hundreds of thousands in revenue generated from thousands in beanie sales
A beloved Red Centre festival has wrapped up, and this year they’ve generated an eye-boggling sum from beanie sales.
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A beloved Red Centre festival – which celebrates an important piece of the winter wardrobe – has generated hundred of thousands in beanie sales in what the chief ‘beanieologist’ is calling a “huge success”.
For the last three days, from June 21 to June 24, the Alice Springs Beanie Festival has drawn avid beanie lovers through Witchetty’s in Araluen.
Chief Beanieologist Jo Nixon said this year’s festival had broken beanie sales records – generating more than $235,000 in sales.
“That’s impressive in four days, isn’t it,” she said.
“It looks like we’re going to sell over 5000 beanies in four days which is a pretty grand effort.
“It’s been a huge success … it looks like were going to sell more beanies than we’ve ever sold before.”
But aside from selling thousands of beanies, about 3500 thousand people have also rocked up to take a look some of the quirky creations, according to Ms Nixon.
Of the money generated, 70 per cent will go back to the beanie makers, Ms Nixon said, while the rest goes to the festival.
“Thirty per cent comes to the festival so that we can run Indigenous workshops next year and basically towards festival costs, marketing, hiring, things like that,” she said.
There were also 124 volunteers that helped, Ms Nixon said, with this year’s theme being ‘listen to the land’.
“There are about 260 beanies in the gallery … that are encapsulating that theme and there are some outstanding pieces,” she said.
“Lots of native animals, coral reefs, landscapes, stories of people’s favourite places, favourite trees and the detailed work in each of the beanies is just so inspiring and sensational.
“Tiny little knitted pieces added to the beanies, or crocheted pieces or some delicate needle felting works, it’s extraordinary what’s in the gallery.”
One of those extraordinary pieces was the people's choice winner ‘ring tail possum’ by Lorraine Boomer.
The winner was crowned on the festival’s final day and received $500 and a ball of yarn for taking out the coveted title.
Ms Boomer, from Moonta Bay in South Australia, said she was deeply honoured to be crowned the victor of the peoples choice category.
“I’m elated and I’m honoured,” she said.
Ms Boomer said she spent “days and days and days” working on the beanie.
“Everyday I get up and play with yarn, so this year’s theme ‘listen to the land’ made we wonder what the devil I was going to do,” she said.
“But then I remembered that possums make a lot of noise and so do koalas so I thought I’d base my beanie on that.”
Ms Boomer said for now she will enjoy taking out the top beanie prize – before she starts brainstorming ideas for next year’s beanie festival.
The festival will return next year in July.
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