Has COVID-19 put a stop to Chinchilla’s Melon Festival?

MELON Festival organisers discuss whether the festival will go ahead in 2021 and why the iconic event has been a staple on the calendar for the past 28 years.

THE coronavirus hasn't been able to stop Chinchilla's biggest calendar event, the iconic Melon Festival. 

Organisers are planning for the biannual event to go ahead in February 2021, although the decision to go ahead indefinitely will be made closer to the date.

Melon Festival committee president Doug McNally said as much as the committee wants the festival to happen it's not their decision.

"Our plan is to proceed with the festival in 2021, but obviously there are a lot of things in play at the moment, with federal and state government recommendations around the virus," Mr McNally said.

"We believe we can put the festival together in a very short period of time, we have a lot of experience putting the festival together, it'll only take us a few months if we get the go ahead.

"We could have a great run through to October with the coronavirus and clear the decks, and let us go ahead - one would hope we do have that."

Mr McNally said it's unlikely the date will be pushed back as the festival is highly dependant on the melon industry, and supporting local growers.

"Unfortunately it's run around the melon industry and the melon being available in February, it would cost a lot to import melons to Chinchilla for the festival but that is something we could possibly do if we had to," he said.

The population swells in Chinchilla over the festival weekend with thousands of visitors injecting millions of dollars into the local economy, Mr McNally said it's also vital to lift the spirit of the township.

"It lifts the spirit of the community when it's on, it started during very hard times 28 years ago," he said.

"I don't think out next festival will be any different, we have just come through a very tough time with the coronavirus and things being quiet, it will give people the opportunity to give it a crack and enjoy themselves again in 2021."

Organising funding for the festival has slowed, Mr McNally said as sponsors are waiting to see what happens with COVID-19.

"We haven't gone out and done the broad approach we would normally do for funding," he said.

"We have had a major sponsor in QGC over a number of years and our discussions have been going on since last festival… (but) obviously no one is committing large sums of money to something that's probably not going to happen," he said.

"Our submission to them, it can be fast tracked on their end as well as ours, to get it up if the festival goes ahead."

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