Agfest: Organisers work to tackle traffic after record-breaking year

AFTER last year's almost record-breaking Saturday attendance, Agfest organisers say dealing with the increased traffic is one of the challenges they are tackling for this year's event.

Agfest Committee members Meta Jones and Sam Pogorzelski set up at Carrick. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

AFTER last year's almost record-breaking Saturday attendance of more than 30,000 patrons, Agfest organisers say dealing with the increased traffic is one of the challenges they are tackling for this year's event.

All up 65,794 people visited Agfest last year across the three days ogf the event and organisers are hoping for a similar crowd this time around.

Agfest chairman Owen Woolley is heading up the event for the second time this year.

“From the crowd on Saturday last year we've had to scratch our head and do a bit of thinking about how to deal with the influx of traffic,” Mr Woolley said.

“We were about 200 off getting the largest ever crowd for a Saturday”"

The annual transformation from a big open paddock to Tasmania's biggest rural event is now well underway at the Quercus Park site in Carrick, where Rural Youth volunteers have been taking part in working bees.

While there are several purpose-built sheds on site permanently, marquees which will house a large number of exhibitors for the event are now springing up.

It may still be a few weeks before gates opening, but for this year's team of 55 Agfest committee members the work is well and truly underway.

Mr Woolley said the recent warm and relatively dry conditions had been ideal for site preparation.

“So far this year we got in early and got the site marking done and we've had pretty good weather the whole way through,” he said.

“So we've been able to tick off a lot of small finicky jobs, but it all helps with the beautification of the site.

“So at the moment, there's not much stress. Obviously there is stress as things happen but we don't have any big jobs looming over our head,” Mr Woolley said.

This year’s Agfest will be held on May 2-4. Find out all the details in Tasmanian Country's bumper Agfest edition, out on April 26.