Thorpdale Potato Festival: Lead organiser Carly Geisler on a big festival for a small town

The small central Gippsland town has always punched above its weight with its iconic potato festival. That’s why a local woman stepped up to help it stay afloat.

Next month, thousands will make their way to the tiny central Gippsland town of Thorpdale, ostensibly in honour of our most humble vegetable: the potato.

But Thorpdale Potato Festival lead organiser and Thorpdale native Carly Geisler knows it’s about a lot more than that.

“I remember going as a kid, I remember my Dad taking me,” she said. “The reason I’m so keen on it is because of how it supports the community.”

“Almost every dollar we make goes back to community groups as grants.”

Thorpdale Spud Festival organiser Carly Geisler. Pictures: Zoe Phillips

The festival – to be held on March 12 – stretches back decades but has had a mixed fate since the turn of the century.

The local community, barely 400-people strong, was unable to get the festival off the ground for over 10 years at one stage before launching a triumphant return and running once every two years, until Covid stopped the 2021 iteration in its tracks.

That’s why Carly seized the opportunity to help out, regardless of the hurdles that faced her and the committee.

“Growing up in Thorpy, I didn’t want to see it fold,” she said. “(But) there’s been a lot of unknowns. For example, we’ve just had to cancel the woodchop, which was booked in for months, but the wood supply isn’t there.”

Carly with her 3-year-old daughter Sofia.

The festival will have all the staples of the traditional rural show, but iconic events such as the potato picking race and the Hessians on the Field fashion competition can only be pulled off in Thorpdale.

The last festival attracted 10,000 people and Carly is hopeful of getting similar numbers, but it’s the town at the centre of it all which still matters the most to her.

“What I love about the festival is that it’s all about community — that’s what’s always drawn me to the town — there’s nothing pretentious about it,” she said.

“Just a good old-fashioned country festival.”

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