The cogs are in motion for the third Kalari-Lachlan River Arts Festival which is gearing up to be the biggest yet.
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The last weekend of October is set to be jam-packed with all things art and culture, transforming Forbes into a creative hub filled with music, art, craft, dance and drama.
All the main events from the previous two festivals will be back once again, with the Welcome to Country spectacular to be on Friday, October 31 and the popular lantern parade to light up the night sky on Saturday, October 31.
As well as all the favourite events, there’ll be plenty of new activities to draw the crowds.
This year the festival will take place in three sections near the river - Frog’s Hollow, the grass area between Forbes Sport and Recreation Club and Lake Forbes; Zen Zone, located at Wheogo Park across the bridge and to the right; and Art Alley, which will be along Lachlan Street from the start of Forbes Public School grounds at the Browne Street intersection, right up to the bridge, leading to the festival entrance near the Sport and Recreation Club.
Art Alley is an exciting new addition this year which will be full of art and craft stalls and will feature a wall of installation art called ‘200 dresses not forgotten’.
The installation piece is the brain-child of creative director Melody Ruhrmund, who said it is all about “remembering all lost, stolen and abused people of the world”.
The idea is that members of the community bring along a dress to put up as part of the community installation program.
“Anyone can bring anything, we want them to put their own dress up,” Ms Ruhrmund said.
The installation will go along the whole of the Forbes Public School fence from across the road from Bernardi’s down to the bridge.
“It’s going to be spectacular,” Ms Ruhrmund said.
Along that street will be a variety of stalls and anyone interested in booking a spot in Art Alley is asked to see Melody at the Splash Gallery.
Saturday will feature a full day of entertainment with plenty to see and do for the whole family.
“We’ve got a lot of really fabulous musos, actors and entertainment lined up,” Ms Ruhrmund said.
Forbes Has Talent Quest will be back once again with everyone who has a special talent encouraged to enter and organisers are also seeking buskers to perform throughout the weekend. This year there will also be more of a focus on theatre with Forbes Theatre Company to be launched via the River Arts Festival.
Ms Ruhrmund is also the driving force behind the creation of a theatre company in town and encourages anyone interested in all aspects of theatre to sign up.
“There’s no limit on age as long as you love theatre,” she said.
Ms Ruhrmund will be organising a number of short plays to be held at Splash Gallery in the lead up to the festival, with some to be part included in the festival program.
The theatre company will then put on a large musical production next year and then every alternate year to the River Arts Festival.
“Being that there is no group in Forbes, I have a vision and a dream of this community creating our own Forbes Theatre Company so people don’t have to travel many miles to see theatre,” she said.
Anyone interested in being involved in the River Arts Festival, or who wishes to put their name down for Forbes Theatre Company can go see Melody at Splash Gallery or call her on 0457 150 222.