OVERCAST skies on Saturday April 6 failed to dampen enthusiasm with a 5000-strong crowd attending the first day of the Off-Grid Living Festival in its new Chiltern location.
And with the sun shining on the Sunday - and the weather in the balmy mid to high 20s – organisers once again welcomed similar numbers through the gate, with many return visitors to the two-day event.
The festival wasn’t just a significant drawcard for locals and those across the North East, a steady stream of vehicles were coming from further afield, with trains to the township also full with attendees.
Other visitors came from as far away as Western Australia and the Northern Territory, whilst others made the pilgrimage across the border with guests from Griffith in New South Wales and Canberra making a weekend of it.
Festival director Kate Nottingham confirmed that the festival always draws interest from across the country.
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“It has become the largest festival of its kind in Australia,” she said.
“There is nothing as diverse as Off-Grid, with its array of products, services, skills and knowledge-sharing in areas of sustainable, alternative, off-the-grid and eco-living.
“We cover the whole gamut from electric vehicles and latest technology to traditional skills and homesteading.
“The emphasis of the festival is on people walking away with skills and knowledge to become self-sufficient and lower their carbon footprint that they can then employ in their day-to-day lives and within their community.
“This is about change and how to enact that change, and then hopefully spread the word.”
This year is the festival’s sixth, having only missed one year due to COVID lockdowns.
“The inaugural event was a one-day festival,” said Kate.
“We planned for 2000 guests and got 4000.
“The demand was there, and we realised early on that we needed to go up to two days to accommodate that interest, which we did the following year.”
The second festival had the market on the first day with workshops a focus of the second.
“There was a huge uptake for the workshops which proved very popular.
“We then decided to mix it all in together, add talk stages and make it interactive.”
Every year organisers have looked to improve on the event, allowing the festival to grow organically guided by community feedback and responses.
“It’s also got bigger each year, but we’ve arrived at the point where it’s big enough.
“The emphasis going forward is now on just making it the very best festival it can be.
“We are now in the perfect location to deliver our vision and have some amazing people on board with incredible ideas on how to develop the festival.”
Wangaratta-based Brent Ibom from My Slice of Life conducted numerous workshops over the weekend festival on butchering and small goods making.
“Brent had sell-out sessions with about 40 people in each workshop, and when he was going over the bookings the vast majority came from further afield,” Kate said.
“It just emphasises that people are happy to travel to the event and are keen to get involved, and with increasing demand for workshops on the subject of butchering and things like sausage and salami making Brent is keen to expand what’s on offer in 2025.
“Alongside the popular homesteading tent, he has proposed a standalone butchering and ethical hunting tent which is already generating interest and we’re keen to make it a part of Off-Grid.”
The festival registered strong attendance at all the talks and workshops (both free and paid), with vendor talks and demonstrations at individual stalls also drawing a crowd.
Stanley-based Charlie Showers from Black Barn farm drew a particularly large crowd for his free demonstration on grafting fruit trees.
Food vendors across the site appeared to be doing a roaring trade, and with all cups and plates reusable and washed onsite to reduce waste, the washing station a hive of activity as the festival committed to practice what it preached.
“The dishwashing station was actually a highlight for some people,” said Kate with a laugh.
“In the end, we generated only four red bins of non-recyclable rubbish after 10,000 people went through over the two days.
“We did have cardboard and of course food waste which went into the green bins and this is now going to be composted.
“It was a great achievement all round.”
Kate also commended the Indigo Shire for its ongoing support of the festival with mayor Sophie Price opening the festival on the Saturday.
“The Chiltern Tourism Group were also invaluable, organising the shuttle bus ferrying people in and out of the historical township, running the service until 11pm at night on the Saturday so that campers onsite could visit Chiltern’s hospitality venues,” she said.
“They really embraced the opportunity to showcase their beautiful town and region.”
Kate said that a significant part of the smooth running of the event was thanks to volunteers from the Chiltern SES, who spent the entire weekend supervising parking and facilitating the campground.
“We had over 250 campers onsite, plus all the exhibitors, across two separate campgrounds,” said Kate.
“The SES oversaw the whole operation seamlessly with such a friendly and accommodating attitude, it was just a great welcome to the festival.”
Although exhausted after delivering a full weekend of workshops, talks and entertainment and the logistical challenge of accommodating 300 stalls and assorted stages across multiple arenas, Kate is riding high on the success of the event.
“I’m already fielding calls from people who want to know next year’s dates and log it in the calendar,” she said.
