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The word is spreading about Whyalla's award-winning uneARTh Festival.
Mildura's Sunraysia Daily newspaper raved about the 2018 Whyalla uneARTh Festival in its weekend edition. Mildura, a city of more than 60,000 people just over the border from the South Australian Riverland, shares a lot in common with Whyalla. Many make the trip from Mildura to Whyalla regularly for our shows.
Here's what they said in Saturday's Sunraysia Daily (March 3, 2018):
The South Australian regional city of Whyalla is well-known for its steel industry but is now also forging a new reputation based on diversity.
Located on the spectacular Eyre Peninsula between Port Augusta and Port Lincoln, Whyalla is rapidly unearthing from a dusty industrial city perception. Many people outside of the city never see past the steelworks at the coastal city but scratching the surface just a little will reveal a community and a region that is thriving on a diet of arts, culture, tourism, community and diverse economic growth.
Leading the charge in this regional city’s renaissance is the Whyalla uneARTh Festival. As the “ART” in the title suggests, this is far more than your average country show or regional festival.
The City of Whyalla has struck up a partnership with the edgy Adelaide Fringe Festival to bring its vibe to the regional city just four hours north of Adelaide.
The uneARTh Festival delivers some of the best Fringe acts from Adelaide and mixes them up with a range of headlining acts from around the country and a large dollop of local talent to create a smorgasbord of diverse music, entertainment and activities.
Hosted and organised by the City of Whyalla, It is a two-day celebration in the city’s beautiful Ada Ryan Gardens with free entry. Events and Tourism Development Officer for the Whyalla Council, Rebecca Neilson speaks with some pride when she describes the festival.
The inaugural event attracted more than 10,000 people over two days last year and consequently won a Ruby Award at the prestigious Arts SA awards in the People’s Choice category.
“That says a lot about the uneARTh Festival,” Rebecca said.
“The people voted with their feet at the first event and then voted with their voice to make us the most popular event in South Australia last year when it comes to the people’s choice.”
This year’s Whyalla uneARTh Festival on the Easter long weekend features legendary retro act Chunky Custard, gospel singers, the outrageous cabaret act Hans, a host of diverse live musical acts, a colour run, workshops, activities and a range of markets.
The 2018 Whyalla uneARTh Festival is on Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31, at the Ada Ryan Gardens in Whyalla from 11.30am to 10pm each day.
Whyalla prides itself on its hospitality and accommodation. Enquiries and bookings can be made by calling the Whyalla Visitor and Information Centre on 1800 088 589.
