Great community support for Cuttlefest
10 July 23
The community showed up in droves to get behind the weekend’s free Cuttlefest events, with more than 4000 people enjoying the host of free entertainment and services on offer.
The weekend kicked off with Illuminart lighting up the HMAS Whyalla, followed by the Salty Sea’esta twilight celebration at the Ada Ryan Gardens.
Mayor Phill Stone thanked the community for coming along and making the weekend such a success.
“It was fantastic to see so many faces at both events, particularly families thoroughly enjoying themselves,” Mayor Stone said.
“There were children dancing in the inflatable sea creature parade; checking out cuttlefish virtually through VR headsets; learning about sea life from marine experts – there was so much for them to do and the perfect way to immerse themselves in the cuttlefish phenomenon, all without even having to get wet!”
The weekend was accessible for the entire community, with free entry, free entertainment, free activities and a free bus service.
Mayor Stone said visiting performers were amazed by the incredible atmosphere on both nights, with the community showing their appreciation for the wide array of artists and providing plenty of positive feedback.
“The community was really appreciative of what they were able to experience, particularly the free entertainment,” he said.
“In particular, several families commented they were only able to attend due to the free bus service on offer, so they were very thankful for the opportunity.
“A number of visitors also remarked that they stayed in town several extra nights after diving with the cuttlefish just to experience these events, so it will be interesting to see the amount of additional spend in the community as a result of the entire Cuttlefest period.”
Mayor Stone said Council was seeking to continually improve these events, so was seeking constructive feedback from the community on what they enjoyed and how they’d like to see the events improved.
“We know there’s room for improvement – including parking and lighting improvements, and a more diverse food offering – so we want the community to help us tailor these events to their needs,” he said.
“I’d also like to once again thank our dedicated staff for organising such fantastic events, as well as all of our sponsors, who enabled us to offer so much variety free of charge to the community.”
And although the major events are done, there’s still plenty more Cuttlefest experiences on offer, so head to whyalla.com to check out all the activities throughout July and August.
