By JODIE SYMONDS
THERE are countless festivals to include on your calendar this spring.
Firstly, the deep music culture of the Yarra Valley will be in full voice this year at the Healesville Music Festival on 13-15 November.
Enjoy a weekend bursting with great music, great people and great times.
The festival will be jam-packed with talent over three huge days including international artists, several national artists, and local and upcoming talent.
Enjoy bands inspired by Mexican, Bluegrass, African music and more.
This year, the festival will be held at four venues including the Memo Hall, Healesville RSL, the Terminus Hotel and the Uniting Church.
Tickets start at $25 with children under 13 accompanied by an adult are free.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit www.healevillemusicfestival.com.au.
Meanwhile, this is a festival that embraces some of Healesville’s most historic exhibits, and it’s returning in October.
The Healesville Heritage Festival will feature more than 100 heritage exhibits, with many of them new for this year.
The festival will be held on 17-18 October and is located at the Healesville Railway.
Make your way around the railway and view some of the town’s historic buses, trucks, machinery and more.
There will also be a wide variety of free kids’ activities, market stalls, delicious food to eat, with a bus taking you on a tour of the town.
To book your tickets, visit www.healesville-heritage-fetival.com/.
Also, there is the C.J. Dennis Poetry Festival at the ‘Singing Gardens’ at Toolangi on the weekend of 17-18 October.
In a special memorial celebration this year, the poetry festival is celebrating the 100th anniversary of ‘The Sentimental Bloke’, which was first published in 1915.
This piece of Australian literature made C.J. Dennis an instant success when Australia was caught in the grip of World War I.
If poetry isn’t to your liking, then perhaps Blacksmith’s Day would strike the right chord.
Held on Sunday, 11 October, at the Mont De Lancey Homestead, this is a walk through pure history.
In a continuation of living history at Mont De Lancey, there is also the Draught Horse and Yesteryear Weekend at the homestead in Wandin North on 21-22 November.
This includes draught horses, woodturners, working dogs, chainsaw carving and much more.
There is sure to be a historical activity for everyone.
If you are after an experience that is more modern with a flavour all of its own, then the Cuban Jazz Festival could be the event for you.
Held at the Rochford winery on 24 October, the festival offers three stages with dance lessons and performances thrown in.
