A spectacular autumn day made the perfect backdrop for the Caltowie Chilled Out and Fired Up Music Festival on Saturday March
27th. 793 tickets were sold, and patrons came from across the region to enjoy the day’s festivities. Spectators were treated to 12 hours of live music, showcasing local talent as well as some bigger names on the rise, like headliners Venice Queens, Bootleg Rascals and Loose Bricks. It was a huge success for the live music scene that has been decimated by the new Covid-19 world we live in, as it was the first music festival for any of these bands since the very first lockdown in 2020.
The atmosphere was completed by the range of gourmet food and drink vendors on site. From slow-cooked BBQ, wood-fired pizzas, and vegan/Asian fusion to craft beer, coffee, cocktails and Clare Valley wine, a real ‘foodie’ vibe was there that everyone enjoyed. As the sunset the Caltowie CFS assisted in lighting the trademark bonfires (under special permit), completing the picture-perfect evening. It was also encouraging to see the utilisation of free camping at the event, highlighting the fact that many revellers have travelled from afar to support the event.
After a year of dealing with a Covid-19 it was really uplifting to be able to put on an event for the community that promotes togetherness and social connection, which is more important than ever. The ongoing driver of the festival is to raise awareness and funds for mental health in rural areas, making an invisible issue impossible to ignore. The two guest speakers for the day, Ky Furneaux and Tony Versic, really drove home the message of taking care of one’s self and those around us.
The year’s festival was an overwhelming success financially, and the Jamestown Apex club will now use the money raised to directly fund projects within the local community that aim to bring help in the mental health space. These projects include sponsoring
‘The Resilience Project’ learning-based curriculum at Jamestown Community School and continuing to grow ‘Secret Men’s Business’ as a social wellbeing group for men of all ages. As it stands, we are looking at new projects to fund in the local community that directly help address mental health issues. Amongst helping other schools to adopt similar programs to that established at JCS we are looking to partner with other groups that may have ideas for helping mental health out in the community, so please contact the Apex club if this is of interest to you or your club/group/organisation.
It is a massive credit to the committee and Apex club for their hard work and dedication to get this event through to the end product. If you are keen to get involved in any capacity, please get in touch with the Jamestown Apex Club or a committee member as plans are already underway for the 2022 Caltowie Chilled Out and Fired Up Music Festival.
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