A food festival in Gunnedah may not return next year despite a successful showing over the weekend.
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More than 1000 people shared food and laughter at Harvest Gunnedah on Sunday, May 21, according to Gunnedah Shire Council's Manager of Economy and Growth Susan Frater.
However, she says Gunnedah Shire Council was only able to host the event due to a one-off grant from the state government's Reconnecting Regional Communities Fund.
Ms Frater said the food festival is unlikely to return next year, at least not "in the same form".
"Without that funding I don't see it happening, but if other groups want to have similar events, like the Currabubula boutique markets, we'll work with whoever wants to bring something forward," she said.
"We were able to do it this time because of the grant funding, but we support and encourage people to bring their ideas and host their own events. It's not really council's core business to do events."
The grant funding allowed the council to set up and host the event, providing free stall sites for local businesses to promote their produce.
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Ms Frater said the thousand-strong crowd mostly consisted of locals, but some visitors came from further afield and newer residents appreciated the opportunity to get to know what the town has to offer.
Festivities included live music, a market of local goods, and decorations that were uniquely Gunnedah.
"We had a good quality stage, about 30 stalls with different food and products, and our decorations were cotton and sorghum, which people loved because you don't often see that," Ms Frater said.
She also said one attraction that was surprisingly popular was the display of vintage machinery and tractors brought in last-minute by the Gunnedah Rural Museum.
Ms Frater says she encourages residents to come to the council with ideas for more events like Harvest Gunnedah as a way to both take advantage the post-COVID economic boom and to help bring the community together.
"I think having that reason to get back out, join up with people, and host relatives and friends, to have the community feeling again is really important," she said.
Ms Frater also said she and the council would like to thank local stallholders who came out to support of the event.
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