Guyra’s TroutFest will return over the October long weekend, with organisers determined to keep the festival’s mix of fishing, art and music running despite working with a smaller committee than in past years.
The festival runs from Thursday, 1 October to Monday, 5 October, timed to coincide with the opening of the trout fishing season.
TroutFest organiser Jenny Cumming said the event was now being run by a handful of volunteers after last year’s chairperson stepped down.
“We’re only a tiny committee,” Ms Cumming said.
Some events that once ran alongside the festival have fallen away in recent years, including the popular kids’ fishing clinics.
“We don’t do the kids fishing clinics anymore because the anglers are more with their fishing comp and stuff like that on the weekend,” Ms Cumming said.
The Department of Primary Industries also no longer runs clinics during the long weekend.
Ms Cumming said she had not yet had confirmation from the Guyra Anglers Club on this year’s John Wilcox Trout Classic, but expected it would go ahead as usual given it coincides with the start of the season.
While some events have dropped off, others have grown, with a strong line-up of arts activities this year.
Saturday will be the festival’s busiest day, with markets in Bradley Street split between the NAB and Vinnies car parks from 9am to 2pm, after the council was unable to confirm a road closure for the area this year.
Also on Saturday, a produce swap will run from 10am to 2pm at the Neighbourhood Centre in Bradley Street, and live music event Big Day Trout will run in the NAB car park from 9am. A school art competition will be on display in shop windows along Bradley Street, viewable any time, going up in the week before the festival.
Burgess’ Garage will open Friday to Sunday with its vintage car display, and the Guyra Historical Museum will open on Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 2pm.
The Rotary Book Fair will run from Thursday to Monday at Rotary Hall, on the corner of Ninkoola and White streets.
The art exhibition at the Lamb and Potato Pavilion, on the New England Highway, will run from Friday, 2 October to Monday, 5 October. The exhibition opens Friday night at 6.30pm for $5 a head.
A sip and paint session will run at the pavilion on Friday from 4pm to 6pm for $20 a head, followed by a free children’s painting workshop on Saturday from 10am to noon, and an adult stick weaving workshop on Sunday from 10am to noon for $25 a head.
Tomato farm tours, a popular drawcard in past years, will not run in 2026.
“We’re just that short on numbers this year that we just can’t do it,” Ms Cumming said.
With many committee members also running stalls or helping with the book fair and music program, Ms Cumming said the load was being shared around.
“Quite a few of us are wearing two hats,” she said.
The full festival program is expected to be released soon, after the road closure issue delayed its finalisation.
Ms Cumming said organisers were hoping for kinder conditions than in recent years.
“We’ve had a few iffy ones,” she said. “We’re about due for a really good weekend.”
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