Community club showcase at showgrounds
By Sonia Isaacs
THE ever popular Hinterland Aussie Day Expo 2024 is set to attract a large crowd as the community clubs showcase and family fun day returns to its previous full capacity format at the Maleny Showgrounds.
The free, all ages event on Friday, January 26, will feature around 50 community clubs and organisations presenting a unique ‘meet, see and try’ day out, with all activities and stallholders showcased once again in the one, easy to access location at the showgrounds.
Sponsored by the Maleny District Sport and Recreation Club (MDSRC), this will be the first time since 2020 that the Expo will be firing up again in its original one location format.
Organisers are excited to welcome people back to enjoy a huge variety of games, activities, music and live performances alongside a smorgasbord of local sport, recreation and service club information stands and marquees.
Expo Committee chair, Rick Vickers, said organisers were thrilled to be able to offer visitors an opportunity to have fun, discover new local leisure and recreational activities, meet new people and become further involved in their community.
“This year we are hoping to attract up to 1000 people, and we encourage people and families to come along to find out more about what opportunities exist to become involved or find out more about our wide variety of local organisations, sporting clubs and groups,” Rick said.
The morning will kick off at 7am with the Apex Breakfast followed by the Flag Raising Ceremony at TS CENTAUR and New Citizens’ Ceremony at 8.15am. The morning’s Australia Day events will be followed by the official start of the Hinterland Aussie Day Expo festivities, family games and activities that will run from 9am-12.30pm.
Kids are invited to enter the free ticket prize draw with a heap of cool prizes to be won, as well as the ‘Expo Passport Draw’ with details to both competitions at the event entry stands. Free entry for all means everybody can come along and join in and try their hand at some great traditional style games and age category events such as the popular gumboot throw, thong relay, and tug-o- war. Or even the ‘old school’ egg and spoon races.
There will also be a fun family friendly obstacle race to try, or have a go and see if sports like cricket, pickleball, croquet, netball or tennis take your fancy.
Volunteers from the Rural Fire Service will be onsite with their truck, and the afternoon will feature a diversity of interesting and engaging displays and including live tai chi and taekwondo demonstrations and performances from Scottish dancers and pipe band, The Maleny Singers, local Ukulele group plus heaps more.