IRONFEST lovers are counting down the days until the popular Lithgow region event returns for the first time in five years.
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The once annual event, which was thought to be "over" due to COVID-19 restrictions and the resulting substantial funding losses, will return to a new venue at the Foundations in Portland on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28.
Ironfest president Macgregor Ross said the returning event will be on a larger scale than he initially thought.
"I started out organising an art exhibition, because I knew I could do that, but it's become a festival," Mr Ross said.
"It's way, way, way bigger than I thought it would be. I was wondering 'is this half the size of Ironfest normal?'. I'm thinking it's getting there."
Mr Ross said he is excited about Ironfest's return and his sense of humour remains intact despite the festival being days away.
"It is very exciting, but my fear is too big of a crowd, which is a terrible thing to have as a festival organiser," Mr Ross said.
He is anticipating that between 5000 and 10,000 people will make the trek to Portland to see what is on offer, including LARP (live-action role play).
"We've got a whole heap of LARPers coming. That'll be the big new element; LARP is taking off in Lithgow," Mr Ross told the Lithgow Mercury in February.
"I think that's where our future is."
According to Mr Ross, the final touches are being made for the weekend, which is forecast to have good weather.
"We've got everything in place, and the weather is looking brilliant," he said.
Mr Ross is already considering the possibility of Ironfest returning in 2025.
"I said I wasn't going to think about what we were going to do next near, but it's pretty obvious to me that irrespective of what numbers we get, we do have a lot of goodwill within the town and businesses," he said.
"Looking forward, I don't know exactly what the steps are, but I think there's a lot of goodwill."
Mr Ross said he doesn't know how the festival will go, but it has been joyous to see it return.
"It will be what it will be and it is really fantastic to be coming back," he said.
Reidun Berntsen
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
