Anniversary is cherry on top for festival launch

Organisers of the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival celebrated the iconic event’s 20th anniversary with a special launch party at the weekend. The festival committee and friends were hosted at A. Guadagnino and Co Cherry Farm on Saturday to “bless” the cherry blossoms, take a look back at the history of the event over its 20 years and launch the upcoming 2021 festival. Jon Doust, who was integral in starting the festival 20 years ago, said it was “timely” to look back at the festival’s original mission statement. “It was also useful for the foundation team to remind themselves to remind others that it was the Cherry Harmony Festival that paved the way for new perceptions of the region as a fruit and vegetable powerhouse,” he said. “Up until then many outsiders saw it as a shire full of angry people forever complaining about government decisions. “The festival showed that there were people in town who could, against all odds, put on an amazing event, without government assistance. “We started 20 years ago, and what a great 20, but our work is not yet done.” The launch of the festival comes as a $35,000 funding investment from the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund was also announced to develop a three-year economic analysis and marketing plan for the festival. This year’s action will officially kick off on December 11, however festivities begin well before then with the town being dressed up in red decorations, lights and cherry-themed window displays. The festival weekend itself will include all the mainstay attractions such as live music, log chops, cooking demonstrations, art, photography, the pip flicking competition, the Southern Belle fashion parade, street theatre, a vehicle parade and plenty more in the heart of Manjimup. This year’s festival will also welcome 2021 Senior Western Australian of the Year, Dr Richard Walley AOM, and an Indigenous dance troupe.