This year’s Cherry Festival, held on 30 December on the McNulty Lawns in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct, proved to be a barrel of laughs for young and old.
Families played for the title of Fastest Family in the Win it in a Minute Challenges, the kids (and adults!) got stuck in with the Pie Eating Competition, and young artists could show their stuff in the Colouring Competition. There was also a Know your Cherries booth where visitors could guess how many cherries were in a jar, and learn more about the varieties that can be found in the Cromwell region.
“Over 1 500 people attended the festival,” says Janeen Wood, Chair of the Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group who organised the event. “It was great seeing everyone relax and enjoy the Central sunshine.”
While it was all fun and games elsewhere, it was all business on the mat where The National Cherry Spitting Championship was held. Aaron Collins managed to defend his title for a third time in a row, beating his personal best and setting a new record for the event with a impressive distance of 14.25 m.
The winner in the Adult Ladies category was Jamie Purcell with a distance of 8.60 m. Aidan O’Connell also stepped up to reclaim his title in the Under 16 Male category with a distance of 11.50 m, while Anna Bassett won the Under 16 Female category with 7.00 m.
Not to be outdone, the little ones also had a go. Lottie Faulkner was crowned the winner of the Under 6 Category with a distance of 1.80 m.
The Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group wishes to thank the sponsors and volunteers who helped make the event possible. “A big thanks to Jackson’s Orchards, Cromwell Mini Golf, Paintball Central, and One Fine Day for your contributions.”
