The Swiss Italian festa!

Over the past few months I've written many articles and answered many interview questions about how and why we moved to Daylesford 12 and a half years ago.

I've spoken often of our desire to grow our own fruit and veggies, of our need for space and a slower lifestyle, and of our yearning for a more meaningful existence.

And I've shared our lists of must haves and must not haves in a property. But I have to admit that beside the local schools and hospital, I don't remember being so interested in the town we were moving to. I don't know why I didn't have a town/community list of must haves, but I didn't.

So it was almost by accident that we came to live close to one of the most culturally diverse and interesting towns in regional Victoria. A town that boasts some of the best eateries and shops and galleries in the State. And a town with a calender of events so rich and varied that there is bound to be something there for everyone from Words In winter, to Chill-Out, to music festivals and art festivals and food festivals.

This weekend Daylesford and Hepburn Springs are celebrating the Swiss Italian festa and in the opening parade, our family marched and hoola-hooped with the circus crew.

And we admired the costumes and the bands and yodellers and goats who had come from near and far to celebrate the rich history of our town.

Before we moved here I was worried that we wouldn't feel accepted by a town until we had lived there for generations and generations back, but I needn't have. In our town if you want to hold a banner or a bell you are welcome to march. In fact in our town there are almost always more marchers than onlookers. In our town, the hardest thing to do is to decide which crew you want to march with.

I feel pretty lucky that we accidentally set up camp next to such a cool community.

Oh, I just found this clip on Facebook. Check it out.

I'd better go now and make sure everyone here has a rest before the closing ceremony lantern parade tonight.

Does your town throw a good festa?

Do you love a good march down the main street?

Did you spot me and my girlies in the film?

Ciao x

The lantern parade.

The end of the annual Swiss Italian Festa in Daylesford/Hepburn Springs brings with it one of my favourite nights of the year, The Lantern Parade.

So yesterday Bren went and found 'the box of stuff you need to make a lantern'.

We make the same type of lantern every year so by now there's a bit of ritual to it.

First we drew our designs on a tin can.

Then we placed a piece of wood in the can and banged a sharpened nail along the design, puncturing holes as we went.

Here they are lining up ready to go.

We drove down to Hepburn and mingled amongst around 300 members of the community. At dusk we all lit our lanterns and walked down the candle lit path to the Mineral Springs Reserve where we were treated to the most amazing fireworks display I've seen in years.

After the fireworks we walked back up the hill in the dark really needing our lanterns for light.

I love the lantern parade because it is an ALL ages event, because of its strong sense of community, because there is nothing for sale, because it encourages home made and because it has become part of my family's history.

Our lanterns will now hang out on the deck for decoration on those lovely warm summer evenings.

There are five days left until I randomly select a winner for my giveaway. Have you entered?