Held the day after the Longwood For The Love of Ale Festival, on Sunday, March 1, the free event has activities and entertainment scheduled from 9am to 8.40pm.
Organiser Robert Whiteman said it began with a number of key volunteers, including his partner Nadine Harmeston, Steve Tobin, Tank from Tank Art and Shepparton Brewery, and Miranda Matura, who “has been a huge help with the fundraising side of things”.
“We started helping out doing food runs and making fresh food for the relief efforts in the Longwood-Ruffy area and that became a conversation,” Robert said.
“So, the team behind it started with a couple of local business owners and we were essentially trying to do something to get food runs back and then we started to hear from vendors outside that were saying, ‘how do we help?’”
After talks with White Hart Hotel in Longwood, which Ms Harmeston used to run, the event grew legs.
And soon after, thanks to the backing of businesses and groups across the region, it was running.
“As we started to have those chats, the more ‘yeses’ we got encouraged us to build it into a full-day event,” Robert said.
“We are grateful for the network that came forward and said yes. When we reflect on it at this stage, and we are pre-event, I’m grateful for everything we’ve got in place.
“This is something that we set up not six months ago, this was something we set up after the bushfires.”
Being a free event, Pub and Paddock’s main objective is to provide the community with a “low stress” day in the midst of bushfire recovery.
However, a number of the vendors will be donating some or all of their profits to the Strathbogie Disaster Relief Fund, with funds raised from an auction of local art donated by Mitchelton Gallery and Tank Art to also go towards the cause.
“We’ll have music, face painters, yoga, line dancing — all of those things are all happening, and everyone that’s put their hand up to donate their time for this, it just shows how strong the community is and the community support for Longwood and the surrounding areas,” Robert said.
“We are trying to get money to the greater region because it’s definitely more than Longwood that was affected, and that’s our motivator.
“We’re not doing this for money ... it’s really important for us to see what we can contribute to the community and give back.”
For more information on the event, including the jam-packed line-up, or to donate to the Strathbogie Disaster Relief Fund, visit bushbashrelief.org
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