The farmers’ market at Yileena Park in Yarra Glen was buzzing with people responding to the message that the valley is ready and waiting for tourists in the wake of the Black Saturday fires.By Kath Gannaway
MESSAGE received!
If there was any doubt Melburnians are getting the message that the Yarra Valley is open for business, the farmers’ market at Yileena Park in Yarra Glen on Sunday 29 March, settled it with 4500 people answering the call.
They created a traffic jam on Steels Creek Road, a sell-out for stallholders and a massive lift in morale for Yileena Park Vineyard owners Bob and Dianne Curtis and other tourism operators involved in the day.
Mr and Mrs Curtis organised the market to entice tourists back to the region and to raise money for Steels Creek residents affected by the February bushfires.
“The support was overwhelming,” Mrs Curtis said.
“Most of the stallholders sold out, the Rotary Club had to go and buy more sausages and people are asking when we are going to do it again.”
The event raised about $5000 that Mrs Curtis said was a direct result of the fantastic support they had.
“We would like to thank everyone who contributed goods to the auction, from around the Yarra Valley and from the north-east of Victoria, as well as the stallholders and the thousands of people who visited on the day,” she said.
Mrs Curtis said the money would be used to purchase woollen blankets for each residence.
