Too much fun here

The Toolangi and Castella communities are counting down to their festival weekend – 12 and 13 November.
Grab your friends and head on up to join the mountain top communities and enjoy a family fun day with free rides and activities, where everyone is welcome.
From the hit film Avatar to the famous Toolangi Bush Poetry Festival, Clydesdale wagon rides to the Velcro Wall, old-fashioned games to fabulous contemporary music … their free community festival encourages people of all ages to take some time out of their busy schedules, spend time with their friends and family, and have some good old-fashioned fun.
On Saturday evening the main festival begins with a free barbecue (or people can bring their own picnic) with live music by Richie Langford and the Engine Room, followed by a moonlight cinema screening of Avatar when the sun goes down. “All people need to bring is some mozzie repellent, a chair and maybe a rug or blanket for when it gets chilly,” said festival co-ordinator Helen Collier.
Sunday is a day full of rides and activities, and gets off to a great start with two hours of free, tethered hot air balloon rides between 11am and 1pm.
And all day long there is face painting, make-up lessons, baby bush animals to see and reptiles to hold, a ride with the magnificent Clydesdales, have your caricature drawn by a cartoonist, see the new CFA tanker, take part in the games, have a free 15-minute massage, shop at the craft stalls, watch the Irish dancing and the spinning demonstrations, munch away on something from Tommy Taters, buy some raffle tickets to be in with a chance to win great prizes, or enjoy the live music throughout the day.
As C. J. Dennis himself wouldhave said, plenty of “hoopla” for everyone.
“Our aim all along has been to offer a fun day out for friends and family where the majority of activities are free,” said Helen “and we’ve achieved it. Now we just need the weather to behave so the hot air balloon can go up! Whatever the weather, we’re really looking forward to a great day out for everyone.”
The Toolangi Castella festival runs simultaneously with the 2011 Bush Poetry Festival, now in its fourth year. The poetry festival opens at 1.30pm on the Saturday at the Singing Gardens Tea Rooms, former home of Toolangi’s famous bush poet, C.J. Dennis, and continues on the Sunday from 11am with readings from the bush poets of Australia, past and present.
Seymour MP Cindy McLeish will open the Bush Poetry Festival, then at 3.30pm, will open the new extensions at Toolangi Primary School and help launch the children’s games.
Full details on both festivals are at www.toolangi.net. Phone Jan on 5962 9282 for more information on the poetry festival.