ChillOut Festival, Daylesford, Australia

Welcome to the ChillOut Festival 2009!

Since 1997, the town of Daylesford, an hour and half North West of Melbourne, has played the ‘hostess with the mostest’ to the annual ChillOut Festival. Each year, over the Victoria Labour Day long-weekend in March, upwards of 20,000 people stuff their bags full of costumes and rainbow flags and head out of town to the hills of the Wombat State Forest.

Daylesford, known for its Swiss-Italian heritage, gold mines, natural springs and mineral water is also known as a popular gay and lesbian tourist destination. Now, after 12 years of gathering momentum, ChillOut has grown to become the largest gay and lesbian festival in regional Australia.

Drag Queens at the Festival. Photo courtesy of Dale Callahan

Just days before this year’s festival, Daylesford was under threat of the Victorian Bushfires that obliterated small townships similar in size and proximity to Melbourne. Festival goers, event organisers and the town’s business people breathed a collective sigh of relief when the local fire authority gave the thumbs up, once the fire threat had been contained.

Locals who had evacuated to safer pastures were delighted to return home to find the influx of colour-filled party-goers, whose presence felt restorative and much-needed to help buoy the town’s spirits. I know because I am one of these locals who calls Daylesford home. After the uneasiness of the sudden evacuations, to come home to the gay pride rainbow flag flying cheerfully atop the main street flagpoles brought tears to my thankful eyes.

The spectacular parade of the Festival. Photo courtesy of Dale Callahan

During ChillOut, a trip up the street to get some groceries isn’t your regular outing, it’s an occasion. Regardless of the time of day, people are dressed up in costumes and outfits that are missed once the festival has ended, the revellers have gone home and the town has returned to its default setting of quiet.

But before the carnival leaves town there is much merrymaking and activities to be engaged with, regardless of your fancy, degree of energy or sobriety. Highlights on the jammed-packed program include horse riding, bocce, bushwalking, mountain biking, line dancing, golf, sitting curbside outside local cafés with a cocktail or champagne, the ChillOut street parade, carnival day, dance party and drag show gala.

Each year the festival committee chooses a worthy cause to raise money for during the festival. 2009’s charity was Buddies for Wildlife, an organisation that focuses on wildlife and the environment, for which more than $25,000 was raised, a sure sign that having a good time can be an honourable extravagance.
ChillOut: www.chilloutfestival.com.au

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