March 28th, 2024The magic of CresFest

There will be an element of magic in the air at Creswick this CresFest.

There are many ways to transform a town, and across the greater goldfields region community groups work all year to make their villages and towns the best they can be.

Think ChillOut, when Daylesford goes rainbow, think Booktown, when Clunes turns into a massive book store, and think SpudFest, when Trentham gives itself over to celebration of all things potato.

The town of Creswick is no exception, with award-winning event CresFest taking over the whole town from April 5 to 7. This year, says festival director Judy Turner, there is an extra twist.

“We decided to add the element of surprise,” she says, “and our streets will be full of fun – there’s a mini circus, Big Tops for Tiny Tots, a sword swallower, a sleight of hand expert from Texas, and Australia’s leading female magician and mentalist, Cath Jamison, hailing from Hepburn Springs.”

Jamison is noted as one of Australia’s most bizarre and unusual women entertainers – a wickedly hilarious entertainer who offers a feminine approach to the world of intrigue and is recognised worldwide for her astonishing skills in the fields of magic and mentalism.

“We’ve asked Cath to be a roving magician,” Judy says, “so our crowds are greeted with the unexpected. You might be sitting having a coffee with friends, and all of a sudden, Cath will pop up doing magic tricks for you and your gang.”

More than folk and roots music, CresFest has become renowned for its eclectic approach, presenting a series of Courthouse Conversations across the weekend, with host and former Daylesford identity Cate Kennedy talking up a storm with invited guests.

“There’s so much to see and do all across our town, we want people from right across the region to join us the weekend after Easter, and explore all we have to offer.”

Words: Contributed | Image: Eve Lamb