When mother of two Salila O’Connor decided to organise a fundraiser to help the peopleof Tibet after the devastating earthquake in May this year, the last thing that occurred to her is that she would end up at Splendour in the Grass with her two young children writes Georgina Bible.

The Ewingsdale resident entered a raffle to win tickets to Splendour in the Grass at the event she helped organise – Mullum Loves Nepal – at the Mullumbimby Civic Memorial Hall. Salila hit the instant karma jackpot when she won Splendour in the Grass Gold Bar tickets in the raffle for herself and her two children, none of whom had attended the festival before.

Salila O’Connor with her twins, Mattia and Aidan.

“Splendour in the Grass is an amazing festival – to be able to come here with children and feel free to enjoy the event with my family has been fantastic” O’Connor says.  “The Little Splendour children’s festival is an absolute sensation. It’s been funny to see people without children actually trying to get in to the Little Splendour area because of the amazing array of events and activities. It’s quite amusing for parents – you can’t get in to Little Splendour unless you’re aged nought to fifteen!”

The Nepal earthquake was the worst to hit Nepal in 80 years and was strong enough to be felt across parts of India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan. The earthquake was also felt by the people of Byron Shire who raised more than $20,000 towards relief efforts at the event. “It was great to see the people of Byron Bay get behind the Nepal Fundraiser to make it such an extraordinary success,” says O’Connor.  “It’s also been amazing to see so many people who were at the Nepal Fundraiser here at the festival. Byron Bay has an amazing sense of community, which becomes so apparent when you attend events like this that bring everyone together.”

Boots with bling, and the eyes have it…

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The new Splendour kids program – Little Splendour – opens up the festival for parents and children, writes Verandah Magazine’s Georgina Bible.

What happens when the Generation Xers who frequented Australia’s circuit of music festivals every year  grow up and start having babies? Do they retire their favourite band t-shirts and faded jeans to their local op-shop and relegate the festival experience to the remembrance of things past? Wrong. They stuff themselves back into their favourite jeans, pack the kids in the car and head off to Little Splendour – the specially designed camping and activity area for families at Splendour in the Grass.

Splendour in the Grass has developed an entire field of festival activities especially for children. Little Splendour is located in a fully fenced and secured area in the middle of Splendour in the Grass, designed exclusively for families to relax, play and explore their creativity.

“Many of the people who started coming to Splendour when it first began have families now, or are starting to have families, so this area is to encourage our Splendour families to return year after year and have a fantastic camping experience as well as a fantastic festival experience,” says Little Splendour manager Trudi Fitzgerald. “It’s also encouraging to those new Splendour comers with children that they can join in with other likeminded families and enjoy a music and cultural extravaganza.”

The Little Splendour program offers a line-up of arts and crafts activities to suit children of all ages. Highlights include a mini big top with a stage for musical performances, comedy acts, magicians and puppet shows. A clown school will offer clowning workshops, balloon twisting, juggling and face-painting while a circus school will give performances and circus workshops. There are two designated play zones, divided by age, with the Little Kidz Zone including an obstacle course, mega sized sandpit, jumping castle and a story telling tipi with character visits from fairies, pirates and princesses. The Big Kidz Zone will feature a climbing wall, ropes course, sports and games area, jumping castle and giant board games.

Little Splendour will also feature parents/babies tipis with areas for mothers to breastfeed and will include a fridge, microwave, change table and other conveniences for young families. Add a café and you might never want to leave. Moreover, the facilities of Little Spendour will also extend to a special new area for family camping. “The new camping area is in a little quiet pocket of the regular camping area sectioned of for those people with children,” says Fitzgerald. “There will be some facilities provided which will make camping for families more convenient.”

LITTLE SPLENDOUR

CIRCUS ARTS – Aerial acts include silks, trapeze, double trapeze net, Spanish web and ground acts include juggling, hula hoops and acro balance

THE MIM AND SAM SHOW – dynamic brother and sister circus act

YOGA with KarmaKids

AFRICAN DANCE – Afro Groove performance and workshop

JOHNNY THE JESTER – Magic Show

KIDDYWINKS – Puppet Show

SOUND SYNERGY – Drumming Workshop

THE GREATEST TREASURE – a musical theatre adventure

FIESTA JESTERS –Unicycling and juggling jesters

TRISTAN BANCKS – Children’s author and funmaster

Splendour in the Grass

Friday, 24th July – Sunday, 26th July 2015 – SOLD OUT

North Byron Parklands

126 Tweed Valley Way, Wooyung Tweed

Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au

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