The Waterfront Festival will feature fantastic free family entertainment with numerous acts across three stages, a large number of stall holders and great food and wine, all along the Geelong Waterfront and Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
The picturesque Geelong Waterfront comes to life during the Festival of Sails, with multiple event precincts catering to all visitors. Whether spending the entire day walking along the waterfront taking in all the free entertainment on offer or leaving the kids in a sailing lesson whilst relaxing with a nice glass of local wine, the Festival of Sails has a precinct and activity perfectly suited to everyone. Each uniquely themed event precinct is briefly outlined below;
Steampacket Gardens – The Festival of Sails Main Arena
Steampacket Gardens is the main activity hub of the festival. Here the main stage offers a wide range of acts from children’s entertainment and various displays right through to rock bands. With a selection of festival food and drink, art and craft market stalls, and twice daily water ski stunt shows this area will be a major drawcard for the Festival of Sails.
Fairnie Park – The Festival of Sails Gourmet Food & Wine Showcase
Fairnie Park will showcase gourmet food and wine with a stage featuring laid back acoustic music, enabling festival visitors to sit in a relaxed atmosphere whilst sampling a nice glass of local wine and enjoying some delicious food.
Royal Geelong Yacht Club – The Festival of Sails Regatta Village
Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) is the heart of the sailing regatta and home to all the local and visiting yachties. As the sun goes down you can come and party well into the night (and morning) with the yachties with fantastic stage entertainment. During the day the entrance to RGYC and Eastern Beach Road will house the ‘Club Marine Boating & Lifestyle Exhibition’ a dedicated marine trade and boating lifestyle precinct.
Eastern Beach – The Festival of Sails ‘Come & Try’ Zone
The event will aim to link the shoreside festival with all the on-water action, and as such will be operating a ‘Come & Try Zone’ where children and adults alike can safely try a range of on and off-water beach based activities. These include activities such as Discover Sailing, wind surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, beach volleyball, outrigger canoeing and more. This precinct will also feature art and craft market stalls and a selection of food and beverages – including that all important summer ice cream van!
Transvaal Square – The Festival of Sails Kids Zone
The grassed area of Transvaal Square will feature the festival kid’s zone, with rides, amusements, petting zoos, food and drink. This precinct is ideally suited to the under 12s on school holidays, and is perfectly positioned overlooking Fairnie Park, so whilst the children enjoy the excitement of the rides and activities, parents can take in the laid back entertainment, whilst sampling a fine local wine.
