Gala Day stuff up
Um, we've all got mothers, you know?
Or ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’?
The organisers of Bright’s Autumn Festival have conceded that bookings for this year’s Gala Day weekend (May 6-8th) are well down on previous years (I’ll say they are!) and are predicting a much lower turnout.
In an article in today’s BorderMail they try to explain why. But I think they’re wrong and possibly in denial about the real cause of this stuff up:
Event organiser Helen Doyle said the festival’s proximity to the five-day Easter long weekend would affect visitor numbers, with a large amount of accommodation in the town still available.
“There’s certainly accommodation still available, we’ve still got some bus tours coming, we just think some of the family entries may be down a little bit.”
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Comment:
Memo to the Bright Chamber of Commerce: The reason people are not booking is because you’re holding the event on the same weekend as Mother’s Day (Sunday May 8th)!
In all my time in accommodation we have never failed to be booked solid for the Gala Day weekend, with most people staying at least 3 or 4 nights. But this year, like most operators, we’re not exactly being run off our feet with enquiry. I kind of figure that’s because people living in Melbourne don’t think they can come to the parade on the Saturday afternoon, stay the night and rush back home to visit Mum for lunch on what is her day. Didn’t you think about that?
I realise that Gala Day is traditionally held on the 1st Saturday of May but what would have been wrong with applying a bit of thought and changing it to 30th April? Today. Take a look around, it’s pretty quiet in Bright this weekend.
Too close to Easter, you say? Well that’s exactly why Gala Day should have been held today – so people would have extended their Easter break from 4 or 5 days to 7, 8, 9 or even 10. Believe me, they would have.
This is a real stuff up and it looks like completely wiping out the ‘benefit’ of Easter being 5 days this year.
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Promoting 'Beautiful Bright'.
Click 
Perhaps the good folk could bring their mothers up on the weekend for Gala Day, have lunch on Mothers Day and then drive home contented on a full stomach.
Very bad planning. Lots of mothers can’t get away, especially the older ones who may be not that hale any more.
Rox is right, Baldrick. What about the rest of the family who want to see Mum on Mother’s Day? I think you’ll find most people would choose not to come all the way to Bright for this very reason (as much as they’d otherwise like to).
I was being a tad tongue in cheek.
Well, I’ll naturally go to the parade next Saturday with my camera, but I’m not expecting a big crowd. Actually it’s been declining for several years. This is becoming a day of locals, by locals and for locals. It needs a major revamp.
My youngest bloke will be in the Parade, only bloke in the Young Ambassadors program. Will be a hoot.
I agree totally: There were still many tourists around last Wed, Thur and Fri, that may well have stayed on for the Parade. Having it the same weekend as mothers day is dumb, as many people wouldnt want to miss seeing their mums on this day. It will be dead this Sat in town I would predict……even having Gala Day on 14 May wouldnt hurt, there are still some leaves still on the trees…….
Well, we’ve had a bit of a late run with some bookings coming in for this weekend and it looked like we might fill up. But then we’ve had a cancellation or two due to their realisation that it’s Mothers Day on Sunday!
Well done, Bright C of C.