Celebrations spill onto village green

Hold on to your lace patterns – crochet is making a comeback!

No, wait… apparently it’s a typo. No crochet, but the Coolum Croquet Club will be on the village green instead at this year’s Coolum Community Celebration Day on 7 August.

I’m reluctantly swapping my crochet hook for a croquet mallet, but not till I’ve gotten on my soapbox to harangue the organisers about the rampant curse of spelling errors on flyers! If there’s something that equally gets up your goat, visit the Coolum Toastmasters stall and have a rant at their Soapbox Sunday event.

This year’s event has been moved to a Sunday and features crowd favourites such as Zumba and folk dancing which will have people up on their feet. There are plenty of community stalls, lots of food, interactive art and local performers on the main stage.

You may want to leave the kiddies at the playdough and face painting area, or they can run off excess energy on the Auskick field.

There’s plenty to keep everyone entertained for the day, so bring a picnic rug or folding chair and enjoy the free fun family day.

You’ll find me first in line at the coffee van.

Unsung heroes

A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes in the community, with many groups going unrecognized for their efforts, according to Coolum Community Centre Coordinator Karen McMahon.

However, they have the opportunity to shine and showcase what they do in the Coolum area at Sunday’s community event.

“I have a lot of empathy for the unsung heroes in our community,” said Karen.

Five years ago, the Community Centre held an open house day to feature the groups and activities on offer at the centre.

“The following year the open house had a multicultural feel. After that we expanded the day to include other community groups as a way of promoting them and celebrating what they do,” she said.

The day soon spilled out into Jack Morgan Park with marquees, food and entertainment, and in particular, showcased not for profit groups.

“By 2010, Coolum Celebration Day was a fun and great day, with a village atmosphere where people sat on the grass, listening to music,” said Karen.

“I understand how difficult it is for community groups and volunteers, so this is their day of recognition. It’s a day for Coolum to celebrate and it gives people a chance to sell their paintings, or join a community group.”

Karen believes the arts help bring people together and supports this concept by promoting local talent at the annual Celebration Day.

 “It’s important to see people support this day and appreciate all the good things that are happening in our community.”

What: Coolum Community Celebration Day

When: Sunday, 7 August

Time: 10am-2pm

Where: Jack Morgan Park, Coolum

Click here for the full program

Photo: Kerry, who runs a drumming class at the Community Centre on Thursday nights, entertains the crowds last year.