Thursday May 17 Events

2012 : Thursday

Making a holiday of the festival? The majority of exhibitions will be hung so put together a list of your favourite cellar doors and get a sneak peek of what's on offer before the crowds arrive. Have a look at the festival programme for full details.

2012 : Thursday Evening

Official Festival Opening by the Patron of the Festival, Mr. Bryan Dawe and
Announcement of the Balnaves Foundation 2010 John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize
at the Penola High School, Cameron Street, Penola at 5.00pm
Following the official opening proceedings, the winner of the $5000 Acquisitive Art Prize named after the Penola poet, John Shaw Neilson and the Youth Art Prize will both be announced. All are welcome to join the festivities and get the festival off to a great start!

Opening at 5.00pm – 6.00pm, 5.30pm official proceedings at the Penola High School, Cameron Street, Penola.

Illumination of the South
Various spots in the Penola township, 6.00pm
Utilising local photography and artwork, as well as historic images and famous poetry, watch on as we illuminate our heritage on to the big screen - the big screen being a historic building opposite Heywards Hotel on Riddoch Street. Watch as this building from yesteryear transforms into spectacular colours and imagery, bringing the old into the new. The Illumination of the South will be officially ‘turned on’ on Thursday evening opposite Heyward's Hotel on Riddoch Street.

Penolaraya’s Lights Spectacular
Penola Fantasy Model Railway, 38 Riddoch Street, Penola, 7.00pm - 9.00pm
As the magical and colourful ‘fantasy’ model train layout has been evolving over the years, within the main building, LED lights have been incorporated into virtually every castle, under water building, ‘floating ships & trains’. Rock stars, super heroes and the different dioramas in Hotel Dracula also have their own lighting effects. Penolaraya at night, truly is a ‘magical’ sight to behold, even more so when you consider that there is no other model railway layout of its type anywhere in Australia. Plus, most of the locomotives and their carriages have their own light systems as well. The Water Garden Kingdom, with its waterfalls, creeks, pond and castles also have a light show.