The fun is over for Warrnambool City Council’s Fun4Kids Festival

Mayor Robert Anderson confirmed that after 19 years, the festival would not go ahead in 2018 due to decreasing crowd numbers and growing financial concerns.

“While the festival still drew crowds, in recent years those crowds had become smaller and ultimately we’ve made the difficult decision to call time on the festival,” Cr Anderson said.

“Growing financial pressures on local government and changing family holiday choices have also been factors. 

“Importantly, we also have the expectations of ratepayers to consider.”

The controversial festival was shortened last year from seven days to five in an attempt to make the event sustainable. 

The festival’s viability was reviewed in 2014 when a sharp fall in attendances resulted in a $593,000 loss.

The 2015 event was guided by a community advisory group to help turn it around, and the council chipped in $450,000 to assure its future. 

Cr Anderson said changing family holiday habits and expectations were among the reasons behind the council’s decision to move on from Fun4Kids.

“There’s no doubt that parents are looking for different entertainment for their children,” the first-term mayor said.

“The multi-day nature of Fun4Kids does not have the appeal it did.

“We’re competing against electronic entertainment and an era in which families can enjoy relatively inexpensive international air travel.”

Cr Anderson said the city’s residents should be proud of Fun4Kids and how it helped put Warrnambool on the map as a winter holiday destination.

He said it had provided “enormous enjoyment for families over nearly two decades” and paid tribute to volunteers who had helped run the festival. 

“It’s a good opportunity now to reflect on the incredible community effort that went in to staging Fun4Kids,” Cr Anderson said.

“Hundreds of South West TAFE students and volunteers helped make it a reality.

“The Triton Woodworkers prepared tens of thousands of wood working kits for tens of thousands of children.”

Cr Anderson thanked the south-west community members who had played a role in the “wonderful Fun4Kids story”. 

He said the council had a new focus with an aim to have events spread over the whole year.

Cr Anderson said there had been “huge interest” from people in coming to Warrnambool to holiday and taking part in events.

“We’ve seen that in the great response to the Nitro Circus,” he said.