Winter Magic
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The Winter Magic Festival is a popular pagan-style community festival, celebrated around the winter solstice in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The 2006 festival took place on 24-25 June in Katoomba on Saturday and in Leura Village on Sunday.
This festival is the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains largest annual event – it is the only event of the year for which the main street of Katoomba, one of Australia's most famous towns, is entirely closed for the day. The long streets are lined with market stalls and everybody who attends is encouraged to dress in costume. There is live music throughout the day, and local performers, community groups and schools perform at various stages about the centre of town.
It is officially opened mid-morning with a collaboration of local residents and performers – dressed in colourful costumes – accompanied by a variety of percussion instruments, djembe drumming, stilt walking and dancing.
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The Winter Magic Festival is the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains largest annual event celebrated on the weekend nearest the winter solstice. It is held in Katoomba and Leura in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The 2007 festival will take place on 23-24 June in Katoomba on Saturday and in National Trust listed Everglades Gardens on Sunday.
On the Saturday, the main street of one of Australia's most famous towns is closed to traffic and open to the general public. It is the weekend when jugglers, musicians, street performers, buskers, choirs, circus, dancers and drummers take over the town and show why the Blue Mountains is NSW First City of the Arts. The long main street is lined with market stalls and everybody who attends is encouraged to dress in costume. All performance is within a few minutes walk of the town centre. At night the cafes, hotels and performance venues take over. There is something for everyone.
On the Sunday, one of Australia's most beautiful landscaped gardens becomes part of a children's fairytale with trolls, witches, knights, pirates and a range of performances commences mid-morning and running till about 4pm. Hope to see you there.
Warren Ross President Katoomba Winter Magic Festival 2007
