WA Day Festival at Fremantle’s Fishing Boat Harbour is always a fun event celebrating community spirit and the cultural diversity that makes Freo so special.
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Yesterday morning, there was no sign of the forecasted ‘Big Daddy Storm’ with meteorologists predicting up to 25mm of rain. ‘Rain or shine, we’re ready to celebrate’, the organisers said. Many of the festival activities had been moved indoors because of the wet weather warning.
A free shuttle bus ran between the train station and the Fishing Boat Harbour.
The sun shone as Noongar Elder Neville Collard invited everyone to partake in a smoking ceremony and Acknowledgment to Country.
Bathers Beach and the Fishing Boat Harbour were thronged with people: lots of families and a fur baby or two. Then clouds began to build over the ocean.
A giant inflatable black swan swayed in the strengthening breeze in front of the Ship Wrecks Museum. It was removed by midday. The parading Vintage Belles held onto their headdresses. A huge crowd gathered for the midday Mermaid Aquarium Show in front of Bathers Beach House.
The children’s craft activities had been moved inside the Ship Wrecks Museum.
Bubble Frenzy also attracted a large crowd in front of the Museum.
Music started up at Mews Park Main Festival Stage, near Cicerello’s. There were Magical Unicorns (ponies) wandering around. Food trucks surrounded Kidogo and the Kelp Bar.
And then the rain started. Despite free waterproof ponchos and planning for the rain, the unpredictable weather transformed the festive into an aquatic adventure, and people began to leave.
WA Day Festival in Freo is everything you’d expect: chaotic, colourful and very Freo. The rain didn’t wash away the community’s spirit.
* Words and photographs by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey.
Jean is our regular Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.
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