Seniors Week Concerts cancelled but Stawell giveaway bags available

Published on 05 October 2021

Northern Grampians Shire Council has cancelled planned concerts for Seniors Festival Week in Stawell and St Arnaud due to ongoing Coronavirus restrictions. The music concerts were part of the Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined 2021, a week long annual event supported by the Victorian Government.

Council had organised free morning and afternoon concerts at the town halls in St Arnaud on 5 October and Stawell on 6 October. In an effort to keep these events COVIDSafe, each concert had a limit of 50 attendees and the St Arnaud concerts were the first to sell out. Country music performers Joe Musico from Warrnambool and locals Robyn Gleeson and Leon Rowbottom were the feature acts at these concerts. As a bonus for ticketholders, Council staff had arranged giveaway bags of locally sourced vouchers and products for all ticketholders.

The St Arnaud giveaway bags have been distributed to ticketholders but the Stawell concerts were not sold out and consequently there are still more than thirty tickets entitling Stawell and district seniors to the giveaway bags.  

Any resident living in Stawell and surrounds with a valid senior's card is welcome to call customer service to reserve a ticket that will entitle them to a giveaway bag from the Stawell supply. Tickets and bags will be available for pickup at Stawell Town Hall.

Mayor Cr Murray Emerson said it is disheartening to have to cancel these events two years running but the priority is to keep the community safe.

“It is always a shame to have to cancel popular events like these music concerts that we know our residents look forward to every year,” expressed Cr Emerson.

“The silver lining is that these giveaway bags contain vouchers that will encourage our seniors to socialise at local businesses once restrictions ease, not to mention some really thoughtful, non-perishable locally sourced gifts.

“October is a significant month for acknowledging the contributions of our seniors. On Friday it was the United Nations International Day of the Older Person and the inaugural Anti-Ageism day. This week I encourage our community to make a COVIDSafe check in on our elders and to acknowledge the contributions they make to the social fabric of our shire.

“It’s been a worrying month with recent Coronavirus exposures in St Arnaud and Stawell and I applaud the community for their resilience. Coincidentally, the Seniors Festival Week slogan is “Keep’n on keep’n on” and we are definitely doing this.”

Further information:

www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/2021-victorian-seniors-festival-reimagined

www.everyagecounts.org.au

www.un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day