BINGARA will come alive next month when the iconic Orange Festival launches on July 4-5.
The festival was first held in 1998 to showcase the importance of Bingara’s orange trees, however the first orange-picking day was held in 1960.
In the early 1950s, orange trees were planted in Bingara as a living memorial to the town’s fallen soldiers from World War I and World War II.
The festival includes an orange-picking ceremony, where students harvest the oranges from the trees planted along Finch Street.
Originally the trees were Valencias, but over time some have been replaced with the navel orange variety.
Trees have also been planted at Gwydir Oval, and a bush rock with two bronze plaques has been installed outside the Bingara RSL Club.
A special commemorative service is held outside the club each July to mark the start of the annual Bingara Orange Festival.
It is attended by members of the RSL, the community, tourists and students from Bingara Central School.
After the service, the children begin harvesting the fruit in a long-held tradition known as Orange Picking Day.
The Bingara Orange Festival evolved from Orange Picking Day and is two days of entertainment and festivities for the community, surrounding district and visitors.
The festival features street markets, street parades, pageants, and sporting and cultural activities.
This year, themed Bingara, Now and Then, a special screening of The Great Escaper will be shown at the Roxy Theatre at 6pm on July 4.
The cost per person is just $5.
From 10am, Saturday, July 5, Bingara’s CBD will pulsate with live entertainment, a vintage car display, market stalls, children’s entertainment, rodeo and food trucks, with a street parade commencing around 2pm, with prizes for best-decorated floats.
Kids are well looked after, with a long list of activities and events, including a billy-cart competition and best-decorated bicycles and skateboards.
There will also be prizes for best-decorated pram, wheel-chair, scooter, gopher and golf cart.
A cook-off competition featuring oranges – sweet and savoury sections – will be held and shops and offices in Bingara will compete for best window display.
There will also be a Spot-the-Orange in shop windows competition, for keen-eyed youngsters.
The Bingara Orange Festival has grown enormously since its inception 27 years ago and is now regarded one of the major events on the Bingara community calendar.
The event attracts more than 1500 people and each year the bar is raised higher, with the inclusion of new initiatives to keep the festival fresh and attractive year after year.
After the street festival, the gates will spring back at Bingara Showground for plenty of rodeo action – a free event for locals and visitors.
Gates will open at 3pm, with ute-barrel racing launching the night’s entertainment.
The rodeo will start at 4.30pm, with a huge fireworks display at 8pm.
Bingara Orange Festival
When: July 4-5
Time: Street festival from 10am, July 5.
Cost: Free
For a full schedule of events, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BingaraNSW
To learn more about Bingara, go to: https://visitgwydir.com.au/
