While most community events rely on sunshine to bring in the crowds, the organisers of the Swamp Stomp will be thankful if the heavens open.

Tarrington Progress Association committee member Naomi Turner said the record for the most number of people doing a rain dance was 395 which was set in Ireland in May 2011.

And while Tarrington only has a population of about 200 people, Ms Turner was confident they would be able to bring in the numbers. “We can pull ‘em in. Tarrington has lots of friends,” she said.

The event is scheduled to be held on Sunday, May 1, on the town’s oval which was a swamp until it was drained in the 1970s.

Ms Turner said there would be water activities for children and a gumboot toss.

“It would be the one community event that you wouldn’t mind being rained out,” she said. “It’ll be a bit of fun.”

The committee was also investigating whether they could attract some musical entertainment from the swamp music genre, she said.

The event is being organised after their Australia Day barbecue and flag-raising event was cancelled because they were unable to attract a guest speaker and a lot of people were away.

Ms Turner said she wasn’t sure if the Swamp Stomp would be a one-off or become an annual event.

She said Tarrington had attracted a lot of attention in recent months with its haybale art Facebook page being viewed 60,000 before Christmas.

Ms Turner said planning for the event was in its early stages and she was yet to register the world record attempt with Guinness World Records.

Meanwhile, a walking tour through Tarrington’s history will be staged in the town next week. 

Historian Betty Huf will lead the tour on Tuesday, February 9 from 7.30pm which is open to the public and leaves from the cafe. 

Mrs Huf said it was the first tour of its kind that she had led in Tarrington, which was once known as Hochkirch.