The vibrant display, featuring eel-shaped puppets made by local students, is part of the event’s annual community art project.

Art project coordinator Angela Phillips said this year’s theme was ‘Song of the Eels’.

She said the inspiration for the project was driven by puppeteer Jenny Ellis and her interest in the eels.

Ms Phillips said the migration of the eels down Bentinck Street represented the migration of the freshwater eels from New Caledonia to the Portland Bay. 

Starting at 10am the parade will travel down Bentinck Street and finish at the foreshore.

“Song of the Eels will be a vibrant, colourful performance,” Ms Phillips said.

The collaboration consisted of 12 primary and four secondary schools, along with Portland Bay School and South West TAFE, with students getting “hands on” experience crafting the large and small papier mache puppet eels.

Ms Philips said the hard work and effort of all involved will come alive in the colourful display with each school taking a different approach.

“We’re going to have 16 very different eels,” she said,

“A lot of proud faces will be looking back at the work that they’ve created.”

Ms Phillips said the history behind the freshwater eels held a close connection Gunditjmara and Indigenous culture and has helped to unify the Glenelg Shire.

“Everyone has the opportunity to get involved,” she said.

The festival is a free event that has gained support from locals.

“Everyone’s talking about it,” she said.