The 40-page booklet lists all the activities to take place in what will be the 70th staging of the event.

Christmas Eve will be the opening event with Santa to arrive at the Fiddler’s Green. The final day of the festival will be on Saturday, January 27.  

The program is available at the Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre and businesses throughout the town, as well as being distributed around Warrnambool and district. 

Moyneyana Festival chairman Reg Harry said he is excited about the way the program has come out.

“”I think the program looks great, it’s bright and informative,” Mr Harry said.

“There has been a lot of work done behind the scenes to make this such a great guide to the festival. 

“Once again, our main aim is to provide plenty of free entertainment for the young families who come to Port Fairy for their holidays every summer.” 

Mr Harry said Moyneynana is the longest running summer festival in Victoria.

The festival began in 1948 as a New Year’s Eve celebration with proceeds going to the Port Fairy Hospital.

New Year’s Eve remains a central point of the festival with the procession on that night attracting thousands of people to the Port Fairy CBD. 

The theme for the festival this year is ‘70 Summers of Fun’ with those entering floats in the procession encouraged to follow that theme.

“We always have so many terrific floats and I’m sure that will be no different this year,” Mr Harry said.

“It really is a special event, not only for the festival but for the whole town.”

Other entertainment planned for New Year’s Eve includes live music with the Damian Howard band and Odd Socks both playing on Fiddler’s Green. 

The retro race will also return with competitors running backwards down the length of Sackville Street. 

The new year will end and the new one will begin with fireworks to be launched at midnight. 

The 2017-18 Moyneyana Festival committee has a new look about it with long-serving husband and wife team Jackie and Guenter Herrman standing down. They have been replaced by Marg Watt (secretary) and Rachel Root (treasurer).