Volunteers have been busily working on the folk festival float, which will take to Port Fairy streets as part of the Moyneyana Festival’s popular New Year’s Eve parade.

The float depicts caricatures that feature on posters and advertisements for the three-day festival. 

Folk festival volunteer and shed co-ordinator Allan Brown said a group of residents had been working on the float, as well as props for the upcoming music festival. 

He said the international event was a huge part of the seaside town. “This year’s (Moyneyana Festival) theme is ‘our playground’. We’re working up there all the time and our playground is the Folky, we put a lot of effort into that. Our float is following that music theme.”

Mr Brown said the parade was a great community event and a chance to promote the folk festival. “There’s a lot of people from out of town who come here around that time of the year,” he said. “They might have heard about the festival but haven't heard when it’s on. This will give them a reason to ask that question.” 

Moyneyana Festival publicity co-ordinator Henry Toller-Bond said last year’s parade attracted about 40 floats and encouraged groups to start working on their own version of the theme. “What’s your favourite playground? Is it the beach or the coffee shop? It could be anything. The theme can be interpreted in many ways,” he said. “The parade’s really popular... It’s just wonderful and it’s great to see the community getting involved and getting into the spirit. To keep it going after 71 years is great.”