Port Fairy welcomes 8000 people for Folk Festival

A Moyne Shire Council spokesman said more than 8000 people were booked into the seaside village's two caravan parks over the weekend - a huge influx for a town of just 3700 people.

Mayor Karen Foster said the music festival and accompanying street fair was the biggest event of the year for the shire and brought a huge amount of money into Port Fairy and the surrounding area.

"It's a huge event for the town and the region - last year visitor-spend data shows an additional $3.5 million was spent in Port Fairy across the weekend alone," Cr Foster said.

"Council has partnered with the Folk Festival Committee to again bring the Street Fair to life - meaning those who don't have a ticket to the festival can still come and soak up the Folkie vibe."

Cr Foster said there was a bumper schedule of events and activities on throughout the centre of town.

"There is a full program of free entertainment featuring live music, buskers, kids' zone as well as food and market stalls from Saturday through to Monday," she said.

The long weekend tourist deluge isn't confined to Port Fairy, with the Koroit and Killarney caravan parks also basically booked out. The Yambuk Caravan Park has a couple of sites left with a fishing competition planned over the weekend and Mortlake is also close to capacity with an annual showjumping championship.

Cr Foster said visitors and locals could also enjoy an outback experience in Koroit on Saturday, and the Mortlake Market on Monday.

"Moyne really is the events Shire - with the headliners Koroit Irish Festival and Port Fairy Winter Weekends plus a range of other events still to come in the next few months. There's no signs of things slowing down," she said.