Carnival and marketgoers braved the strong south-westerly winds ripping across the foreshore on Wednesday, December 28, to attend the opening of The Loch Sport Spectacular Carnival and Twilight Market.
Under greying clouds, market stalls, carnival rides and food vans were erected along Lake Street foreshore spanning between Second Street and Barton Street. Sweet smells, bright colours and cheerful music drifted far beyond The Loch Sport Spectacular Carnival and Twilight Market boundaries.
Children climbed aboard the cup-and-saucer ride and slid down the giant paw patrol slide as parents watched on from a distance, basking in the joyful squeals of their not-so-little infants.
Sisters Kelsey and Sophie, holidayers from Melbourne, waved to their mum and dad from the fantastic Red Barron Plane Ride, giggling as the purple plane capsule lifted them high off the ground.
Just a stone’s throw away, youngsters Isla and Wilbur, also from Melbourne and visiting their grandpa for Christmas, dunked white fabric nets in cool, clear water, scooping yellow rubber ducks as dad looked over their shoulders.
For peckish guests, hungry bellies were easily filled with slinky potatoes, donuts, coffee and more, plus the carnival show bags had chewy lolly treats galore.
Beyond the bright buzzing of the carnival rides and games, local merchants set up shop on the grassy ground of the Loch Sport foreshore, positioned side by side; with so much on display, there was something to catch everyone’s eye.
Tie-dyed clothing hung from wire coat hangers, flailing in the wind, next door rings and pots and bracelets drew all the women in, hands reaching to wallets succeeding gasps and awes and ‘isn’t this cute’.
The cheerful, booming voice of Moe local ‘Hughesy’ carried in the wind, and with the sweet smell of caramelised tree nuts igniting passer-bys’ senses, almost every Loch Sport Spectacular Carnival and Twilight Market visitor proved completely defenceless. The man wearing a fabric squirrel hat held out his metal scoop, sharing a taste of his mouth-watering ‘caramelised almonds with all’.
Just like a spider catching flies in its web, one taste, and it was over; Hughesy’s fresh, hot, caramelised, nutty snacks proved so delectable guests couldn’t help but come back.
Day one of The Loch Sport Spectacular Carnival and Twilight Market proved a great success, with the coastal extravaganzas concluding five days later but not before a fantastic display of fireworks welcomed the new year.
