FEATURE - GOODFEST - a celebration of bards, storytellers and poets!

Once upon a time, in the never-ending tradition of bards, storytellers and poets, two men decided to celebrate their late friend with a three-day festival of fabulous flights of fancy to enthrall all who bore witness to the magical incantations of this gathering of oral delights. 

The men are Nick Grivas of Liquid Lyrics and Robin Archbold (Archie) of Sunshine Coast Spoken Word. Their late friend was Irish Joe Lynch, a word wizard much loved throughout the land, and especially in the mystical mountain village of Maleny, where his kindness and generosity with his gifts touched all who knew him. All three were blessed with the gift of wordsmythology from an early age and had honed their craft over many years. 

This July/August, 32 of the finest spoken word artists from across the country will gather to joust over three entertainment-packed days for the Joe Lynch Memorial Cup, a golden chalice brimming with glory and riches—2500 dollar-coins of the realm.

Nick and Archie also chose to hold a Charity Gala Showcase to raise funds for the little palliative care unit of the Maleny Hospital, so the good citizens of Maleny and their visitors could contribute to the well-being of the local community. There will be tales, tall and true, music to galvanise the heart and soul, and THERE WILL BE DANCING. Joe would have loved that, and his spirit will imbue the merriment of the evening.

Generous donors have made this festival possible—Founding Partner Hempscape, Major Partners Mountain View Café and Maleny & Hinterland Real Estate, Festival Sponsor Maleny Musical Festival, and Community Backers Tranquil Getaways and Maleny Hotel. Many thanks for their generosity and support for this community celebration. 

Festival passes for all nine events can be purchased online, or for separate events, and tickets can also be purchased at Maleny Lane for the Friday night GOODFEST Poetry Slam, and at the Maleny Community Centre throughout the weekend. 

Every event will be unique, with no repetition of material, so a Festival Pass offers 14 hours of heady, heart-felt entertainment for only $80. Early-bird Festival Passes are limited so calm haste is advised.

The GOODFEST escapade begin on Friday night, July 31 at Maleny Lane, and careers across the August 1-2 weekend to its magnificent climax on Sunday night at 6pm, where the inaugural Joe Lynch Memorial Cup winner will be crowned by Joe’s great love and muse, Ricky Lynch. 

Visit goodfest.com.au for details and tickets, or scan the QR code on page 17 of this issue of your HT