Reptiles, rides, sweet and savoury treats and sustainability tips. If you’re not one of the estimated 17,000 people who visited the Lane Cove Rotary Fair and Sustainability Lane on Sunday, 13 October 2024, those buzz words sum up the experience – but do not do it justice.
The fair was divided into sections around the Lane Cove Plaza, The Canopy, and Longueville Road, showcasing rides, sustainability efforts, and stalls. There was also a petting zoo and face painting at PetO on Burns Bay Road.
Many businesses and local community groups had a stand at the fair, as community exposure is an excellent opportunity to share with residents why they are an asset to the community.
“There’s been a lot of people out today learning about our swim club and what we do. It’s been great,” President of Lane Cove Swim Club, Josh Baker, shared, standing outside the club’s stall.
“I think it’s important for many community clubs to have stalls out here. I joined the club because of the stall at the Rotary Fair.”
The NSW SES Willoughby-Lane Cove Unit, being the tactical bunch they are, reeled in the kids and used that time to educate their accompanying parents about the essential work they do in the community.
“We like to use this opportunity to set up and raise awareness of what the SES is and what we do with the general community,” an SES representative told ITC in front of their stall.
“We always have fun at these fairs, especially because we put on these activities for the kids. We have a little stormwater game here, and the kids tend to bring the adults in.”
But on the day, much-needed community groups are not the only ones on display; stallholders also set up shops to share what they have to offer in fun, delicious, and innovative ways.
Boorowa Bees Honey displayed its sweeter side by providing samples of various flavours. Its creamy honey sold out just an hour before the fair began.
While Weerora Wines, operating just a few stalls up, wasn’t withholding any of its products, providing taste tests from its diverse range.
“We just had some honey, so it was a bit dry, compared to the honey, which makes sense, but it had a lot of fruit, so it’s tasty; I’ll probably buy a bottle,” one local shared who was happily sampling up the block.
Other businesses had a more interactive approach, allowing fair-goers to really ‘try before they buy’.
Philotimo Jujitsu, located in Hunters Hill, teaches women and girls traditional Japanese Jujitsu. What better way to show people their power than by allowing them to break through a board right in front of the stall?
“The fair gets many people breaking boards and just chatting about Jujitsu. I think it’s essential for women and girls to be able to move their bodies in a way that’s really different from other sports and feel confident, capable and empowered,” A Philotimo representative said.
“Not every woman that does self-defence does it because they need to be protected. Some just want to compete. Some just want to have fun.”
Typically, a fair is about fun and relaxation, with the average person avoiding overexerting themselves with exercise. Still, business Bike and Blend goes beyond those reservations by inviting people to blend their smoothies by pedalling an exercise bike.
“It’s called Bike and Blend, and we make smoothies. It’s exactly what it looks like. We were meant to do 300 today, and we’ve done almost 500,” a Bike and Blend representative said.
“We’ve got mango smoothies and we’ve got strawberry smoothies, and they’re working hard and getting a nice drink at the end of it.”
By the way, if you would like a pedal-powered smoothie at your next event, Lane Cove local Connie Prosser has launched Sydney’s Own Pedal-Powered Smoothie business. Find out more here.
The stall was just one of the many incorporated into the fair’s Sustainability Lane, a feature that showcases sustainable living through various stalls, demonstrations, and live entertainment.
Another stall in that area was the Live Reptile Displays. People came to see a variety of venomous snakes on display, and to be honest, they stayed for the same reason. However, it was an excellent opportunity for the business to educate locals about our slithery backyard neighbours.
“We do have venomous snakes local to the Sydney area, including Red Belly blacks, Eastern brown snakes, Tiger snakes and Death Adders,” the stall’s snake wrangler shared.
“It’s crucial to educate the community and get rid of some of the old fear-mongering and the stories that people make up about snakes if they don’t know a lot about them; a lot of stories where people tell you that snakes want to chase you and want to attack you and all that sort of stuff.
“We’re very fortunate that they don’t because, honestly, if they did, we would be bitten every day of the week, going bushwalking, and we don’t have that happening.”
Just next door was the Lane Cove Bushland and Conservation Society stall, which aimed to engage locals about what’s happening with wildlife bushland natives in Lane Cove.
The group has been conserving Lane Cove’s natural landscape for decades, for 53 years to be exact, when its founders stood in front of the bulldozers to stop the construction of a golf course from destroying what is now Bushland Park.
“I think Lane Cove would never be as green as it is if it wasn’t for the Lane Cove bushland and Conservation Society,” said President Shauna Forrest.
“We need a new generation of people to come in because development is always there, and people will remove the native trees and bushland to put in inappropriate development.”
The Sydney Library of Things was also set up in Sustainability Lane, reminding locals not to buy when they can borrow some really useful things. Don’t buy an item; use it once, only for it to eventually end up in a landfill. The Sydney Library of Things is located at 47 Burns Bay Road Lane Cove (opposite Harris Farm Markets).
The Sydney Library of Things is co-located with The Lane Cove Toy Library. Volunteers from The Lane Cove Toy Library were on hand to inform people about how they can save money, help the environment, and entertain their kids with a huge variety of games, puzzles, and toys (over 1,100 toys for ages 0 to 18). Kids could try out one of the library’s popular backyard/giant games, Go Play Battle Bags. They only needed to score three points to win a prize.
The Lane Cove Men’s Shed was another popular stall in Sustainability Lane where they showcased their work and discussed the benefits of involvement in The Men’s Shed.
In the Cove was there with our famous Lane Cove Tea Towels and other Lane Cove merchandise. Our new Lane Cove Christmas and Gifts Cards were very popular with our new Lane Cove Card – You are better than Lane Cove Coffee selling out (is the ultimate compliment card as Lane Cove Coffee is SO Good).
No matter where you looked, the air was filled with sensory delights (like the famous Lane Cove Rotary Snag Sizzle and the Christmas plum puddings).
Lane Cove kids loved various rides and musical and dance performances, such as the rhythmically intoxicating Taikoz Drums. There was indeed something for everyone.
An estimated 17,000 people attended the 29th annual Lane Cove Rotary Fair. If you weren’t one of them and this article has given you an immense sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out for those not chronically online), there’s no need to fret. With this year’s success, there’s no telling what the 30th year will have in ‘stall’.
Well done to Lane Cove Rotary and the Lane Cove Council.
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