Head to the Upper Hunter for the long weekend and experience country life and the running of sheep. Merriwa’s Festival of the Fleeces runs annually on the June long weekend and in 2023, it runs from Friday 9 June to Sunday 11 June with lots of activities on Saturday. For 30 years, the festival has proudly celebrated the rich history of agriculture and sheep farming in Merriwa.
Originally held at the historical Brindley Park wool shed, the Festival is now held in the Main Street of Merriwa and the Showground and features the Grand Parade, led by the famous Running of the Sheep, held on Saturday 10 June at noon.
The festival is a fun family-friendly event with markets stalls, street entertainers, dog high jump, working sheep dog demonstrations, shearing demonstrations, fireworks and more.
The event starts on Friday night with an opening night event at the Merriwa Sports Club and continues until Sunday morning’s Bush Poet’s Breakfast and Workshop.
Saturday Events (Main Street – Merriwa)
- Street fair and stalls 8am-3pm
- Free rides for the kids
- Face Painting
- Street entertainers
- Sheep dog demonstrations from 10am
- Merriwa Gallery open from 10am-3pm
- Fairy La La Land Shows at 10am & 2pm
- Snake Tails Show by Australian Reptile Park at 10.30am, 12.45pm and 2pm
- Grand Parade and Running of the sheep at 12 noon
- City of Maitland Pipes and Drums from 12 noon onwards
- Dog High Jump at 1pm
- Penny’s Ponies and Pets
- Shearing demonstrations
- Ask a Shearer a Question
- Window displays
Saturday Events (From 3pm, the festivities move to the Merriwa Showground)
- Fairy La La Land Show at 4pm
- Sheep Dog Competition
- Team Penning
- Food and drinks
- Showground bar from 4pm-10pm
- Live entertainment with Jimbo Stokes on the Saturday night
- Fireworks at 7pm
For more information, visit the 2023 Festival of the Fleeces website.
While you’re in the Merriwa area, check out what else can you see in our article about the Merriwa and Denman area. It’s a great opportunity to show the kids country vistas, talk about mining and agriculture, and stop in some unique places along the way.
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