The History of Snowflakes in Stanthorpe
Snowflakes in Stanthorpe Inc. is an incorporated association and committee comprising 12 members (as at 2023 festival) who coordinate the biannual Snowflakes in Stanthorpe winter festivals. As this festival grows, we think it’s important to document the festivals’ beginnings and changes over time.
2013
The Stanthorpe Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Stanthorpe Festival Committee to host a winter fundraising event for Taylah Wantling, one of the Apple & Grape Harvest Festival ambassadors. An executive committee was formed to progress the activity as an Apple & Grape fundraising promotion.
This event took place along Quart Pot Creek, near the Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre, and attracted approx. 3000 patrons, far exceeding the 300 estimate. Consequently Taylah won the crown of Fundraising Ambassador at the 2014 Apple & Grape festival.
The event was deemed a huge success and set the seed that a regular winter festival might just work.
Image caption (L-R): Lucille Jensen, Maria Heaven, Lucille Jensen and Samantha Wantling with the snowman mascots at the 2013 Snowflakes in Stanthorpe fundraising event.
Image provided by Maria Heaven
2014
The Stanthorpe Chamber of Commerce approached St Joseph’s School and the Stanthorpe Agricultural Society to assist in hosting a winter festival. Whilst unable to be run in 2014, the mechanisms were in place to seriously consider a winter festival in the near future.
2015
Stanthorpe experienced one of its largest snowfalls on Friday 17 July 2015. Eight inches of snow fell and stayed on the ground for most of the day. The New England Highway was at a standstill upon entry into Stanthorpe. Such is the fascination Queenslander’s have with snow. And of course, this reinvigorated discussions amongst key community groups about hosting a winter festival.
Image caption: Stanthorpe Showgrounds covered in snow - 17 July 2015
Image credit: Leanne Williams
the beginnings (again)
The first meeting to discuss a winter festival was held on 16 September 2015 in council chambers. It included representatives from Southern Downs Regional Council, Stanthorpe Chamber of Commerce, Stanthorpe Community Development Services, Stanthorpe Agricultural Society, potential sponsors, local business houses and other volunteers interested in becoming involved. Together we came up with seed funding, an exceutive committee and a plan to bring a winter festival to Stanthorpe.
On 18 February 2016, this hardworking committee organised a launch of the newly invigorated Snowflakes in Stanthorpe winter festival. This night doubled as a sponsorship night in an effort to draw sponsorship funds supporting the event.
Image caption: Snowflakes in Stanthorpe Inc. executive committee and volunteers at the launch of the 2016 Snowflakes in Stanthorpe winter festival
Image credit: Unknown
Image caption: 2016 Snowflakes in Stanthorpe snowfield
Image credit: Paula Boatfield
Image caption: Snowflakes in Stanthorpe committee at the event’s after party on 22 July 2016
Image credit: Glenda Reilly
2016
The festival was planned to take place on the second weekend of the June/July school holidays. The plan was to have one day of activities down Maryland St to promote local business and marketeers, one day of activities at the showgrounds and one day of activities in Rotary Park near the Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre along Quart Pot creek.
In preparation for this festival, our local vegetable growers set their ice making machines on overdrive for the month of June. The day before the festival over 350 bulk bins of ice were delivered to the showgrounds, ready to go through the snow-making machine. The team was coordinated by Brett Boatfield and this team has continued to make snow for the festival ever since.
On the 1st, 2nd & 3rd July 2016, approx. 10,000 people descended upon Stanthorpe to celebrate all things cold. The days were clear, but cold, and that’s what everyone had come for.
As a result of hosting a successful winter event, the Snowflakes in Stanthorpe committee was nominated for Prime Super Community Group of the Year Award as part of the 2016 QLD Regional Achievement Community Awards.
The 2016 Snowflakes in Stanthorpe event was also nominated for a Community Event of the Year award as part of the 2017 Australia Day celebrations. We were proud to announce that we won that one.
2017
The committee got a bit excited and tried to make this festival an annual event. Again approx. 10,000 people descended upon Stanthorpe for the 2017 Snowflakes in Stanthorpe, but it was obvious that a festival this big was going to take its toll on our small group of volunteers pretty quickly. So the committee agreed to make it a biannual festival, on the odd years, offset from the Apple & Grape Harvest Festival.
For the 2017 festival we introduced Marlay the yeti, a mascot hugely popular with the kids and sponsors. Marlay certainly got around town in the lead up to this festival and was seen at many locations including in front of murals and shop windows, at the big thermometer, in an apple packing shed and at the big apple.
Image caption: Marlay the yeti on the 2017 snowfield
Image credit: Glenda Reilly
Image caption: Sandart at the 2019 winter festival
Image credit: Paula Boatfield
2019
The 2019 festival was a bit of a rain affected event. We still got about 8,000 people over the three days of the festival, with the Friday events still well patronised and enjoyed.
Up at the showgrounds all the indoor activities were popular, especially the ice skating rink and entertainment. At this festival we introduced igloo building and kids workshops like badge making, leather stamping and sand art.
2021
Of course, like most events during this time, the 2021 festival was a COVID affected event. We were lucky to be able to host the festival at all, with Brisbane in lock down right up until the Friday of the event. As soon as the restrictions were lifted, down everyone came to Stanthorpe.
The Friday events were just as popular with our mask-wearing public and the kids still had fun. Changes up at the showgrounds included the introduction of a synthetic skating rink, in our effort to minimise water usage coming off some pretty severe drought years.
Image caption: Synthetic skating rink at the 2021 winter festival
Image credit: Paula Boatfield
Image caption: Giant snowflake and snowman on the showgrounds perimeter fence, created by Border Refrigeration
Image credit: Paula Boatfield
2023
And here we are in 2023, having just hosted our fifth Snowflakes in Stanthorpe winter festival with this current committee. We were blessed with perfect winter weather for this one, with a cold minus 3 morning that delivered a blanket of frost on cue. Patronage was estimated at approx. 12,000 with good crowds down town on the Friday and then up at the showgrounds on the Saturday and Sunday.
The committee have adopted an approach whereby we partner with approx. 20 volunteer groups from around the Granite Belt, who bring a labour force to undertake an activity. This approach has meant that the festivals are donating between $30K and $40K to community groups. This assists greatly with the groups’ fundraising efforts and integration into community events.
With continued backing from the Southern Downs Regional Council and, this year, Tourism Events Queensland, the Snowflakes in Stanthorpe winter festival has cemented itself as one of the iconic festivals on the Southern Downs.