Organisers of the Eaglehawk UFS Dispensary Canterbury Carols were forced to cancel the show after rain set in across Bendigo yesterday.
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Dahlia and Arts Festival president Dave Richards said it was disheartening.
He said it is the second time he could recall that inclement weather forced the carols to be abandoned.
“It was a difficult decision. We'd been watching the radar all weekend and were convinced it would clear up but it didn’t work out and we had to cancel,” he said.
“In my (20 years) involved with the carols it has only been washed out once before and that was three-quarters into the show.
“It really is most disappointing and so disheartening when you think of all the work that had gone into it.”
The carols’ wet weather contingent plan was to move into the Peter Krenz Leisure Centre.
But Mr Richards said it was left too late to move the stage and equipment from the park to the centre for the show to begin.
“It was impossible. I made the call that we setup (outside),” he said.
“(The carols) are an outdoor activity, we could have gone in the Krenz but I chose this way and it came undone.
“Our apologies to everybody but it was circumstances beyond our control.”
Mr Richards said the Eaglehawk carols would not be rescheduled.
“It would clash with other things, so unfortunately we have to put it down to experience,” he said.
“We thank everybody who had planned to support us, it was sure to be a big crowd.
“Planning for this began in August. It was going to be a really great night with some fantastic artists but unfortunately we had to pull plug.”
Thunderstorms kept emergency service crews on high alert with a series of lightning strikes and more than 16.4mm hitting central Victoria between 9am and 8.30pm on Sunday.
A severe weather warning forecast damaging winds and possible hail, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology at 12.53pm, was cancelled at 7.18pm.
An SES spokeswoman said Kerang SES has had the most call outs in central Victoria with four requests for help.
Castlemaine SES has been called to two incidents with no call outs for Bendigo and Marong units.
A CFA spokesman said fires in Pipers Creek, Pastoria, Carlsrhue and Glenlyon were all fires that were the result of lightning. Crews contained the four fires quickly.
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