PLANNING for parades as part of the 150th Bendigo Easter Fair is going "full steam ahead", the city's tourism and major events manager says.
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It comes despite a 12-month hiatus for Ballarat's Begonia Festival Parade, whose organisers cited concerns about concentrated crowds.
Thousands of people typically flock to the Begonia Parade, which had been scheduled for March.
Parades are among the highlights of Bendigo's Easter festivities. About 80,000 people lined the route of the historic Bendigo Advertiser gala parade in 2019 to welcome the city's newest imperial dragon.
The torchlight parade also draws a crowd each year.
City of Greater Bendigo tourism and major events manager Terry Karamaloudis said both the gala and torchlight parades were part of the COVID-safe plan being prepared for the Bendigo Easter Fair.
"We've got email correspondence from nearly all of the parade entrants from 2019 and about 80-odd per cent have indicated they will absolutely participate in a parade in 2021 if we're allowed to run it as part of the state government's COVID-safe operating instructions for events," Mr Karamaloudis said.
"Until we're told otherwise, that's exactly what we're aiming for."
The plan will be subject to the state government's approval.
The Bendigo Easter Fair is set to make a comeback on April 2, having been among the long list of events postponed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Karamaloudis said the city was determined to present events at the Easter weekend, as best it could within the COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
"This year was beyond our control and I think everyone understands why the festival was cancelled," he said.
"It's looking a little different now."
He said plans for Easter in Bendigo rested on the state continuing with the current level of community transmission of the virus.
Victoria is going into Christmas with a 55-day streak of zero community transmissions.
There are 10 active cases of COVID-19 statewide, nine of which are in hotel quarantine. A 15-year-old girl is isolating at home after contracting the virus in New South Wales.
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Emma D'Agostino
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
Covering general news and Bendigo council.
