_{In partnership with the Alice Springs Beanie Festival.}

There is nothing more unique than the Red Centre’s favourite festival. More than 7000 handcrafted beanies from creators around the world descend on Alice Springs for the best fun ever. The Alice Springs Beanie Festival will be held from 23–26 June 2023 at the Araluen Arts Centre. The weekend is set to be full of delights – not only will the sheer volume of beanies entice visitors to the thrill of the chase when finding their favourite one (or two, or five, or 10!), but there will also be workshops with Indigenous artists from Central Australia. You can sit with the women and learn to make a beanie or basket, all while sharing stories about language and culture. There will also be an exciting program of textile workshops on offer over the weekend, along with live music, delicious homemade tucker, and the opportunity to vote for your favourite beanie in the National Beanie Competition and Exhibition Peoples’ Choice Award.

You can even get involved as a beanie maker – it’s so fun to see your own beanies on display and buyers loving them. But another way to get inside the workings of the festival is to volunteer. People love it and come back year upon year to meet old and new friends. There’s lots of jobs to choose from, and there are a few volunteer-only events to keep you well fed and oiled for the weekend.

For more information on how to enter beanies, volunteer, book into textile workshops and read a copy of the program, visit www.beaniefest.org.