Narrandera Spring Fair brought community together for a fantastic evening of fun, entertainment and celebration last Saturday with a highly successful event enjoyed by young and old. The fair created a vibrant atmosphere, with local businesses, entertainers, market stall and food and drink vendors all coming together to offer something for everyone. Locals and visitors were able to enjoy the lively surroundings, catch up with family and friends, browse the stalls and take part in the fun throughout the evening. An event of this size and success does not happen without a great deal of work behind the scenes. The Spring Fair was made possible through the generous support of sponsors and the tremendous effort, commitment and enthusiasm of the volunteering organising committee of Leanne Ivanoff, Cath Eldridge, Josie Marks, Sue Ruffles, Annie Sutcliffe-Young and Brenda Hartmire from Narrandera Shire Council. Their planning, time and dedication helped bring the fair to life and provide a memorable time for our community. A heartfelt thank you also goes to the many volunteers who gave their time and energy to assist before, during and after the fair. Their willingness to lend a hand and support the organising committee was invaluable and is a wonderful example of community spirit that makes Narrandera such a great place to live. The organisers would also like to acknowledge and thank the local businesses that got involved and supported the fair, along with the entertainers who kept the atmosphere lively, and the Market, food and drink stallholders who were managed by Kate Jolly from The Country Maker Markets. There were so many highlights of the evening. The annual barbecue challenge was one of many that drew the crowds and cheers from the audience gathered around. Tantalising aroma of spices and sizzling meats drifted along the streets. This year the competitors were given complete freedom to decide what they cooked on their barbecues, and it was a treat for the crowd to watch their originality, creativity and individual flair on show. Cooking talents certainly shone, with the judges facing an extremely difficult task when final dishes were presented for tasting. The Narrandera East School team were the winners on the day with some very tough competition from the other five teams. A big thank you to Narrandera Gourmet Meats, Narrandera Bakery and Vinnie’s Fruitz for providing quality products. The Spring Fair was a fabulously free family event, with live entertainment and activities keeping everyone busy and creating an evening full of energy, fun and laughter. Fusion set up some great activities in the CRC Church hall as a Chill out space for anyone that felt stressed or overwhelmed. One of the standout additions to this year’s fair was the new Kids Zone in Victoria Avenue. Families flocked to the dedicated precinct, enjoying puppet shows, face painting, the petting zoo, putt-putt golf, soft play activities, giant yard games and rides on the Lions Club train. There was something special happening around every corner. People enjoyed the many and varied entertainers, tried their hand at painting with The Wild Easel, gathered around and admired wonderful cars on display thanks to Narrandera Auto Club. Others took to the streets and joined in the widely popular Dancing in the Street segment. Studio 3 School of Dance lead us off, followed by Kurrajong line dancing.. It was great to see the dance by CRC Creative Ministries. Then everyone joined in the Chicken Dance challenge. Garden lovers and creative hands were also well catered for, with TAFE NSW Narrandera’s flower arranging workshop and Springtime garden ideas alongside Narrandera Landcare, Shady Gum Nursery and special guest Mille Ross. The community garden bed activity proved extremely popular. With plants supplied by The Shady Gum Nursery, participants worked together to create garden beds that have since found new homes with local schools and community groups. The Narrandera Landcare Group’s insect pollinator hotel workshop attracted 20 enthusiastic participants. Attendees learned about the vital role pollinators play in supporting ecosystems while building their own insect hotels to take home. The activity was particularly fitting as the Spring Fair coincided with the opening day of Australian Pollinator Week. Special thanks to Glenn Currie and the Narrandera Landcare Group’s team for their significant behind-the-scenes work in prefabricating the insect hotels ahead of the event. Entertainers were great – Under the Radar, Shane Ronan, Shake Shake Theatre puppet shows, roving performers from Slack Taxi and Elemental Entertainment (who also provided us with the memorable Fire Dance finale at the end of our event. Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 Narrandera Spring fair such a memorable community event. It was a wonderful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together. To see more about the before, during and after this year’s Spring Fair, people are invited to view photos and stories on the Spring Fair Narrandera Facebook page. The organisers would also appreciate any feedback about this year’s fair as it won’t be too long before plans will start for next year’s Narrandera Spring Fair.
