Bundarra is preparing to open its gates and gardens to the wider community, with the Bundarra Garden Festival returning on the weekend of November 8 and 9, 2025.
The charity event, now in its third year, is run by a small group of local volunteers with the support of the Rotary Club of Uralla, who provide insurance to allow the festival to go ahead. Despite its modest beginnings, the festival has already raised between $6000 and $7000 in previous years, with funds going to the Inverell Breast Cancer Support Group.
Organiser Amy Layton said the festival had become both a celebration of Bundarra’s community spirit and a way of making a real difference.
“Our chosen charity supports our local Bundarra men, women and children suffering from any type of cancer of which there are, and have been, many,” Ms Layton said.
This year, the organisers hope to increase attendance beyond the 300 visitors who passed through each day in earlier festivals, drawing support from across New England and further afield.
Six gardens will be open for visitors, including Fairview, Box Moor, Abingdale, Bundarra Preschool, Among the Willows, and Sandown. Each garden will showcase the individuality of its owners, who this year include members of the organising committee facing their own health challenges. One current garden owner is undergoing breast cancer treatment, while another lives with paraplegia.
“It makes the fundraising effort all the more personal,” Ms Layton said.
Alongside the garden entries, smaller fundraising activities will contribute to other causes close to the community’s heart, including Perry Cross Spinal Research and the Melanoma Institute of Australia. Local groups also benefit, with the CWA Café, Rotary BBQ, and Bundarra Preschool stalls raising their own funds.
The 2025 event is expanding to include street markets in Court Street, between the Commercial Hotel and the Bottle Museum. Visitors can expect food, plant sales, crafts, and a lively village atmosphere.
Community art projects are also taking shape. The Lions picnic area opposite the General Store will host a new “kindness rock garden” where people can leave, swap, or collect hand-painted rocks. A “rock snake” is also being created by Bundarra Preschool children, who are painting rocks to form what could become a colourful and ever-growing garden feature.
Murals are now brightening the town thanks to the festival’s efforts, with artwork at the preschool, the Commercial Hotel and the General Store. The organisers hope to eventually see Bundarra recognised as a mural town, adding to its appeal for visitors on road trips.
The Bundarra Garden Festival is not just about gardens, but about bringing people back to town. Events are planned throughout the weekend, including a band and dinner at the Sport and Recreation Club on the Friday night, and plenty of hospitality at the Commercial Hotel and General Store.
Local bed and breakfasts are expecting a boost, with the festival encouraging visitors to make a weekend of it and explore the area.
“It really injects life into our village and puts Bundarra on the map,” Ms Layton said.
“We hope the New England will come out and support us again, for a very worthy cause and a wonderful weekend out with friends and family.”
The Bundarra Garden Festival runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm on November 8 and 9, with entry $20 for all gardens or $5 per garden. Children under 18 are free.
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