The Yorkey's Knob Residents Association Inc. has been holding the Festival of the Knob on the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June since 2005.
The festival came into being because on 30 November 2004, a motion was passed at the Association’s monthly meeting to lodge an appeal No. 457 of 2004 with the Planning and Environment Court in Cairns against the Cairns City Council and the Toma Group Pty. Ltd. We are pleased to say that the appeal was successful, but after counting our donations against the final outstanding bills, we still owed money.
What should we do to pay off our debt, and start up a memorial fund to be built in commemoration of George "Yorkey" Lawson? Have a Festival, of course!
Our Festivals have been so successful, that the Association continues to hold these events annually. The Festival sub-committee usually starts organising things during March/April each year.
Volunteers are essential to the smooth running of the Festival and we urge anyone who would like to get involved to contact Yorkey's Knob Residents Association by email at residents@yorkeysknob.com.
The Festival of the Knob is held at our Community Centre in Wattle Street, in beautiful grounds that are well shaded with plenty of room for live music and entertainers, jumping castles, giant slides, wandering clowns and a special kid’s swing set up by the SES.
There is always a great variety of stalls including arts and crafts, massage, plants, books and second hand clothes. A variety of food and drinks are on sale. Monster raffles now form part of the attraction to our Festivals, as do our historic displays.
The rare feature of these Festivals, is that every business in Yorkey’s Knob supports this local event by donating prizes, lollies, chips and drinks. An actor who portrays “Yorkey” is driven around the grounds in the back of an SES dinghy and throws lollies to the children. This is a great draw card for children of all ages.
Each year, the residents nominate the King and Queen of the Knob. The unusual feature of their crowns is they are covered in wooden door knobs and surrounded by shells. Pat Morrish from the ABC has opened our Festivals since they began, and being a local resident of Yorkey’s Knob, we hope she will continue to do so for many years to come.
The Festival of the Knob now forms part of our community’s yearly events, and as numbers grow each year, it is becoming a positive event throughout Cairns and its districts, bringing many visitors into Yorkey's Knob to enjoy our idyllic beach side living and to celebrate with the locals on this special June weekend.
Don’t forget, to become involved either as a volunteer or as a stall holder contact residents@yorkeysknob.com.
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