Cool salads, shaved ice and cold beverages were all the rage at the 2025 Kyabram Tastes and Tunes festival as attendees battled sweltering heat.
The hundreds who turned up at 5.30pm on Saturday, February 1 flocked to shady spots as temperatures of around 30°C persisted throughout the evening.
As the sun dipped, hundreds turned into thousands of people filling Allan St in pursuit of everything from gluten-free lasagne and mini-sliders to rice bowls and cool, shaved ice.
And as food was eaten, dance floors at the three stages filled: first with sugar-high toddlers, then adults wanting to sing along to country songs by Sam & Sam, sway to the gorgeous melodies of Indi Gilmore, or rock out to Stumbling North.
The evening drew over 4000 people from all over regional Victoria, according to Tastes and Tunes committee member Tania Chiswell.
“I think it all went great ... it was a great social night for families,” she said.
“It was like one big reunion, it took some people an hour to get from one end to the other because they kept stopping to talk with people they hadn’t seen in so long.”
While the festival atmosphere was vibrant, some attendees faced challenges due to new restrictions implemented to comply with the event’s drinking permit.
Many attendees took to social media to express their frustrations at under-agers not being allowed in, with many stuck outside the gates until a caregiver came to usher them in, or even out.
“I can understand security stopping underage (people) entering the event without an adult, but at the end of the night they wouldn’t let them leave the event without someone who was an adult,” Tracey Simmons posted on Facebook.
Ms Chiswell said a last-minute change in permits, while enabling alcohol service, unfortunately led to stricter entry and exit policies.
“It’s always been like this, where children have needed an adult to accompany them ... it’s like a pub — it’s a licensed area and kids need to be with adults.”
However, feedback overall was positive, with many on social media flooding the event’s Facebook page with love and support.
Ms Chiswell, who was on her feet for 14 and a half hours herself, thanked all committee members for their commitment since March 2024 in bringing the event to life.
The security group for the evening, Takeova Security, said this was the “biggest family-friendly event” they had worked, and the atmosphere was “a vibe”.
A dazzling fireworks display lit up the night sky, providing a spectacular finale to another successful year of Tastes and Tunes.
Journalist Jemma Jones was there on the night, tasting, tuning and taking photos of the evening’s festivities.
The Tastes and Tunes committee members are looking for new people to join the team to make this wonderful event happen again. If interested, please contact kyabramtastesandtunes@hotmail.com