The 2025 Rochester Mural Festival officially launched on Saturday, March 29, with its inaugural opening dinner.
There was nary a spare seat in sight as over 60 guests, including the eight artists, gathered at the 4R’s for a two-course dinner and prizes.
This year's artists include Marco Pennacchia, Christina Rankin, Chris Duffy, Kerry Nicholson, Isabelle Kawai Vincent, Kristina Greenwood, Steve Monk and Gren Freeman.
The successful finalists came from towns and cities near and far, including Bendigo, Albury, Tasmania, Toowoomba, Melbourne, Echuca and Rochester.
After dinner, artists revealed their mural designs which were created with the theme of ‘Life, Love, Music’ in mind.
Guests also had the chance to win one of the many raffle prizes, which were donated by 12 local businesses and community members.
The event marked the beginning of an intense week of mural marking for the artists, as they began their murals on Sunday.
The artists will be working on their projects daily from 8am to 5pm at the Mural Park along the Northern Hwy, Rochester, until Friday, April 4.
As they work, festival-goers are welcome to interact with the artists or watch the murals come to life while enjoying a Devonshire tea.