Town's day to show off

THOUSANDS of people are expected to flock to the Tasmanian Midlands this weekend for the annual Heritage and Bullock Festival at Oatlands. 

The historic town will be transformed tomorrow, when the festival kicks off for its sixth festival. Wendy Young is part of the organising committee and said last year they had about 6200 people attend over the two days. 

“We have a massive festival planned again this year,” she said. “We have lots of the old, but this year we also have a sheep and wool handling competition on the Saturday. So that will be the first time we’ve had a shearing competition there.” 

The shearing and wool handling competition will get underway at 8am tomorrow and will be held at the Police Paddock.

 Other attractions will include alpacas, crafts, a vintage pram collection, leatherwork, spinners and weavers and a display featuring the Oatlands railway. 

Ms Young said the popular woodfired bread oven will once again be in action at the Commissariat site, churning out loaves to sell to visitors. 

At Callington Park there will be displays of heritage trucks along with demonstrations by a blacksmith, stone mason, working bullocks, Lion dancers and carriage rides by Almost Heaven Clydesdales. 

There will also be a wood splitting competition on Sunday, followed by an auction of the wood. 

A large collection of enamel products will also be on display. The event will run from 10am4pm tomorrow and Sunday. 

The popular grand parade, including well-known local Brian Fish and his team of bullocks, will head down main street starting at 10.30am both days.