THE talents of Latrobe Valley’s creative community were on display at a spring festival, celebrating sustainability and design in Morwell on Friday night.
More than 50 market stalls selling local craft and food, as well community displays, were clustered in Commercial Road and Tarwin Street as part of RMIT’s ReActivate: Latrobe Valley initiative.
Hundreds perused through the wares, from candles to cacti, purchasing a Christmas present or two, and sampling local produce.
Performances by local musicians added to the atmosphere, as the community came together.
Stall holder Sarah Mangion said the event was good for Morwell and Latrobe Valley.
“This street is usually dead at this time of evening and it’s really good to see it thriving,” Ms Mangion said.
Shopper Sarah Barklay said the market was a great opportunity for some Christmas shopping and she had discovered many “trinkets”.
This was the second market organised by RMIT’s Office of Urban Transformation, whose project aims to aid Latrobe Valley’s transition to a low carbon economy through creative and sustainable practices.
Event organiser and Urban Transformation Associate Professor Rosalea Monacella said she hoped to build on the success of the first two markets and hand over ownership to the community, who would then hold them seasonally.
“If something is going to change it has to come from the community, so we will finalise the model and then hand it to the people,” Associate Professor Monacella said.
“But this isn’t just for Morwell it’s for Latrobe Valley. We hope to find something unique to celebrate through in each of the towns.
“We’re really happy with how it’s going. We’re discovering a rich array of creative and innovative things going on here.”
