IT was a dark winter night in Bundanoon, but the streets were aglow for the annual Winterfest street party.
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The 10-day festival got underway Friday night with large crowds flocking to the streets of the picturesque town to warm up by firelight.
Winterfest convenor Lisa Stuart said she was very happy with the turn-out for the event.
"The weather was perfect, it was actually quite warm. It was such a good night."
Ms Stuart said there were many popular attractions, particularly the bungee-style trampolines.
"They were really popular, there was a big queue on that the whole night," she said.
"We also drew our raffle and a Bundanoon woman won 150 bottles of wine that were donated by Southern Highland Wines to celebrate 150 years of Bundanoon."
Feedback had been rolling in over the weekend since the first night of the festival, which Ms Stuart said had been positive.
"I was walking down the street on Saturday and kept being stopped by locals who all wanted to tell me how much they enjoyed it," she said.
"Everyone has said that this was the best Winterfest yet."
Ms Stuart was surprised by the level of support from community members who, she said, didn't just attend but really contributed in their own ways.
"One member of the community brought his own brazier along and got that going, and the pre-schoolers all made pom-poms and hung them from the trees down the street, so that was unexpected."
Ms Stuart said it wasn't just feedback from the community that had her so impressed with the way this year's festival had come together.
"One of the comments that I really liked was from some of the food vendors," she said.
"They said everyone was so friendly, they all want to come back next year because it's such a good gig, there's such a strong sense of community, and it's just packed."
To see almost a year's worth of hard work and effort pay off can be an emotional experience, and that was the case for Ms Stuart.
"When I stand in the dark and see the street all lit up, I get quite teary," she said. "It's such a good feeling to see it all come together."
Winterfest's opening weekend included an RSPCA dog walk with more than 100 people and 50 to 60 dogs; another fundraiser of knitted beanies and tea cosies made about $670 for gardens at Warrigal Care.
See the Winterfest program at www.bundanoon.nsw.au/winterfest
