Out-of-control nannies running wild, chimney sweeps kicking up their heels in the streets, spoonfuls of sugar for all — the Mary Poppins Festival is back.
The historic city of Maryborough, in south-east Queensland, is the birthplace of Mary Poppins creator Pamela Lyndon Travers, known as P. L. Travers.
Each year the city honours the author and her much-loved character with a four-day celebration of arts and culture.
The festival, which is usually held in July, was cancelled last year due to the pandemic and was delayed this year due to a recent COVID outbreak in Brisbane.
But, starting from tomorrow, the magic of Mary Poppins will once again twinkle over Maryborough as a more streamlined event gets underway, with extra safety measures in place to protect visitors to the city.
Event manager McKenzie Corbett from Fraser Coast Tourism and Events believes the festival will provide a much needed splash of joy for the community.
"You are still going to see a lot of your favourites like your Nanny Race and the Chimney Sweep Challenge and the Grand Parade.
"It's still got the elements you look for in the Mary Poppins Festival."
Turn a day in the park into a long weekend
The main day of the event is the Day in the Park which transforms the city into a giant cultural theme park, with locals dressing in character.
A former bank — that was the birthplace of P. L. Travers — was recently converted into a multimedia museum and will hold activities as part of the festival.
Ms Corbett said she hoped festival-goers would extend their stay in the city to explore Maryborough's other attractions.
"There is so much to do — we've got mural trails, the Military Walk, the military museum, and the Open Gardens."
And while Ms Corbett admits hosting event during a global pandemic has been challenging, she says it has also helped the organisers to adapt and develop creative strategies.
"It's been a great learning curve for all of us," she said.
"We have been able to explore things we have never explored before."
That sounds exactly like the sort of adventurous spirit Mary Poppins would approve of.
