By Mrs Eleanor Bleeser, Radford Parents & Friends Association President

When you try to describe the Radford Twilight Fete to people who have never attended, the only thing you can really say is that it’s a fete like no other. And 2023 was no exception.

Preparations for the Fete start 12 months in advance, with meticulous planning by our volunteer Fete Convenor Mrs Mari Kirkpatrick and College Administrator - Fundraising and Events Mrs Monique Glavonjic.

Careful consideration goes into all aspects of the Fete so that there is entertainment for everyone to enjoy. This year's offerings included rides, curated stalls and special musical and dance performances throughout the day.

Sadly, the one thing that our dedicated event planners cannot control is the weather, which turned out to be dry but remarkably chilly this year. Despite this, Radford College community members showed up on Saturday, 4 November, ready to have fun - and we thank everyone for attending this year.

One plus was that the cooler weather seemed to make the hot foods even more enjoyable. Delicious woodfired pizzas, classic BBQ offerings, and (responsibly served) glasses of red wine were very popular among attendees. A scientific hypothesis was also confirmed on Saturday - specifically that children enjoy ice cream and fairy floss regardless of outside temperatures.

Heading to the inside attractions, we were lucky to have several amazing stall convenors who return year-after-year to deliver quintessential Radford Fete attractions, such as the white elephant, second-hand clothing and Sweet and Sticky stalls.

Unfortunately, Sideshow Alley had to be cancelled at the last minute this year due to illnesses - a reminder that COVID-19 is still impacting Canberra life, and we don’t take these big community events for granted like we once might have.

Finally, it’s important to mention that the transformation of the school into a festive Fete would not be possible without the hard work of parent and community volunteers, including hardworking Service-Learning students. The P&F appreciates everyone who donated their time in the lead up to the Fete, as well as the many volunteers who helped out on the day. A very special shout out goes to the Radford facilities team, which not only worked hard on the Fete set-up, but also stayed with the P&F late into Saturday night to pack away all the equipment, ensuring that the school was ready for the important business of learning on Monday morning.

We also want to thank all our sponsors - the raffle was a big hit and wouldn’t have been possible without Supersmile Orthodontics, Artemis Partners (management consulting firm), Kumon Florey, Heartstory Photography, National Zoo & Aquarium, Murrumbateman Chocolate Co, Sweet Pea & Poppy, Questacon, National Dinosaur Museum, Bastion Property Group, Ainslie IGA and Qote.

If you attended the Fete and would like to provide feedback to improve future events, please complete the feedback form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fete2023feedback.

Raffle winners

Congratulations to all our raffle winners who were announced at the Fete.

Congratulations to all our winners and many thanks to our supporters who provided the wonderful prizes up for grabs this year!