Grafton has celebrated its jacaranda trees since 1934 and although the festival is not going ahead in this year of cancellations, there’s no doubt ‘Jacaranda Season’ will still happen. The trees will bloom; in fact, the early adopters are already doing so.
Jacaranda Season is being promoted by Council’s Community and Industry Engagement team under Council’s tourism brand, My Clarence Valley. We recognise the much needed boost that visitors provide to Grafton and the wider Clarence during the flowering season.
Elizabeth Fairweather, Council’s Coordinator Community and Industry Engagement, explained that the tourism team reached out to Grafton accommodation businesses after the Jacaranda Festival announced its cancellation.
“It was devastating to hear that 80 – 90% of their bookings had been cancelled.”
“It’s not just accommodation businesses; the lack of visitors has a flow on to other Clarence Valley businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry – an industry already hard hit by COVID-19 restrictions, bushfires and drought.”
Ashley Lindsay, Council’s General Manager said the campaign to promote Jacaranda Season reminds people about being COVID safe.
“It is primarily a digital campaign, directed at people from New South Wales and so far, it has been received well with plenty of engagement on social media.”
“We hope that translates into visitors coming for a night or two or four, to see this wonder of nature and enjoy the country hospitality of Grafton and surrounds”.
“Our Environmental Health team have also been out and about working with businesses to ensure they have their COVID safe plans in place.”
“And we would encourage the community to get out and enjoy the spectacle that is the Jacaranda Season – celebrating jacaranda blossoms is a part of who we are.”
“In this time of total disruption the certainty and beauty of the jacaranda flowering season is a pleasant distraction from what has been a year full of turmoil and restrictions,” Mr Lindsay added.
Grafton’s Jacaranda trees usually bloom from mid-October for around 4 weeks, depending on the weather.