Maclean Bowling Club is excited to welcome back the Cane Harvest Festival this weekend, a cherished community event that has been revived to mark the 100th anniversary of the Clarence Canegrowers Association.

As a major sponsor of the festival, the Club has strong ties to the sugar cane industry and the Cane Harvest festival. 

The Club’s first green was built by canecutters, lawn bowls featured on the festival’s first official program in 1974, and the Cane Harvest Queen coronations were held at the Club. 

A cane stalk is the main feature of the Club’s logo and cane is a part of the men’s bowls uniforms. 

Some of the Club’s earliest bowling members were canegrowers or cutters and over the years, many have gone on to serve as directors of the Club’s board helping to shape the future direction of the Maclean Bowling Club.

Club Director John Nilon, a former cane truck driver for 14 seasons, fondly remembers some of the Club’s late former presidents’ Lex Essex and Don Ensbey.

“Lex Essex, a canecutter and derrickman, helped organise a very successful bowls day reunion in 2002 with 80 canecutters coming to the Club,” Mr Nilon said.

“Donny Ensbey was a canegrower who never missed a Cane Harvest bowls day.

“He would be absolutely thrilled to know that the Club’s continued the tradition of camaraderie supporting the revival of the festival for the community.”

The Cane Harvest Festival will come to life Saturday, April 12.

The float parade starts at midday in Maclean’s River Street finishing at Cameron Park near the Club’s carpark.

Cameron Park gates open at 1pm with kids’ activities, market stalls, food vans and music.