The Blue Mountains will host a Festival of Resilience throughout October to celebrate and showcase local solutions to the climate crisis, bushfire recovery and related economic challenges.
And organisers are calling for the community to add their own events that could be included in the month-long calendar.
The festival will include events that recruit local innovators to demonstrate their approaches to energy, waste, food and more. There will also be a focus on events that promote community connection and resilience.
Residents, schools, community organisations, village associations, businesses, the council - everyone is to be included, said event spokeswoman Susanne Rix.
Ms Rix is best known for creating the Edible Garden Trail in the Mountains.
"There will be a variety of events right across the Mountains: large events, small events, home events, public events, free events and paid events.
"The goal is a festival that connects and inspires our community to become more sustainable and resilient together. This is an opportunity to highlight the people, businesses and communities that are creatively adapting to live and work sustainably for the benefit of the environment and future generations," she said.
The festival runs over the month of October and organisers welcome expressions of interest from the community in the promotion of local music, arts, dance, produce and trades and any initiative that promotes community connection and resilience.
October is a busy month for Blue Mountains festivals - and the Festival of Resilience has been collaborating with arts and cultural festivals to include them in the festival calendar.
The event is a partnership with Blue Mountains City Council with seed funding provided through the NSW government Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Event highlights:
- The opening ceremony is on September 25. This is a ticketed event at The Edge cinema with smoking ceremony, Welcome to Country, Indigenous dance, art exhibition, keynote speaker, panel, art projection.
- Lively in the Neighbourhood is on October 1-4- promoting a weekend of stay local, meet the neighbours, organise a picnic in the park, street parties and swap meets (it's a long weekend, so an appropriate time to leave the highways to the visitors.)
- The Edible Garden Trail - October 16-17. Now in its 4th year, there will be up to 50 gardens open to visitors.
- Eco Homes Tour - An opportunity to visit sustainable and passive solar homes in the Mountains.
- Talks and Workshops weekend October 22, 23 and 24 - resilience inspired events including panel discussions, workshops, music and community activities at Lawson.
- Community Day/Bushfire Building Expo - October 30 - Expo at Katoomba Leisure centre, community days at all five council leisure centres.
To be included in the festival, or learn more, go to www.resilientbluemountains.org. Resilient Blue Mountains launched in October 2020.