Lithgow Ironfest

Re-enactment troupe preparing for hand-to-hand battle

We loved Ironfest!  There was so much to look at - the jousting in centre ring, very neat street performers, many costumed people, hand-to-hand combat displays, battle of Lithgow enactment, wood-chopping and lots more.  In the various halls and tents were belly-dancing and some very clever iron (and other) craft.

http://www.ironfest.net/ 

Although we bought a three-day pass and didn't manage a third visit on Monday, we still felt we had well and truly gained our money's worth.  Of course, if we had made the Monday visit I am sure we would have still found new things to see.

We arrived on Friday around 3pm and set up fairly quickly.  Our tea had been cooking en route in the thermal cooker, which was very civilised!  Nothing flash, just spaghetti bolognaise but very much appreciated after setting up.  We did a bit of shopping that night and bought bits for Saturday.  Saturday's tea was chucked in the thermal cooker again before heading out that morning.  It was so nice to come "home" and do minimal cooking after playing all day.

It was a lovely trip.  The weather was better (for the most part) than previous visits and we were generally much better prepared, so I found much to like about Lithgow and the surrounding areas.  There were lots of autumn leaves as we drove out there - and a few different varieties in the place we stayed.

I was very pleased we had bought the thermal underwear though!  On our last night the temperature was 14 degrees inside the tent at bedtime, 5 degrees at 5am and a very frigid 3 degrees by 7:30am!