TatFest has been a popular family event in Tatura since 2017, and the Lions Club is hopeful it will return in 2027 with renewed community support.
Due to a lack of sponsorship, the 2026 TatFest has been cancelled and will be removed from next year’s event calendar in Tatura.
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The community event has been running yearly since 2017, minus two years during COVID, and has consistently attracted more than just Tatura locals to the town.
Lions Club of Tatura secretary Malcolm Campbell said the decision was made in late October after not being able to secure enough funds to run the event.
“TatFest costs between $17,000 and $18,000 every year to run, and we rely on sponsorship of at least $13,000 to meet the expenses,” Mr Campbell said.
“In the past, we have had two gold sponsors and a number of local businesses willing to sponsor.
“At the time that we cancelled, we had only $4800 and many of the local businesses, when asked, indicated that they were unable to offer sponsorship this year.
“We were reasonably confident of one gold sponsor, but unable to secure a second.”
Unable to meet the shortfall in sponsorship, the Lions Club of Tatura had no choice but to cancel.
However, Mr Campbell said they were confident the event would return in 2027.
“We have already had feedback indicating disappointment and some suggestions of possible assistance to raise funds from different sources for TatFest 2027,” he said.
“It is a family event with things for all ages, is free, and is in a pleasant environment where children cannot wander off.
“We’d like to thank the members of the Lions Club of Tatura, those businesses who offered sponsorship for TatFest 2026, and the City of Greater Shepparton for their encouragement and support.”
TatFest 2027 planning will begin on July 1, 2026, and the event will be held on the first Sunday in March 2027.
The Lions Club of Tatura welcomes additional sponsors and any suggestions, which can be emailed to tatura@lions201V5.org.au
Tatura Lions Club secretary Malcolm Campbell says the difficult decision to cancel TatFest 2026 was made after the club was unable to secure enough sponsorship.
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