People come and stay and use the accommodation and frequent all the other cafes and shops there are here.
- - Bronwen Redgate
Dungog saw an influx of visitors in town over the weekend to attend the Knitter's Picnic and Yarn with the CWA events.
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Hive and Gobbler hosted the Knitter's Picnic which featured live music and stalls across three days.
Right next door the Dungog and Clarence Town Country Women's Association held the Yarn with the CWA, allowing their members to sell knick knacks and handicrafts.
Bronwen Redgate, owner and manager of the Hive and Gobbler, said she is hoping that the uptick in visitors will help out all the businesses in town.
"It's an opportunity for the town to also benefit," Mrs Redgate said.
"People come and stay and use the accommodation and frequent all the other cafes and shops there are here."
The Knitter's Picnic featured many small stalls to buy knitting related knick knacks from on Friday, as well as live music performed by Meagan Jane.
On Saturday, the event took a more hands on turn with a focus on knitting and other arts related workshops, as well as more live music.
The Dungog and Clarence Town CWA got in on the action as well with the Yarn with the CWA.
The Yarn with the CWA is a way of the CWA to give back to the community and its members, according to the president of Dungog and Clarence Town CWA Julie Fitzgerald.
"It's just a lovely opportunity for us to do community outreach, for the community to come in and ask the CWA about their quilting or their crochet," Ms Fitzgerald said.
Wet weather on Friday did nothing to deter both events. By Saturday, much of the wet weather had cleared up and the festivities continued.
By the end of the weekend, the Knitter's Picnic drew in over 300 people on Friday and Saturday, however noticeably less people were present on the Sunday, according to the event organiser at Hive and Gobbler, Michelle Dado-Millynn.
"Well over 300 had purchased ether daily or weekend passes as well as those that came and popped in on one of the days. Friday Market day had lots of people walking in and out," Ms Dado-Millynn said.
The event blew the previous years out of the water, with previous picnics during COVID only bringing in approximately 250 people over the entire weekend, according to Mrs Redgate.