It all began with a night at the pub and the question of whether Ouyen still had the biggest Mallee root.
And while the event is set to take place tomorrow, the inaugural Mallee Root Festival has attracted plenty of attention in recent weeks.
With its double entendre name, singles from across the state have questioned whether or not the festival is an opportunity for singles to bond.
Event organiser Nathan Grayling said the confusion was great promotion for the festival.
“We wanted to come up with a way to put Ouyen on the map and find something to replace the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph,” Mr Grayling said.
“Someone jokingly said we needed more sheilas in town, but the Mallee Root Festival was what we came up with.
“So I guess the play-on words has attracted a bit more attention than what we expected.”
Mr Grayling wanted to assure people that the festival was still a family friendly event.
“It is a family event, but we’re still encouraging singles to come along because it will go until late,” he said.
It was long considered that Ouyen had the biggest Mallee root in the world, but the discovery of a root in Tooleybuc a few years ago tested the claim.
“When I found out about the other root at Tooleybuc, I knew we had to get it here,” he said.
Both the Ouyen and Tooleybuc roots will be measured on the day as part of an official Guinness Book of Records attempt.
“We’re pretty confident that Ouyen still has the biggest one,” he said.
“But measurements on the day will guarantee that.
“We’ve got all the guidelines for it to become a record, so we’re hoping it will be accepted.”
Alongside the root measuring, there will also be 30 market stalls, a magician, live music, jumping castle, face painting and the crowning of the Mallee Root King and Queen.
To read more about this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (March 24).
