Walcha is opening its arms and shop doors to visitors for its first seasonal Sunday trading day on 20 October.
From 10am to 2pm, shops, attractions and cafes that might normally be closed on a Sunday will open to encourage visitors to stop, shop and play.
Fiona Barden from the Walcha Business Networking Group said the Sunday Welcomes @ Walcha initiative had been welcomed by the business community, with all of the boutique shopping experiences opening on the day.
“To my knowledge, this has not been done before in Walcha,” Mrs Barden said.
“The majority of our businesses are participating and in terms of the public, we have had a really, really good response. Local people are very excited.”
Sunday Welcomes @ Walcha has the support of Arts North West and includes an Artists’ Trail. Visitors to Walcha can pick up an Artists’ Trail map at participating shops, cafes and the Walcha Visitor Information Centre.
The map will show artists’ home studios that are open to visitors on 20 October.
The Walcha Gallery of Art will also be open, alongside shops that feature local arts and crafts, antiques, clothing, gifts and collectables and about 10 local restaurants and cafes.
Mrs Barden said the Sunday Welcomes @ Walcha would be held seasonally. The October event is a Spring Celebration, which will be followed later by a Summer Showcase and an Autumn and Winter event.
She said if the events prove successful, Sunday Welcomes @ Walcha could become a monthly fixture in Walcha, with significant benefits for the town.
“The Sunday trading will allow our businesses to understand the value of potentially being open on a weekend,” Mrs Barden said.
“Walcha has a lot of things to do on a weekend, but visitors are sometimes put off when shops aren’t open. Having the shops open will encourage people to come and they will see there are other things to do in Walcha.”
To find out more about Sunday Welcomes @ Walcha, visit the Walcha Tourism page on Facebook, or visit https://walchansw.com.au/whats-on/
Top image: Walcha’s main street will open to Sunday trading on 20 October. Image: Fiona Barden.
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