After COVID cancelled this part year’s celebrations, the Aberfeldy Hogmanay Party is back and is looking for support from the community to make it happen.
Perthshire Light and Sound is helping to organise the event which has permission from the Council to go ahead, they’re hoping their Go Fund Me campaign can meet the gap in finances to make it happen.
A senior organiser of the event explained: “We did apply for all the permits and licences early September this year with a small light of the event actually being able to go ahead since then it has been absolutely manic as a business with events opening up. So, Hogmanay got put on the back burner till we had more clarity on open-air events going forward.
“We did, however, get the permission through in late November, so since then it has been absolutely flat out to pull together an event in four weeks, which normally takes four to six months to plan.”
To make everything happen, Perthshire Light and Sound is offering their tools and skills, but it will take the fundraising efforts of the public to make up the shortfall for this non-ticketed event.
Perthshire Sound and Light’s organiser added: “As the costs involved are extensive to run these events, Perthshire Sound and Light hire are again this year donating the stage, sound and light production at a cost of around £9,000.
“Usually, we go round all the local businesses asking for sponsorship to the event, but with the event looming, and with a very busy schedule, we felt we just didn’t have time to do this.”
“We have so far had a great response from the crowd fund to date, but the short fall of the full event is still around £10,000 we hope this will reach its target by the 31st December.
“As the looming short fall does lie with the event organiser and Perthshire sound and light. Unfortunately, with such a hit during Covid this is just something we can’t do.”
This is the first festival since the pandemic which means it will also be the first festival where the team will be implementing safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID.
The organiser said: “We have taking in all the guidance the government has to offer on outdoor events.
“We are working closely with PKC and the environmental team along with NHS Tayide and Police Scotland to keep up to date with the ever-changing situation.”
The Hogmanay has been picking up momentum in the town over the past years and this year the team are looking to celebrate being back.
“For the last 7 years local business Perthshire sound and light hire took on the mammoth task or running and organising the local street party providing all the technical aspect of the event from stage, sound, lighting, bars, generators, and event management.
“The main aspect of the event was to bring people into the town on a usually quite time of year for local businesses, Hotels, restaurants and bars alike.
“Since the launch of the Hogmanay festival local Business have seen an increase year by year of an influx to the local area with hotels and B&B’s getting fully booked sometimes even repeat booking straight after the last event.
“As a local company we are delighted at the response from local business and the public who travel all over Scotland to attend.”
More information on the Go Fund Me campaign can be found on: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jzmar-aberfeldy-hogmanay-festival?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1