THE Rainbow Serpent Festival looks set to return next year.
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Pyrenees Shire Mayor Michael O’Connor said he saw “no reason” why the festival should not make a comeback in 2014.
Cr O’Connor said he visited the festival at Lexton for several hours at the weekend and said party-goers were well behaved.
“I’m told there was just under 13,000 people, which I think was a bit down on what they were hoping for, but still a great crowd,” he said.
“The type of crowd was a bit different too – they did a straw-poll and the vast majority said they were at Rainbow for the first time.”
Cr O’Connor said the economic impact to the shire would be hard to gauge, but said there was a boost to businesses in towns such as Beaufort and Lexton over the weekend.
“The people there do bring a lot of their own things, but they were also spending money across the shire,” he said.
“From a council perspective, we think it all went fairly well.”
On Sunday night, a 36-year-old Carlton North man and a 33-year-old Kew east man were charged with drug-related offences.
Police allege the men were intercepted in Jack Smith Lane, Lexton, with drugs and cash. They were bailed to appear at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on March 4.
Cr O’Connor said he was also aware of four people transported to hospital, including one with a dislocated shoulder and one for substance-related issues.
“It was sad to hear that at least one person was affected by drugs,” he said.
“But the police have told us they were happy with the crowds behaviour overall.”
Rainbow Serpent Festival bills itself as “one of Australia’s premier outdoor alternative lifestyle, music and arts festivals”.
Organisers of the festival were unavailable for comment yesterday.
jordan.oliver@fairfaxmedia.com.au