A grassroots music extravaganza for folk lovers and families alike is almost ready to bloom.
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The first Bended Knee Music Festival will take over Buninyong on March 29 and 30, with music stages, market stalls and the town's diverse foodie scene on display.
According to organisers the town's name is derived from the Aboriginal word 'Buninyouang', which when translated means 'man lying on his back with his knees in the air', a reference to the shape of Mount Buninyong.
The idea for Bended Knee started as a simple conversation between musicians about how suited Buninyong is to hosting a music festival, the Port Fairy Folk Festival.
"There's a lot of talent locally," he said. "Traditional music has a habit of flying under the radar.
"We've catered for everybody. If you like your folk music more up the rock end of the spectrum, we've catered for that too.
"But there's also some chances to learn some skills - if someone has always wanted to play the fiddle or the banjo, they can do a workshop."
A bushdance with music from the Peter Anderson and Men o' the Hill will take place next Friday night at the Buninyong Town Hall, with tickets limited.
Festival committee member Lisa Cressey said putting Bended Knee together was an "enormous amount of work", and monetary grants had ensured the festival could go ahead.
After more than eight months of planning, the town will be filled with music from performers Shane Gilbert, Arkie T Williams, Paige and the Vinleys, Blue Limit and Geoff Jones.
Luthier Ray Black will show off handmade banjos and mandolins in town hall, in a makers display.
Wathaurung man Barry Gilson will open the festival on the main stage in the Uniting Church. Having performed at Golden Plains in Meredith this year, and in front of Sir Bob Geldof, he said wanted to share the Aboriginal "voice and language through song", representing the "spiritual component of Buninyong".
"It's part of my country here, being a Whathaurung man," Mr Gilson said of the town where the Bended Kee festival will take place.
"I just wanted to tell people the hidden stories about the place ... I put a lot into my singing."
Mr Scuffins said it was "absolutely essential" to incorporate the Aboriginal community into their festival's celebrations.
"It's just a matter of paying respect to the traditional owners of this land and that ancient culture," he said.
Tickets $30, concession $20, children under 12 free. Visit buninyongfestival.com.au for more information.
