Twilight parade to put glitter back in our annual party

The legend of Fred Fisher was made into a silent movie way back in 1924.

It was also performed as an opera and written up as a poem and numerous books.

It’s a big, big story known the world over – even before the arrival on the scene of Dr Google.

Campbelltown, where Fisher was supposed to have been murdered by his neighbour George Worrall almost 200 years ago, has been using the legend as the name for an annual festival for more than 60 years.

Add the sighting of Fred’s ghost by John Farley four months after his disappearance and you have a compelling story full of suspense that surely will once again be made into a hit movie by someone.

In the meantime, we just keep using the legend of Fisher’s ghost as an excuse to party for 10 days in November.

It all kicks off with a parade that celebrates the old and new tribes of Campbelltown, its volunteers and sporting organisations.

For many years the parade started at around 1.30pm on the first Saturday of November, but that won’t be the case when the various floats start the procession down Queen Street tomorrow, November 4.

For the first time it will be starting at a new time of 6.30pm, bringing a twilight element to the event.

Over the years the parade has come to be seen as the official opening of the festival and a fitting way to celebrate the community spirit that the event embodies.

However, in recent years it had become obvious the parade had lost some of its lustre and needed a bit of a polish.

Council decided a change of time may do the trick, and we will find out tomorrow night.

The parade showcases the legend of Fisher´s Ghost and the diversity of our local community in a vast array of creative forms, and is an energetic, lively and colourful celebration of Campbelltown´s history and its people.

Tomorrow night parade participants will be bringing back “old school’’ by donning their best disco shoes, lacing up their roller skates and turning up the boom box.

Whether you go retro, enjoying the pop culture and colour of the 60s, 70s and 80s, fancy some fun with the frightening themes of past parades, or are keen to highlight Campbelltown’s rich history, we’ll be celebrating our past at the new-look Fisher’s Ghost Street Parade.

The parade route is still Queen Street, from Broughton Street to Camden Road.

But there’s more to the festival than just the parade, as good as that is expected to be tomorrow night.

♦ Other activities worth marking on your diary include:

• Fisher’s Flicks at Bradbury Park;

• Fisher’s Ghost Street Fair;

• Fisher’s Ghost Carnival at Bradbury Park;

• Fisher’s Gig;

• Fisher’s Extreme Showcase;

• Fisher’s Ghost art award.

Fisher’s Ghost Festival is one of the things that defines us – it’s not the only thing, but it’s important we make an effort to support something that not every community is lucky enough to have.

If you go for the first time you will quickly see what you’ve been missing out on – the best time of the year to be a Campbelltown local.

See you around the festival.