More than 100 volunteers have poured time and effort into the festival, which runs from Thursday to Sunday.

The event has been organised by Dungog Arts Foundation, who has been working on this year’s event since the 2015 festival wrapped up.

The foundation’s managing director Tracy Norman said this year is set to be the “biggest, brightest and best” festival yet.

“It’s a fantastic program and things are coming together really nicely,” she said.

The festival will incorporate a plethora of events over the four days.

Ms Norman said she was particularly excited about George Ellis’ the Conductor and the Clown show on Saturday.

She said the world renowned conductor has become “Dungog Festival’s favourite son” after he fell in love with the event and the shire last year.

Another major highlight is the wine matching lunch with top Australian chef Christine Manfield on Saturday.

However this doesn’t scratch the surface of the festival program.

Ms Norman said this year the committee has focused on more affordable, family-friendly events from last year’s feedback.

But the festival is about more than just one weekend a year, Ms Norman says.

“The reason we run this festival isn’t to get people to Dungog for one weekend a year, it’s to get people to Dungog for 52 weekends a year,” she said.

“We look at it as improving Dungog tourism year round.”

They have a strong reputation to uphold in this field – through a survey conducted at last year’s festival, 98 per cent of attendees said they would recommend visiting Dungog to a friend or family. 

Visitors are expected from as far away as England, as well as domestic tourists from interstate.

“I want great crowds but ultimately I want people having a really good time,” Ms Norman said.

“I want people to go home saying ‘wow, Dungog is a great town’.”

For more information and the full program, visit www.dungogfestival.com.au.

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