The Swamp Stomp, a community driven event designed to show the creativity and pride of Woodberry, only comes around once every two years. 

Maitland Neighbourhood Centre manager Naomi Rees, whose organisation has driven the event for the last six years, said it highlighted the capacity of the resilient community. 

“There’s an incredible sense of pride borne out in Swamp Stomp,” Ms Rees said.

“People walk around with their heads up high, they walk a little taller.

“It’s about saying ‘this is our suburb, look what we can do’,”.

Swamp Stomp will feature live entertainment, food and market stalls and family activities.

“There’s a sight of absolute glee on the kids’ faces when they get on the rides,” Ms Rees said.

“The little things are the big things.”

Ms Rees said Swamp Stomp was also a shining example of community groups putting an event together on a shoestring budget.

“The struggle is always finances,” she said.

“We’ll run this whole thing on the smell of an oily rag.

“There are community groups from Woodberry and Maitland who make this happen, it’s a massive group effort with five months of planning.”

A colour run will also be held right next to Swamp Stomp. The five-stage course will run throughout the Fred Harvey oval grounds.

At each stage, people who participate in the run will have coloured powder thrown on them by other participants. A run starts each hour.  

In 2015, more than 1000 people turned out to support the seventh Swamp Stomp.  

The event initially began as a Youth Week initiative but broadened its focus. Since then the crowd size has grown year-on-year.

“I work the gate each year and I see whole families coming through,” Ms Rees said.

“Grand parents, grandkids, everyone just gets right into it.”

Swamp Stomp will be held on April 2 at Woodberry Oval from 10am.