Geraldton’s Holland Street School opens its gates for its biennial festival, drawing in thousands

Holland Street School’s biennial festival — the second time the special needs school has opened its gates to the public — attracted visitors from around the region last weekend. A petting zoo, crazy golf course, pony rides, face painting and stalls manned by Variety volunteers and WA Police officers were among the attractions. Another was Freddy, the remote-controlled fire truck, visiting Geraldton for the first time and brought up from Perth by the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service. “So many people were here; it’s hard to say how many attended . . . more than our inaugural one two years ago. Our guess is it would be 2600 people,” principal Rachel Rutter said. “The festival is a P&C co-ordinated event. We are a small school, so the committee is small but amazingly powerful. We had many staff members and parents help, along with community volunteers and sponsors. “We can’t wait for 2025 to come around.” The school caters for students of the highest needs, often with challenging and complex disabilities, and the festival made families “feel safe and supported in an environment where everyone embraces the power of all abilities.” “A new initiative this year was the inclusion of the sensory room for all to use and the sensory hour. This was well-attended with 80 people moving around before the general public in a less busy, quiet space,” Mrs Rutter said. Local cafe owner and Holland Street School parent Gillian Richards applauded the organisers of the event. “With this being Holland Street School’s second only festival, it was just wonderful to see so many people support our kids,” she said. “The first festival, which we held two years ago, was the very first time the school opened their gates to the public. It was such an important step towards inclusion and integration for our kids, it was really fantastic for the greater community to see and experience the wonder and mystery of Holland Street School. “It really is such a heart-warming day that bridges the gap further towards inclusion. I feel so grateful as a parent that we as a family have a special festival where we feel completely accepted and relaxed.” Staff member and tuck shop guardian Amy Herring said the fete showcased many items on sale made by the students, including plants they had grown and canvases they had painted. “We really have such an amazing community, and it was so nice to show off all that we are to the wider community,” she said.