WoW factor aplenty as festival draws crowd in Geraldton

Giant snails, flying whales and a fish out of water. No, this wasn’t a scene from a sci-fi movie, these were just some of the things that greeted people at this year’s Wind on Water Festival in Geraldton.

The second annual WoW Fest, run by the City of Greater Geraldton, took over the foreshore on April 20 and 21 with a giant line-up of events and activities.

With the autumn school holidays in full swing, thousands of people from around WA flocked to the two-day event — and a taste of what Geraldton has to offer.

Many Geraldton musicians were showcased throughout the weekend, with performances on the Emerging Artists stage and on the beach as part of Euphorium Creative’s Sunset Entertainment.

On Sunday night the Stow Gardens were transformed into a mini music festival headlined by indie rockers The Temper Trap (the first time the band has performed in Geraldton) and singer-rapper Tkay Maidza.

Festival-goers were intrigued by the interactive performance art pieces roaming the foreshore, with many stopping to take a closer look.

Galileo and Celeste, created by Fremantle’s Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, were operated by Isaac Diamond and Campbell Pollock.

“Galileo is a celestial snail who was born during the Big Bang so he is very old,” Mr Diamond explained.

“He’s a cosmic giant and he wanders around festival grounds looking for interesting people to engage. Inside his shell there’s a whole ‘nother world and a space man.”

A bicycle-powered lionfish also made its way along the foreshore, inviting passers-by to hop in its mouth for a photo.