Winter Warmers Festival at Maianbar celebrates 10 years

To mark the occasion hand-made quilts will be a feature of the event.

Cuddly toys, including teddy bears, sock-monkeys and other huggable critters will also be taking pride of place at the festival which will be held in the village hall, on Pacific Crescent, on Sunday, June 24.

To lead visitors to the village hall, Maianbar Road’s trees from Bundeena Drive down to the water are sporting bright pompoms and knitted and crocheted squares.

Striped knitted “socks” adorn street signs and other signs have been “yarn-bombed” to create a festival atmosphere.

Crafters of all styles have been beavering away for months to produce a wonderful collection of toys, as well as the festival’s trademark pincushions and tea cosies, bags, plus creative door snakes and doorstops, gloves – with and without fingers – hats, beanies, jackets, scarves, wraps, slippers, bed socks – in fact, everything to warm every body part.

Visitors can browse the creative displays, including spinning and weaving and then enjoy a cup of fresh tea or coffee with a selection of home-made cakes, sandwiches, muffins or slices. 

A magnificent hand-crafted, hand-dyed and embroidered quilt will be raffled, and all money raised from sales and the raffle will go to Pets in the Park, a group of volunteer veterinarians who donate time and medications to care for the pets of the homeless.

 There will be dog coats for sale at the festival, and these can be bought and kept, or donated to the charity as well, if so desired.

To get to Maianbar, follow the Princes Highway to Engadine or Sutherland and turn on to Farnell Drive – there are big signs saying Royal National Park and Bundeena – and head towards Bundeena.

Visitors to Maianbar do not have to pay the entry fee for the Royal National Park – just say at the entry kiosk that you are heading to Maianbar for the festival.

Or you take a leisurely ferry ride from Cronulla to Bundeena and enjoy the bush walk through Bonnie Vale to Maianbar.