Maryborough’s beautiful Queens Park, riverside parklands and heritage streetscapes come to life in scenes reminiscent of the Mary Poppins stories. The Mary Poppins Festival honours the author of the Mary Poppins books, Pamela Lyndon Travers, born Helen Lyndon Goff in an upstairs bedroom of the former Australian Joint Stock Bank building in Maryborough on 9 August 1899. The bank is now an interactive museum called the Story Bank of Maryborough, which features prominently in the festival. The festival presents a program of storytelling and activities for all ages through all art forms exploring the ideas of play and imagination. The streets come alive, with characters from the novel such as Mary Poppins, and Admiral Boom firing his cannon. Along with a hive of roaming entertainers, activities, competitions, sidewalk art and street theatre. The Great Nanny Race, Chimney Sweep Challenge, Costume Competition, and other activities provide a chance for the community to join in with a competitive spirit. The Grand Parade – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, sees the community come together to showcase all the spectacle of the festival’s activities and colourful characters. The festival celebrates the power of storytelling and sets the scene for visitors to be transformed into their own world of play and imagination. Be sure to stay up to date by following @frasercoastevents on Facebook and Instagram.