The Lambing Flat Chinese Festival, which has traditionally been held in March, will not be going ahead in 2021.

Council said last year's cancellation, due to COVID-19, provided an opportunity to review the event, looking at timing, the theme and a permanent location.

A council spokesperson said the festival has "struggled" to attract visitors with an estimated 500 people attending the 2019 addition, which landed on an unseasonably cold March evening.

"The Lambing Flat Chinese Festival was created from the Lambing Flat Festival which was a funded event that ran for several years to promote the gold trails in partnership with surrounding regions. In 2013, after the funding expired, the event was changed to the Lambing Flat Chinese Festival," a spokesperson for Hilltops Council said.

"This festival has been held at various locations around Young and was scheduled to be held in Anderson Park in 2020 before being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The festival has struggled for numbers over the past few years with only an estimated 500 people attending the most recent event. With the cancellation of the 2020 event, there was an opportunity to review the festival looking at the timing, the theme and a permanent location for the event."

Council are looking at creating a new event still highlighting Young's heritage.

"A Hilltops Region Event Strategy is currently being prepared and will be available later in the year. Until that time the Lambing Flat Chinese Festival will not proceed, noting a fresh new event is being investigated that will still highlight the rich and colourful heritage of the Hilltops Region," the spokesperson said.

The festival has included Chinese lion dancing, sunset lantern parades, markets, art exhibitions, music, school performances and more.

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