The Castlemaine Fringe Festival and Ballarat’s Wild Otter Club have teamed up to deliver a Dance Party fundraiser for the Fringe on Saturday, September 5, at Boomtown Winery and Bistro.
When two fun-loving, artistic towns collide, expect next-level creativity erupting through music, dance, fashion, art and vital community connections.
This event is an exciting cross-cultural collaboration between Castlemaine and Ballarat, giving artists and artworkers from each town opportunities to work and play together.
Party devotee and multidisciplinary artist Kat Pengelly from Ballarat contacted the Fringe 12 months ago to see if they had an appetite for electronic dance music. The answer was ABSOLUTELY! So plans were laid to bring her Wild Otter Club Dance Party experience to Castlemaine.
The Wild Otter Club champions local and regional DJs, producers and performers with a broader dedication to community engagement, music accessibility, and creating inclusive dance spaces.
The lineup for the event represents creatives from both towns – DJ and producer Clay Ravin feat. Adam Mennegazzo on electric violin, DJ Koshka (Kat Pengelly), DJ and producer Soli (Sol James) and vinyl DJ Jen Moore.
Kat will also premiere a new Wacky Tracky collection under her Koshka-Art Fuelled Fashion label, bringing wearable art to the Wild Otter Club dance floor. With a background in Fine Art, Kat’s fashion collections enter the world via art galleries and theatres, but this event will see the fashion unfold on the dance floor, marking Kat’s first-ever combined DJ Koshka Fashion drop modelled by a Castlemaine dance troupe.
Attendees at the event can win a Wacky Tracky in the Fringe Fundraiser that will support the next Castlemaine Fringe Festival, which is from April 9-25.
This is fashion as art. Art as community. Community as party and party as fundraiser. Many other Ballarat and Castlemaine artists and businesses have donated goods and services valued at over $3000 to go into the prize pool to be won at the event. Merchants of Mostyn in Castlemaine have a dedicated window display featuring some of the prizes on offer.
“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with our fellow creatives in Ballarat and bring Wild Otter to town!” said festival director Azzy Jay.
“It’s a great opportunity to come together, have some fun and raise some money as we look forward to the next edition of the Castlemaine Fringe Festival in April 2027!
“Events like this show the incredible generosity and community spirit that exists across our region, and we can’t wait to see you on the D Floor!
“Tickets are selling fast, and we expect this to be a sold-out, full house, so get your tickets while you can.”
The Castlemaine Fringe x The Wild Otter Club: Dance Party Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, September 5 from 6.30pm at Boomtown Winery and Bistro.
Tickets and donations via events.humanitix.com/wild-otter-club
Dress to Excess and Express (over-the-top outfits encouraged).