Calderwood will play host to the first Unicorn and Mermaid Festival in the Illawarra. Photo: Irina Pisar Photography.
From unicorn carriage rides to a live underwater mermaid show, Calderwood is set to transform into a magical fairyland this April as Hannah Pikkat and Hannah Moy team up to host the inaugural Unicorn and Mermaid Festival.
A collaboration between Ms Pikkat’s Calderwood business Adorable Pony Parties and Ms Moy’s Campbelltown business Enchanted Trove, tickets are expected to sell quickly for what will be an intimate, one-of-a-kind event promising enchanting experiences designed for families, but particularly children aged three to seven.
Ms Pikkat was just 15 when she started Adorable Pony Parties on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, but 12 years later has moved the business to Calderwood.
The self-taught horse trainer who specialises in natural horsemanship and trick and carriage training will now transform the family property into a “breathtaking fairyland” on 12-13 April.
It’s not the first time Ms Pikkat has staged a festival though, having held a successful festival in the Northern Beaches in April last year, before moving to the Illawarra. She’s also run more than 500 events.
“We do parties, holiday camps, unicorn experiences and we did quite a bit of TV work with Disney,” she said.
“So we’re now bringing that to the Illawarra.
“I’m quite young; so I started when I was 15.”
She said with people loving mermaids and unicorns, the two children’s entertainment businesses decided to team up for an intimate Illawarra experience for children.
“We thought, to have them together was the most amazing, magical thing for children to come to,” Ms Pikkat said.
“The whole point of this festival is for most things to be all included, so it’s a very premium experience but you can come along and get to enjoy it without the hidden expenses.
“It’s not a huge festival, so we really want to keep it quite intimate and small, so people get the hands-on and one-on-one time with the entertainers.”
She said the main attractions would be the unicorn carriage rides, unicorn show with tricks, and an award-winning live underwater mermaid show.
Ms Moy said the mermaid show was an interactive art activation and live show that “brings dreams to life” using a large-scale tank.
“Skillful mermaid performers engage with crowds and remind us of the importance of protecting and caring for the environment,” she said.
“It’s a refreshing take on mythology and forms a key memory and experience for many children.
“Real mermaids swim, do tricks, sing, play games, tell magical or conservation stories.
“It was the 2022 Live Show winner in the What’s On For Kids awards. Both a judged winner and people’s choice.”
Ms Pikkat said other attractions included arts and crafts, face painting, giant bubbles, unicorn rides, fairy dance party, costume parade and fairy fashion show, meet and greet with Pegasus, follow a treasure trail, and frolic in the field around a maypole.
“The main age group that would get the most magic out of the event would be from the ages of three to seven, but obviously older siblings are welcome and there’s lots of activities to do,” she said.
“It’s a combination of all the things that have worked the best for the children that we’ve found children just love doing during camp.”
Book tickets for Unicorn and Mermaid Festival, which will be held 12-13 April at Adorable Pony Parties, Calderwood.
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