ASTONISHING! The word captured success for last weekend’s Loddon Valley Arts Trail.
From small halls to historic venues, several thousand people wove their away around Loddon communities for the third annual celebration of art.
Co-ordinator Rosemary Sorensen on Monday said the weekend could not have gone better.
“It’s been astonishing ... the format of using halls in small towns across the shire has been very good,” she said.
“We discovered that many people were on the trail, finding places they did not know existed.
“The war memorial school in Mysia, halls at Dingee and Calivil welcomed people making their first visit.
“And the East Loddon woolshed ... that’s a venue that has an enormous future as part of the trail.”
The shed’s Emily Holland conducted guided tours throughout the festival and sharing stories about the building that has been a centre of agricultural activity for more than 150 years.
Where shearers would have cut fleeces and the boards tread by shed hands, last weekend works of art peered down on visitors. 
“Bringing people out to all these places in Loddon communities has been special ... to places where they had surprises waiting. That’s what art and this festival is all about” Ms Sorensen said.
“Local artists, visiting artists for the festival had a great response with many reporting sales of their works.
“And the weather ensured we had people travelling far and wide to experience Loddon arts at its best.”