By Hayley Manning

WHAT’S NOT to love about neighbouring businesses who decide a vacant laneway between their buildings would be the perfect setting for a little laneway fringe festival?

Mark and Amanda from the Empire Hotel, and Alfred and Isabel from Seppenfelts collaborated four years ago to form the Little Laneway Fringe Festival to draw Craft Fair visitors into the Deloraine CBD at the end of the day’s events.

Festival committee member Lisa Yates, said the Laneway Festival is a great opportunity to showcase local performance art, and to give bands, artists and performers experience performing on a stage in front of an audience.

‘We supported the National Square Dancing Convention and Seppenfelts’ 10th birthday in April, and we will have a rich line-up of performers for the up-coming Craft Fair and String Fest,’ Lisa said.

‘The laneway is sheltered and wide enough to hold our first purpose-built stage, dancers, and audiences. A ‘magic hat’ is passed around during the free performances and everyone leaves happy and has a good time.’