The town of Daylesford in Victoria is known for its clear mineral water, lush restaurants and spas, and gay-friendly atmosphere. Daylesford hosts the country’s largest rural gay pride festival, ChillOut, which has traditionally been seen as a representation of the town’s acceptance of the homosexual movement. The first festival took place in 1997, and has continued to grow in popularity ever since.

However, ChillOut has also been known to draw controversy in the past. The local city council refuses to fly a rainbow gay pride flag outside Town Hall during the week of the festival, which has brought forth a ban on all festival flags around that key public building. This has put into question Daylesford’s reputation as a gay-friendly resort destination.

Regardless of the controversy, one thing’s for sure: ChillOut participants don’t really care what the local council thinks. This year’s festival drew a crowd of more than 25,000 people to the small tourist town, and was backed by the support of over 75 major businesses. The festival theme, Queer as Country Folk, reinforced the ties between Australian homosexuals and their national identity, and included a number of country-themed events on its program listing.

The 2009 ChillOut Festival is scheduled for March 6th through 9th, and promises to draw a bigger crowd than ever to the small town of Daylesford in Victoria. Hepburn Shire can expect to benefit economically from the festival in the amount of upwards of $7 million dollars, and over $45,000 will be donated to local charities and missions.