Penrith Producers returns: Work of local entrepreneurs on show

“My favourite thing to do is put pets on mugs,” she said.

Local makers, artists, and producers will be in the spotlight next week, with Penrith Producers returning to Triangle Park.

The Council event has drawn locals to the main street since pre-COVID, and despite its interrupted history, Penrith Producers is back and set to be bigger than ever.

Pat Casey, owner of Casey’s Brewery in Jamisontown, has been involved with Penrith Producers since the events first started, speaking highly of their laid-back nature which sees everyone feeling welcome and experiencing some of the incredible talent and products that locals have to offer.

“It’s a really, really nice event,” he said.

“It’s an interesting representation of Penrith, and perhaps one that might surprise people from outside of the district.”

This year, he’ll be bringing four different beers along, guaranteeing something for every customer.

“The brewery tagline is a beer for every taste, so we’re trying to have something for everybody, which fits in nicely with Penrith Producers,” he said.

Lucy Threlfo owns Dusty Creations – a business she has run full time since 2019, selling porcelain tableware handmade from Austral- ian materials in her Jordan Springs studio. Despite moving primarily online during the pandemic, Threlfo usually sells her products at market events – something she says we need more of here in Penrith.

“Unfortunately, there aren’t many markets locally – there are in the Hawkesbury, so I do them up in Richmond, and Glenbrook, a few up in the Mountains,” she said.

“Interestingly though, I find a lot of people do travel up to those markets. When I say that I’m from Jordan Springs, they’ll say ‘Oh, I’m just from Cranebrook’ or somewhere else, so there’s definitely a demand for it here.”

It’s for this reason that she’s also excited to be taking part in Penrith Producers, bringing along something for the whole family, and even getting the pets involved too.

“I have a dog that’s a rescue, and he doesn’t look like your typical dog, so we do get a lot of people who want their dog, who you just can’t buy from another place, because it doesn’t look like just any other dog.”

This month’s event will have an increased scope when compared to previous years, with additional road closures along Riley Street and High Street, and brand new creative workshops and kids’ activities, ensuring that Penrith Producers will be a family-friendly night for everyone to enjoy.

According to Casey, the event’s expansion is a positive sign for locals, and the wider community.

“A lot of people from outside of the district might have opinions about Penrith that are a generation or two out of date, so something like this allows people to both participate in that change, if you’re a business or if you’re doing any sort of creative stuff, and also see what’s going on around them,” he said.

Threlfo agrees with the sentiment.

“Penrith has grown so much recently, so people don’t want to travel to the city to have to do things anymore,” she said.

Penrith Producers will be on at Triangle Park on Friday, March 31 from 5pm to 9pm.

For more information, visit penrith.city/ events.