Businesses around Stawell are starting to prepare for a busy Easter weekend after it was confirmed the Stawell Gift will go ahead with large crowds to watch on.
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Businesses in accommodation, retail and hospitality will also face different challenges with up to 5000 people allowed to enter the event each day.
The Stawell Athletics Club said the 5000 person limit is very close to their normal crowd numbers, with Easter Monday the day most likely to result in some people being unable to grab a ticket.
Coorrabin Motor Inn owner Tim Stocks said he was already booked out for the Easter weekend.
"I am fully booked, all the people who didn't come last year they just booked ahead to this year," he said.
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"The Easter weekend will be good, we need it.
"It won't really affect me too much because most of my guests are pre-paid from last year.
"They really helped me last year because many guests didn't want their money back so that was able to help me last year and that helped a lot during a hard year, but I am doing well this year."
Retail stores around the region are also preparing for a bumper weekend as tourists and runners will fill the town.
Clarks Furniture owner Anna Clark said her store is usually closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but will be open for business on the Easter Saturday and Sunday.
"On the Saturday morning we are usually really, really busy," she said.
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"With the whole COVID situation we weren't really sure what was going to happen and we usually sell a lot of our clothing at the Great Western Rodeo, but that's has been cancelled, so that is a big thing for us.
"From our point of view any events that are going on this year will be a bonus and we feel it is very encouraging that the Stawell Gift is going ahead.
"Last year everything was put into lockdown and in was a real downer, but this year, we are looking forward to things being a bit more normal and opening on the Saturday and having a really good day."
Cafe 1868 owner Joanne White said the delay in announcing the crowd numbers has made it tricky for her business and she will need to work hard to prepare.
"We haven't been able to plan anything really. Now I can put some thought into preparing for the Gift, but it is something I am going to have to work on," she said.
As part of COVIDSafe practices, all tickets for the 2021 Powercor Stawell Gift must be purchased electronically.
Digital Tickets will be available to purchase exclusively from Ticketek and go on sale by Friday, March 12.
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