A new generation of makers and mariners will be inspired at the 2027 Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF), with The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel renewing its partnership to present The Little Sailors Village on Hobart’s Parliament Lawns.
All on deck – Credit Dave Golding
Running Saturday 6 to Monday 8 February 2027, The Little Sailors Village is a key part of the festival program and, like the broader festival, is free to attend, inviting children to step outside and into hands-on learning through boat building, craft workshops and interactive play.
Now entering their third festival together, AWBF and The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel continue a partnership focused on creating meaningful, immersive experiences for families, with activities programmed for toddlers to tweens.
With school holidays on, a visit to the Huon Valley this week captured the spirit of the program, where AWBF Festival Director Paul Stephanus and The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel Commercial Manager Scott Christie-Johnston visited a working boat shed with their children and friends.
At the Bow – Credit AWBF
Surrounded by tools, timber and a nearly completed 40-foot pilot cutter, Tarkine, the group met boatbuilders Iefke van Gogh and Matt Morris of A Boat By The River, who have spent six years building the vessel from scratch. Set to be exhibited ashore for the first time at the 2027 festival, the build draws a clear line from first experiences in The Little Sailors Village to full-scale boatbuilding, showing young people what’s possible.
AWBF’s Paul Stephanus said the program plays a key role in sustaining maritime culture.
“The Little Sailors Village is where it starts,” he said. “It’s hands-on, it’s social, and it’s real. Kids are making things, learning skills and connecting with others. For some, that might grow into a lifelong connection to boats. For others, it’s confidence and creativity they carry into something else.”
Cabin Life – Credit AWBF
The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel’s Scott Christie-Johnston said the partnership reflects a shared belief in the value of those experiences.
“We see how important it is for kids to get outside and hands-on,” he said. “There’s a real energy when they’re building, playing and figuring things out together. That’s what this space creates.”
Building on the success of 2025, The Little Sailors Village will return to the 2027 festival with much-loved activities alongside new additions. Children can build their own Huon pine boat model, design and race a solar-powered boat, or take part in the My First Boat program, building their own vessel with a parent or guardian before joining the parade and launch at Constitution Dock.
Signing Below Deck – Credit AWBF
Beyond the boats, The Mariner’s Makerspace will offer hands-on crafting and storytelling, while The Book Barge, presented with Variety Tasmania – the Children’s Charity, will provide a quiet space for children to immerse themselves in sea-themed stories. Face painting, pirate dress-ups and knot craft add another layer to the maritime mix.
The popular Kumundar Gujo jungle gym ticketed workshops will expand in 2027, offering a more in-depth making experience alongside Japanese craftspeople. Families are encouraged to mark the date in their calendar, as sessions sold out quickly in 2025. Further exciting activities are set to be announced when the full program is released in early November 2026.
The Australian Wooden Boat Festival will return to Hobart from 5–8 February 2027.
For more information, visit australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au
