In 2006, the Alice Springs Beanie Festival celebrated its tenth event. It was to be our biggest festival to date. Over 10,000 visitors came through the doors to participate and enjoy the 4 days of activities.
Over 1460 visitors from the NT and 1770 from interstate visited the exhibition, and it was featured on television news nationally through Imparja, ABC. A story also featured in ABC Asia TV and in various newspapers and radio interviews around Australia and internationally.
Visitors purchased over 2800 beanies, participated in textile workshops, enjoyed homegrown cooking at the teashop and listened to local musicians. Fantastic! Not just knit one purl one after all!

2006 Beanie Festival Competition Winners
	1 Most sculptural beanie Winner: Margaret Perkins - VIC Runner Up: Yazmina-Michele De Gaye - NSW
	2 Spirit of the land Winner: Soosie Jobson - WA Runner Up: Geoffry Campbell - Titjikala
	3 Beanie that best incorporates a design of Australian native flora and fauna Winner: Faye Clifton - NSW Runner Up: Wendy Davis - Yarrawonga
	4 Most festive beanie Winner: Shaz Harrison-Williams - TAS Runner Up: Ungakini Tjangala
	5 Most stylish beanie Winner: Kerry Elsome - QLD Runner Up: Kathy Frank - Alice Springs
	6 Mad Hatter’s Prize Winner: Aiko Takahashi - Japan Runner Up: Megan Jack - nomadic
	7 Best Tea Cosie Winner: Aukje Boonstra - TAS Runner Up: Robyn Parish - NSW
SPECIAL PRIZES
	8 Committee prize for the best use of embellishment Winner: Nora Campbell - Titjikala,NT
	9 Central Australian Prize for Makers of the Region Winner: Tjaria Stanley Ungakini Tjangala- Ernabella, SA
	10 Beanie Festival Committee Acquisitive Prize for Wonderful and Unusual Work Winner: Nicky Schonkala - Alice Springs
	11 The Robbie Beard Prize for Innovative Work Winner: Alli Symone - SA Runner Up: Jennifer Ashbolt - WA
	12 People's Prize: The Favourite Beanie of 2006 Debbie Swanick- Howarth, Carnivale

Judges
Jenny Bellew, Designer, Cleckheaton
Gay Epstein- Director Ashford Australia
Dan Murphy, Artist
Sonja Maclean, NT Arts
The exhibitionwas held in Gallery One of the Araluen galleries from 1 July - 16 July 2006

Highlights of 2006

• the development of the competition exhibition into a multi media spectacle,which included footage and slide shows from past festivals projected in large format on the walls of the gallery
• the overhaul of Beanie Central - including the development of the amazing beanie installations
• the development of the big top beanie, underwhich the musicians and festivities occurred
• the painting of the mighty beaniebus
• chocolate mudcake with cream and raspberry sauce at the tea shop
  the publication of two books celebrating the Beanie Festival's first ten years. “Colours of the Country” is a beautifully collection of photographs and stories depicting the history of the festival, and “scrumptious recipes from the beanie festival teashop” speaks for itself. ( both for sale)