A HISTORIC hotel in Canowindra is taking an experimental approach to its future, inviting the community through its doors as it tests out new ways to bring the Old Vic to life.
Bessie’s Bar, a new three-month hospitality pop-up at The Old Vic Hotel, has been named after Bessie Robinson, the women who established the hotel and helped shape it as a place for people to gather.
The team behind the venue said they hoped to channel Bessie’s spirit and her vision of Canowindra as a regional hub.
For the next three months, Bessie’s Bar will open from 5pm to 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and from noon to 8pm on Saturdays.
Pop-ups, themed nights, lunches and other trials are also planned as the team experiments with what the venue could offer.
Rather than settling on a fixed vision for the sprawling property behind closed doors, the team said it wanted to spend the coming months finding out what works by inviting the community in and trying different ideas.
The Old Vic contains a variety of spaces, including its front bar, dining rooms, lounges, garden and large upstairs balcony, all of which could offer different possibilities for future events and hospitality.
“We’ll try different drinks, dishes, events and opening hours,” a spokesperson for the pop-up said.
“Some ideas will work, some probably won’t, and that is really the point.”
The approach comes as work continues on the historic property, with the aim of developing Bessie’s around the people who will actually use the venue.
“There is still plenty of work to do at The Old Vic, but we would much rather open the doors, invite people in and take the community on the journey with us,” the spokesperson said.
Ultimately, the hope is that Bessie’s will become another place for locals to gather while also attracting visitors to Canowindra and the wider Central West.