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So what does the concept of 'sense of community' mean to a rural society? Some would argue that sense of community is more important to rural society because it literally defines the community. This is in contrast to a larger community, where there are many sub-communities that define the make-up of the overall community and as such significantly distorts and diminishes the sense of community. There are many concepts, functions, and activities that are part of defining and developing a sense of community. One group of activities that many rural societies believe contributes to a sense of community are festivals, events and recreation. The purpose of this paper is to articulate the value recreation, arts, events and festivals have on a rural shire's sense of community, including evidence of membership opportunities in the community, the ability for individuals to influence the direction of the community, the presence of a network to allow for integration and fulfilment of needs, and the potential for various levels of shared emotional connectedness. The research conducted for this paper was completed in conjunction with the Colac-Otway Shire in country Victoria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]