Much of the old town was destroyed during the large Red Tuesday (20 January 1898) bushfire that ravaged Gippsland and the Otway Ranges.

[citation needed] The national decline in consumption of potatoes is making even farming difficult in the small town.

[6] The township holds the Thorpdale Potato Festival every second year on the Sunday before Victorian Labour Day holiday in March, although it was not held from 2002 to 2015, after the insurance cost became too great for the small community to bear.

[7] The festival features potato sack races, Historic machinery, eating contests, market stalls, and much more.

The lush farming surrounds give the town a peaceful rural atmosphere and there are several scenic sights nearby, including the Narracan Falls, Trafalgar South Lookout and Henderson's Gully.