CLEAR skies, country music and fireworks greeted thousands of people at Tamworth’s Bicentennial Park for the official start of the biggest country music party in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Jessica Taggart welcomed residents and visitors to Gomeroi country, before Tamworth mayor Col Murray took the stage.
The musical entertainment for the evening included 2014 Toyota Star Maker Jared Porter, Kirsty Cox, who is now living in Nashville, Harry Hookey and The Hillbilly Goats.
The Hillbilly Goats performed as winners of the public vote in the “Load & Launch” talent search Facebook competition.
The opening concert finished with a bang with multi-Golden Guitar winning artist Kasey Chambers headlining the event and fireworks heralding the start of another successful Tamworth Country Music Festival.
It was Chambers’ first public performance since being diagnosed with nodules on her vocal cords.
Earlier, the mayor, Col Murray, said his last minute message to festival fans ahead of the 10-day party was simple: kick back, have fun, enjoy the music, and enjoy Tamworth. Oh, and be happy.
And for locals – aside from the warnings of being lazy over parking in places they shouldn’t and risking drinking and driving – the message was on-song and in-tune with the festival visitors.
“I’d tell Tamworth people exactly the same – open yourselves up and embrace the camaraderie and the music and enjoy it all as much as the people we host,” Cr Murray said.
He was upbeat about the initial indications of the festival crowds ahead of the official hoedown period.
“It is looking really good, the numbers are certainly up there like last year and bookings for shows seems to be solid,” he said.
“Camping numbers are going gangbusters and Riverside is showing that and I understand that other campgrounds are looking good too, so I’m very comfortable with where we are at the start.
“The traffic is showing very good signs early, there seems to be more and it’s very busy. I’m confident we will have a great festival and I’m very proud of the part the council plays in it.”
Riverside camping ground, the city’s major space for vans, tents and big rigs, had reported some 570 sites sold mid-afternoon Friday after recording 360 at 6am Friday.
Spokesman Graham Davies said early arrivals yesterday had been banked up back out of Bridge St a number of times as the Friday influx began.
He expects another surge on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the big festival weekend.
