Father's Day country fair attracts thousands to Kootingal

The Kootingal Country Fair, held on Sunday, September 3, drew an impressive crows of "at least 7000" people to the Kootingal Recreation Reserve for a Father's Day few will be able to soon forget.

"The fair was absolutely massive. Some of the stallholders described it as a mini show. We were flat out all day, haven't ever had it that busy," Kootingal Recreation Reserve Committee Treasurer Varona Gimbergh said.

She said it was a much larger turnout than last year's post-COVID hiatus return, which had to put up with poor weather and stiff competition from a busy weekend of events.

"It's Father's Day, it's the good weather, it's our advertising, and the Tamworth Show not being on the same weekend anymore," Ms Gimbergh said on the reasons for the event's success.

She said the crowds enjoyed the huge number and wide variety of stalls, with almost 130 market stalls set up on the day, including live performances from local artists, pony rides and face painting for the kiddos, and a special classic cars display put on by the Kootingal Motor Club.

Ms Gimbergh said it keeping the happy crowd fed was the day's biggest challenge.

"Thank goodness we had all those food vendors because we wouldn't have been able to cope in the canteen," she said.

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The official count is yet to come in, but organisers expect the event to have raised about $10,000.

Funds raised by the Kootingal Country Fair Committee and the Recreation Reserve Committee usually go to local infrastructure projects, but the group just finished updating the lights at the tennis court, so they're still on the hunt for a new project.

One option, organisers said, would be replacing the ageing shade sails in the Kootingal Recreational Reserve.

Ms Gimbergh thanked the Kootingal Country Fair's volunteers, stallholders, and sponsors for each of their parts in making this year's fair "one of the best".

She gave a particular shout-out to the kids at Nemingha Public School for finding a creative way to get involved.

"We had Nemingha school bring some hand-made scarecrows down and some really nice artwork," Ms Gimbergh said.

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