MUSIC IN THE STREET: The Ballina Country Music Festival is on this weekend. Pictured with the festival’s giant guitar are Brad Benson, from the Cherry Street Sports Club, festival organisers Carol Stacey and Garry Lavercombe, and Cherry Street Sports Club general manager Tere Sheehan. Graham Broadhead
BALLINA will turn a little bit country this weekend, with music in the street.
The Ballina Country Music Festival will be held from Friday through to Sunday.
This will be the sixth festival in seven years, and organiser Garry Lavercombe said the line-up is the best yet.
He said the festival provided an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy a variety of styles of country music.
“The festival is a great event for Ballina, and we have to thank all our supporters and sponsors for backing us once again,” Mr Lavercombe said.
There will be music played on six stages across four venues.
The feature events – the ticketed benefit concert on Friday night and the showcase concert on Saturday night – will be held under a marquee on the back green of the Cherry Street Sports Club.
However, the Shaws Bay Hotel, Westower Tavern and the Hotel Henry Rous will host free gigs on Saturday and Sunday. The Cherry St club also will host free gigs inside on Saturday and Sunday.
Cherry St, between Burnet and Bentinck streets, will be closed to traffic from 6am to 6pm on Saturday.
From 10am to 4pm, the vehicles on Cherry St will make way for market stalls and a stage for performers, along with merry-go-round, Ferris wheel and slides for kids which will be free, thanks to sponsor Air Compliance Air Conditioning. There will also be an animal farm and pony rides, with a small charge.
Travis Collins, who this year won three Golden Guitar awards and three Country Music Awards will be the feature at the showcase concert on Saturday night.
Felicity Urquhart also will in the line-up for the showcase event.
Tickets to the showcase concert cost $38.50 and are available via the website ballinacountrymusic.com.
Friday night’s benefit concert will feature Brothers 3, who have been regulars at the festival, even performing when they were finalists on the television show, X Factor a few years ago.
Tickets to that concert cost $22 and also are available from the website.
See page 33 for the full program or head to www.ballinacountrymusic.com.
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