DESPITE drizzly weather, the second Open Streets Festival in Macksville drew good crowds and delivered its program on time, including a street fashion parade and fireworks display.
Nambucca Valley Mayor Gary Lee said the festival had the effect of bringing the valley together.
“It was wonderful to see the main street come alive on Saturday, with colour, music, food and community spirit,” he said in a statement.
“For our young people, the event was even more special, as it was members of the Youth Council who supported its delivery and set up and it provided an amazing, rare opportunity for young, local musicians to perform,” he added.
With two stages offering simultaneous entertainment, festivalgoers at River Street danced and made merry from 2.30pm until 7.30pm to the strains of well-known performers including Lemon Joe, Mitch Burgess, Billie-Jo Porter, Mastersonics, and Samba Soul.
On the smaller Lane Stage, a variety of up-and-coming performers including Mainly Hues and Rhetorical?, two local teenage bands, had a slightly younger crowd up and moving to their rhythms.
Also on the Lane Stage, Funkatu, Hella Steezy and Temperate led up to the festival’s highlight, a fashion parade of around 40 participants wearing their own ocean-themed creations danced and strutted along River Street to the beat of more than 30 drummers.
The drumming continued as an accompaniment to what attendees described as a “fabulous” and “spectacular” fireworks finale, set against the backdrop of the Nambucca River and Macksville Bridge.
With a variety of market stalls, a climbing wall and various workshops, the crowds of around 2500 were never given an excuse to be bored.
The Nambucca Valley’s volunteer-led radio station, 2NVR, broadcast live from a tent in River Street.
Prioritising youth involvement, Nambucca Valley Open Streets Festival is an initiative of the Nambucca Valley Council with funding from Transport NSW and was the second event of its kind, the first being held in 2024.
Organisers say funding has been secured for at least two more events with the next one planned for 2026.
By Ned COWIE
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