The inaugural Narooma Busking Festival held across town on Saturday was a big success with buskers, shoppers and shopkeepers all pleased with the music, atmosphere and crowds.
Fifty-five buskers from Ballarat to Wollongong, including many local performers, filled Narooma with music at 30 busking hot spots on the Flat, in Midtown and at the Plaza shopping centre.
The festival was hosted by Narooma Rotary Club, partnered with River of Art, and is part of the Australian National Busking Championships (ANBC). It culminated with a concert and award ceremony at the Narooma Golf Club at 4pm.
Festival organisers Sandra and John Doyle of Narooma Rotary at Saturday lunchtime said by all accounts the event had been a big success so far, with a great concert by The String Family Quartet at Club Narooma on Friday night and the the three areas of Narooma buzzing on Saturday morning.
“We’re very pleased, the town is smiling and that is what we tried to do,” Mr Doyle said.
The busking festival concept used for the event originated with Cooma Rotary in that two about five years ago.
Roving judge at the Narooma event, Gunther Gorman hails has been involved in the Cooma event since its Day 1 and congratulated the Narooma organisers.
“For a first effort, they’ve really got to be congratulated,” Mr Gorman said. “Narooma is actually a really difficult town to do it because it is split into three levels, but it seems to have been a very popular event so far."
There are now similar events being held in Ballarat Victoria and Noosa Queensland with the winners of these events going to the Australian National Busking Championships held in Cooma.
More on the winners and reaction of the town and organisers to come later.
Stan Gorton
Walkley-nominated journalist based at The Islander on Kangaroo Island with an interest in the local community and the environment.
Walkley-nominated journalist based at The Islander on Kangaroo Island with an interest in the local community and the environment.
