Organisers of the Karuah Bluegrass Music Festival are on the hunt to find major sponsors.
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Sharon Wedd, Gleny Rae and Fred McInerney – all part of the annual festival’s organising committee – are calling on individuals and businesses in the community, even those further afield, to sponsor the event and help it grow to its full potential.
Ms Wedd said Port Stephens Council and Hunter Quarries were the major sponsors of the 2016 event.
“Without their support we wouldn’t have been able to hold such a successful festival,” she said.
The Karuah Bluegrass Music Festival will turn nine this year.
What started out as a way to draw people back into Karuah, which took a blow when it was bypassed by the Pacific Highway, has turned into a boutique event that attracts 400 people.
It is estimated to inject $100,000 into Karuah’s economy.
This year the festival will be held in Karuah between May 5 and 7.
The 2017 program features Golden Guitar winner Pete Denahy, Canadian old time band the All Day Breakfast String Band, bluegrass gentleman Bluestone Junction plus country music songwriter Alan Caswell.
Alternative country Sal Kimbar and The Rolling Wheel plus North Coast pickers Owl Valley Bluegrass will join them on the lineup.
This year’s festival will feature the Circus Avalon Big Top along with Picker’s Paradise.
Stalls will once again be set up in Longworth Park.
This year however, the main street will be shut down and filled with market stalls between 9am and 1pm on the Saturday.
Ms Rae, who is also a musician, said 2016 was the festival’s “biggest year yet”.
“It showed how we can bring the community together with people from all over Australia, musicians, artists, children, local community, community organisations and sponsors for a really great event,” Ms Rae said.
Mr McInerney, president of Karuah’s progress association, said the group received plenty of positive feedback from the 2016 event.
“We just want this thing to grow,” he said.
The trio appear in a video calling for sponsorship on the Karuah Bluegrass Music Festival website.
Different levels of sponsorship are available.
