Anticipation for the 2019 Bluewater Country Music Festival kicked up a notch on Friday when the finalised program featuring a wide a wide variety of Port, national and international acts was revealed.
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In addition to headliners Adam Brand and Adam Harvey, the festival will feature a performance from country music heavyweights Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley and X Factor personality Jason Owen, a songwriters session and a showcase of Port Stephens talent.
"In 2019 we are very proud to announce over 50 events across 16 venues involving over 250 performers and covering many different types of live country music, bush poetry, line dancing and a special family afternoon on Sunday in the great outdoors thrown into the mix," event organisers Aleta Huthnance and Anita Hutchinson said in a joint statement.
"The long weekend is shaping up to be a fantastic event for all ages.
"From Fingal Bay to Nelson Bay CBD and the foreshore, along to Soldiers Point and beyond you are sure to find some great quality live country music and entertainment.
"We've put together a great launch event on Friday night at Nelson Bay Bowling Club which showcases the huge variety of entertainment that is available over the whole weekend."
(See the full program below)
The festival will kick off with an official launch event in Nelson Bay on Friday, June 7 and continue through the weekend with gigs, poets breakfasts and line dancing until Monday, June 10.
The launch will be hosted by local radio personality Reg Dowton and will feature live entertainment from Tanilba Bay band Mustang, award-winning singer-songwriters Lee J Collier and Wendy Wood plus young county music stars Brooke and Sam Thompson.
The launch will kick off at 5:30pm. Tickets cost $20 per person.
McClymont and Eckersley, who performed their first gig together in Raymond Terrace in April, return to the Port on Friday, June 7 for a show at Nelson Bay Golf Club.
Jason Owen, runner-up on the 2012 X Factor television talent show, will perform an all ages gig on Saturday, June 8 at Broughtons at the Bay
Adam Harvey, on his Nashville Tapes tour, will perform with special guest Judah Kelly at Wests Nelson Bay Diggers on June 8.
Adam Brand, supported by Matt Cornell, will perform at Soldiers Point Bowling Club on Sunday, June 9.
"It is exciting to see so many top name local and national entertainers hit the festival venues this year," Chontelle Grecian, marketing manager for the festival, said.
"There is a real buzz surrounding this year's festival. The venues and the team have all worked incredibly hard to bring the best names to town".
The festival will offer live entertainment across the weekend provided by Footloose Studios, based in Lemon Tree Passage, including a free showcase by some of its artists at Broughtons at the Bay on June 9.
This year the festival will include a family fun day at Horizons Golf Club on the Sunday. This will include live entertainment, youth market and free children's activities.
In addition to music, the festival features an open mic event at d'Albora Marinas, a songwriter's session at Bluey's Restaurant and Bar, a Moonshadow-TQC dinner cruise, bush poets breakfasts and line dancing.
The Port's two line dancing groups - Bay Bootscooters and Blue Water Line Dancers - have a full program of dancing lined up for the weekend, kicking off with a meet and greet at Wests Nelson Bay Diggers on June 7, a line dance social at Soldiers Point Bowling Club on June 8, dance showcases and socials at Diggers on Saturday and Sunday.
The longest line dance at d'Albora Marinas on the morning of Monday, June 9 will wrap up the festival.
Leah Anderson, president of the Tomaree Business Chamber, thanked Port Stephens Toyota, Latitude One and Port Stephens Council for its support of the festival.
"We are particularly pleased and appreciative that Port Stephens Toyota has come on as our major sponsor together with other key sponsors such as Latitude One and Port Stephens Council, which allows the festival to be more extensively marketed and become more successful in attracting visitors," Ms Anderson said.
"We would also like to acknowledge the 16 venues across the Tomaree Peninsula that are participating in this year's festival."
For more festival details and ticketing information go to www.bluewatercountrymusic.com.