Ohakune country music festival planned

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 569, 17 January 1995, Page 1

Ohakune country music festival planned

Ohakune is to host a country music festival at Waitangi weekend, 3-6 February. The inaugural festival weekend is open to singers, musicians and bands and is planned as a laid-back, lowkey, social gathering of country music aficionados. Participation is the main aim although listeners are also welcome to go along and listen in. "Although we haven't promoted it widely, we hope that some of the general public will come," said organiser Georgie Templeton. She said there are some booked acts such as the Kiwi Konnection who will play at the Saturday night dance. Most of Saturday and Sundav will be a 'blackboard' programme where singers can go along and put their names down for a time to sing with the band, or for bands to play. Variety of acts Other acts they hope to have booked include an allfemale band from Whangarei, Joy Adams if she is available, plus trio Short and Sweet (finalists in the Entertainer of the Year event). Many of the participants will be from country music clubs such as the River City Country Music Club from Wanganui, plus many from Hamilton and the Waikato. There will be no door charges, said Georgie, with raffles run to cover some of the expenses incurred in setting up the event. She said it was very low key this year with virtually a nil-budget. If it goes well they plan to expand the festival next year. The main venue is upstairs at the Ohakune Club from mid-day Saturday and Sunday, with a get-together at the Mountain Vie w Motel recreation room on the Friday night and Monday morning. Georgie said she and a group, including her aunt who runs the Mountain View Motel in Ohakune, had been

mulling over with the idea for several months.

It would be a chance for country music mates

to get together away from the pressures of

competitions - "a social sort of thing".

T P Promotions from Ngaruawahia

is the contact name given, at Box,

89 Ngaruawahia, 07-846-

6981, or Mountain View^

Motel, 06-385-8675.