The support of the Bellingen Showground Trust Committee who provided and prepared the venue was invaluable. Every conversation we had began with the magical words: “What can we do to help?” and with that all things became possible.

As organisers, we were on a steep learning curve and we thank the Bellingen Shire Council whose staff drew our attention to a raft of organisational problems that would otherwise not have occurred to us and then lent their support to solving them. That and their financial assistance through the Community Event Sponsorship Fund were instrumental in making the event a success.

Showgrounds can be dark places and Kennards Hire, Asher Neville from Eventelec and Nathan Holding’s crew at Any Entertainment certainly stepped up. Between them, they not only provided the generators, lights and sound systems for a fraction of the usual price, but patiently lent us professional and wise advice. Picture those beautiful trees lit up behind the orchestra!

Placing an orchestra in the middle of the showground without a stage presented us with a significant challenge. A huge thanks to Coffs Coast Formwork who, once they found out what we were doing just found and delivered our whole flooring system!

Events like this can’t happen without local businesses like the IGA and Federal Hotel and organisations like Camp Creative that quietly and consistently financially support their community.

Many thanks to the volunteers of the SES who took on the significant task of parking so many cars.

Then of course there were many individuals who gave generously of their time and expertise like Boaz Keeda of the Thora Store who lent us the Bedouin tent and spent hours in the baking sun helping to erect it; Arthur and Lindsey Dyason who spent hours baking in a kitchen to set up our cake stall; Chris Pearson who donated his expertise in setting the fireworks and cannon shots; Meg Nickle who knitted together the delightful collage that captured the spirit of the event for the posters; Scott Collins who brought his magic touch to the mic set up; Kath Auger who treated the younger folk who sustained minor injuries (as sometimes happens when you watch a concert and play soccer at the same time); Tom Gynes whose dulcet tones so smoothly compèred the evening; Trina and David Neville who hitched a double horse float to the back of their car to pick up the cannons, and Corey Cutler and his Grandad Ted who spent Sunday repairing a car to take them back to Sydney!

And sometimes one person just isn’t enough! Thank you to the numerous men and women, boys and girls who built the show and packed it up at the end on Saturday and Sunday for the grand sum of … nothing but a smile.

Our incredible local youth orchestra were supported by so many talented and creative performers who, without fanfare, came and joined our celebration bringing with them the warmth and energy of shared music!

And then … our dynamic audience. A beautiful crowd of two to three thousand who came and ate, drank, danced, listened, played, laughed and cheered! You so generously contributed over $4,500 toward the costs of the night. There were no bag checks, no security and no problems. People were patient and helpful leaving the carpark and we have received a flood of appreciative emails and text messages. In the cleanup that night and the next morning we found a sum total of seven pieces of rubbish!

Music is an expression of our humanity. Gathering to hear live music allows us to transcend our day to day worries and remember what connects us. We hope these stories do that too. They say so much about our town. Thank you to all!

Linda Dalton, David Neville, Anne Phelan, Ted Greenwood, Rainee Herron

Bellingen