Word On The Street With The Recent Launch Of The Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival And The Announcement That The Burdekin Readers & Writers Festival Is Coming Back, What’s Another Festival You’d You Like To See Here?

Bob: “Well I reckon what they should be doing here is some sort of festival that includes the children and teenage kids that gives them something to do and look forward to. In the modern age it could maybe be something like them four-wheelers where they could ride around the Showgrounds on their quad bikes. It’d be better than just hanging around on their phones doing nothing. When we were growing up we made our fun. Kids today don’t seem to be able to do that but that’s because there’s more restrictions on children today than when I was growing up.”

Rachael: “Probably a music festival like they do in Mareeba in the Cairns hinterland with the big one they have up there called Savannah in the Round. It’s a big music festival over a long weekend. They have lots of bands where they get some big names like Lee Kernaghan, and then there’s a lot of local bands from the Cape, too. They could also get kids from schools and have a battle of the bands perform as well. They could do it over a long weekend. They could put it at the Showgrounds as that’s the most likely place because it’s got a big area for stages and things like that.”

Frank: “I’m from Bowen so I don’t really know what works up here but I love nothing more than the international food festivals. The town could do well out of it. They could get food from all over such as Indian, Chinese, Greek, Middle Eastern, Italian, Latin American, Australian, Korean etc. Just make it affordable so that everybody can go and sample a bit of everything. You could even include wine tasting, boutique beers and microbreweries, and so forth. They could even have music to match the different regions like Indian or Greek music. They could host it near the water where it’s peaceful and people can go and sit in the shade and do their own thing.”

Jo: “An Arts & Crafts festival would be good, anything art really. Painting, craft paints, needlework, macrame, you name it. I think they might do something like that at Memorial Hall, though I haven’t been to one yet. I’m also into classic cars but that’s another thing and they often put on their own shows. The cars could drive up and down the street before they stop somewhere in a park so people can see them and take photos.”

Sid: “A songwriters festival! Because I used to write songs where I’ve got about 90 odd at the moment, though nothing ever published, it’s always been a thrill for me. So I wound’t mind a songwriters festival or competition. It doesn’t have to be a band or a music festival just songwriters who write the songs with chords and a tune. Normally you produce a CD with your song on it but it doesn’t have to be professionally done as long as it’s a songwriter writing. So yeah, a songwriting festival for songwriters that doesn’t necessarily have to be a competition.”

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Photo credit: Mark T. Rasmussen
Bob Ness reckons a festival for kids would be a great idea.
Rachael Bass and daughter, Mia, like the idea of a music festival in town.
Frank Lowe loves international food festivals and thinks the town could do well out of it.
Jo Bazeley thinks an arts & crafts or classic cars festival would be nice.
Sid Ruskin would welcome a songwriters festival.

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