Hats Off kicks off July 3 (officially)
Country Music Capital's mid-year festival – Hats Off To Country – kicks off officially on Thursday July 3 although a number of "curtain raiser" events are scheduled for Wednesday (the day before).
More than 80 artists providing 150 hours of non-stop music at 60 shows is the essence of the four-day festival which will run through until and including this Sunday, July 6.
The highlight concert will be the Slim Dusty Family Reunion Tour show at West Tamworth League Club on Saturday night featuring family matriarch Joy McKean, daughter Anne Kirkpatrick, son David Kirkpatrick and grandchildren Kate and James Arneman and Daniel and Hannah Kirkpatrick on stage together for the first time in Tamworth.
Other acts announced on the festival roster include Chasing Bailey, Don Costa, the Rod Dowsett Band, The Flood, Jonah’s Road, Victoria McGee, The Noll Brothers, Luke O’Shea & Medicine Wheel, the Wolverines and the Young Balladeers.
Established artists and emerging talent will be among those performing with some from the local area and others from Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and places in between. Most of the shows are free.
The Australian Bush Balladeers Association is staging a show, Bill Davy’s Outback Show is on the schedule and Jim Haynes’ Big Bush Brekky shows will be back.
Local talent at the festival includes Darren Clarke, three generations of the Dallas family, Donella, Buddy Knox and Fiona Peters and Those Gals.
Homegrown rock-pop outfit Chasing Bailey (formerly The Baileys) will release their first album in August and will also appear during Hats Off.
Since the Country Music Capital winter festival started in 2000 it has steadily grown to become a four-day event.
"The musical mid-year-celebration is a perfect complement to the annual January 10-day country music festival," said Tourism Tamworth General Manager Rebel Thomson. "The cooler weather tends to bring out some fans not so keen to experience the summer heat of the January festival and the shorter stretch of four days makes it much easier for fans who find it hard to fit the 10-day event into their schedule."
Students from the 2008 Tamworth Camerata – junior school of country music for performers aged 17 or younger will also be part of the celebrations. The Camerata Graduation Concert is usually part of Hats Off to Country but this year will be staged the week after making the 2008 Festival unofficially a two week program. Students will, however, be at a festival meet and greet event at The Family Hotel on July 5.
Among curtain-raiser events tonight will be the "acoustic lounge" featuring country/blues/roots artist Terry Lee Barker at the Tudor Hotel.
For known program updates and more editorial features on the Hats Off To Country Festival, click here.
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