THE country came to Shepparton on a beautiful sunny Sunday with an open-air country music festival held on the lawns of the Shepparton Showgrounds. Headlined by Lee Kernaghan, with Brad Cox, Casey Barnes, Felicity Urquhart, Andrew Swift and The Davidson Brothers, plus many more incredible artists, the inaugural festival was a day of country fun.
The winners of the Goulburn Valley Country Music Showcase are Jade Gibson, JB & Me, Kane Vincent and Madi Walker who all performed to open the show.
Picking the Goulburn Valley for the festival was an easy decision for organisers. They are no strangers to putting on events in the region and feel a real affinity with the area.
“For those from greater Melbourne and outside of the Goulburn Valley, be prepared to fall in,” says festival director, Aidan McLaren. “Our ticketing and attendee data shows that a lot of people are travelling from outside of the area to attend. The knock-on effects of this to local business is immense as many of these people will be staying overnight in Shepparton, and most likely exploring some of the amazing places the region has to offer. The event itself also engages many local contractors and businesses. It is also a chance for the community to connect with each other.
“After the last two years we’ve all had, I think that’s really important and something we are all looking forward to.” said Aidan.
Judging from the turnout of cowboy boots and ten-gallon hats, a lot of people felt the same as they rocked to the sounds of guitars and country vocals.
