WITH a best walk-up artist award of a $2000 recording contract up for grabs and the best locally-produced tucker in the region, the 2014 Clarence Valley Country Muster is shaping up to be huge.
To be held on a beef property just north-east of Grafton in Northern NSW from October 27 to November 2, the event is now in its second year.
More than 20 artists are signed up, including Terry Gordon, Glenn Jones, Lindsay Waddington, The Kross Kut Showband, Marge Graham and acclaimed bush poet Ray Essery.
Organiser Wendy Gordon decided to open her property to the festival at Calliope – a tiny but historically-rich hamlet in the lush Clarence Valley last year in a bid to 'give something back' to an industry and a regional area she loves.
Country music fans – dominated by grey nomads and their vans – turned up to savour the delights of food, friendship and the sweet sounds of professional performers.
“The success of the first muster just blew me away,” Mrs Gordon said. “But the follow-up was even more staggering. Given the response to bookings for this year’s muster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see up to 1500 fans on the property.”
It's a hive of activity at the muster site right now, with hundred-year-old post and rails going up as street signs, each named after artists who appeared at the event last year.
The Clarence Valley Music Muster is held at the same time of the year as Grafton’s nationally-recognised Jacaranda Festival.
“Jaca pulls in thousands of visitors every year,” Mrs Gordon said.
“The muster offers them another attraction just a few kilometres down river. The property is close to Ulmarra – an historic river port village settled even before Grafton itself.
“Ulmarra not only takes you back to a time when the Clarence River was the highway for goods crammed into sailing ships and steamers, but it now offers accommodation at the Commercial Hotel, the now-dry Exchange Hotel opposite and up-market bed and breakfast outlets Woodfordleigh, Rooftops and Lulu’s.”
Proceeds from the rich raffles on offer go towards easing the lot of sick kids through the Camp Quality organisation.
For more information and bookings contact Wendy Gordon on (02) 6644 8012, 0432 741 947, on Facebook or wgordon@cvcmuster.com.au or visit www.cvcmuster.com.au.