{"id":244662,"date":"2019-09-20T16:27:23","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T06:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=244662"},"modified":"2020-07-16T16:35:04","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T06:35:04","slug":"music-muster-draws-big-crowd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/09\/20\/music-muster-draws-big-crowd\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Muster Draws Big Crowd"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff and Mayor Keith Campbell helped hoist the Australian flag to officially open this year’s Heritage Nanango Country Music Muster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 20, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nanango’s annual Heritage Country Music Muster provided a welcome boost to the town’s economy last week.<\/p>\n

While attendance figures were a bit lower than usual, the four-day event still filled the Cairns Street showgrounds with caravans.<\/p>\n

CBD traders also reported an above-average weekend.<\/p>\n

Show Society president Les Schloss said some regulars had called the showgrounds to advise they couldn’t attend the Muster this year due to drought.<\/p>\n

They either had to stay home to feed their stock or watch out for bushfires, Les said.<\/p>\n

He thought this was understandable and – like everybody – hoped the drought would end soon.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the\u00a0 crowd that did attend was able to enjoy four almost non-stop days of amateur and professional country music talent that ran from last Thursday through to Sunday.<\/p>\n

This year’s Muster was officially opened on Friday morning by representatives from the Nanango Show Society and the Muster’s major sponsor, Nanango’s Heritage Bank.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les said the Muster was celebrating its 18th birthday this year, so in a sense it could be said to have “come of age”.<\/p>\n

During those years it had grown from an event that attracted a few hundred guests back in 2003 to one that now reliably attracts several thousand a year.<\/p>\n

It has also won a firm place on Australia’s annual Music Muster circuit.<\/p>\n

Wendy Zerbst, chair of the Heritage Nanango Community Fund, welcomed the crowd and said she hoped they enjoyed this year’s event.<\/p>\n

Wendy said Heritage recognised the great economic boost the Muster provided to Nanango and the South Burnett, and was proud to help the Show Society bring it to ever-widening audience.<\/p>\n

After this, South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell and Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff hoisted the Australian flag in the main ring while the audience sang the national anthem.<\/p>\n

This year’s entertainment line-up included well-known country music artists such as Anthony Taylor, Jeff Brown, Paul McCloud, Keith Jamieson and Alisha Smith.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They were joined by Diane Lindsay and Pete Simpson, Brian Leeton, John O\u2019Dea, Dean Perrett, Sharon Heaslip, Kira Rodrigues, Tom Maxwell, Graham Rodger and the Lindsay Waddington Band.<\/p>\n

These invited artists performed on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, which packed most of the parking near the Showground.<\/p>\n

They were supported on Thursday by a walk-up artist evening concert, and a well-attended Gospel Morning concert on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Those who got up early on Friday and Sunday morning could also enjoy Bush Poetry breakfasts led by Gary Fogarty, Murray Hartin and Neil McCarthy.<\/p>\n

In between, guests could browse stands set up around the grounds to purchase everything from music CDs to country clothing and bric-a-brac.<\/p>\n

Show Society officials told southburnett.com.au<\/strong> they were very pleased with the turnout and looked forward to an even bigger and better Muster next year.<\/p>\n

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