Childers Festival 2023 wrapped up on Sunday with a brilliant day of crowd-pleasing music, sparkling street performances and more than 300 market stalls taking over the Bruce Highway.
Childers Festival grand marshal Wayne Thompson said in his 29 years with the Festival, this year was one of the best and biggest he had ever had, with an estimated attendance in the high 30,000s.
“In the middle of the day when Black Sorrows were on, I’ve never seen it like that before, it was huge,” Wayne said.
Wayne praised the organisers and all the essential services who attended for creating a successful community event.
“Full credit to the staff and events coordinators, all the essential services, State Emergency Service, the Queensland Police and the Queensland Ambulance Service, everyone goes over the top,” he said.
“It was all well controlled, and because of the layout of the street, the way it was set up, it doesn’t create bottlenecks and the crowd flows well.”
Headlining the day on the Crescent Street stage were Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows who played to a packed crowd.
Dancing in the front row were Donna and Steve Ditchfield, and Jo and Steve McLellan, who, as longtime fans of the band since the 1980s, recalled seeing them perform in Townsville back in the day.
“I’ve been in the mosh pit and really shaking everything, I think more now than before,” Jo laughed.
“Brilliant day, brilliant entertainment, first class show,” Steve said.
“It was great wasn’t it, and it was free, what more could you ask?” Donna agreed.
Fresh from performing hit after hit, Black Sorrows frontman Joe Camilleri said it was a beautiful day in Childers, with an audience to match.
“I thought it was just brilliant, you know, beautiful people, wonderful, wonderful festival,” Joe said.
“I hope this goes on forever.”
Sunday’s Market Day closed out the four-day Childers Festival during which Wayne Thompson said all the events were well attended, and a record seven busloads of attendees took part in the cane fire tours.
“The money the council injects into the event to get headliners, of course people are going to come,” Wayne said.
“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger!”
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