All eyes were understandably on the sky for Saturday’s 60th anniversary Sapphire City Festival closing celebration, as the day dawned wet, with a soggy finish.
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The morning’s Poet’s Breakfast was moved to the Inverell Town Hall, parade cancelled and festival followers kept their eye on social media to see what would eventuate for the festival finale and fireworks.
An abbreviated version of the performances and Sapphire City Festival Queen crowning took place at the Town Hall, but the fireworks have been shifted to the back burner.
“All in all, successful, but obviously disappointed that we couldn’t actually be in Campbell Park, particularly with the 60th anniversary fireworks,” Inverell mayor and festival committee chairman Paul Harmon said.
There seemed no reliable break in the bands of rain coming across the region, and organisers moved to an alternate option to host the finale events.
“We had to make a call mid-afternoon so we could get all the sound equipment to the Town Hall,” Cr Harmon said.
Undeterred by any rain, young fans of the anticipated performance by Paw Patrol brought sunshine in the form of pure bliss to the hall as the big stuffed characters acted with audience participation.
“The first session with Paw Patrol, the hall was full; it was absolutely fantastic,” Cr Harmon said.
“And they sat through the Navy Band as well. They were great.”
The Beatles tribute band The Beatnix took the stage and gave the audience a taste of nostalgia, and then it was time for the nail-biter of the night; the queen crowning.
Cr Harmon said they retained a reasonable crowd for that official part of the evening when candidate Gabi Watkins was crowned Festival Queen by 2015 winner Mikaela Hills.
He felt the moment where 1972 Festival queen Carolyn Tozer came forward to donate her crown to display as a piece of Inverell history, and an earlier civic reception to honour many of the former queens was a special event.
“It was very well-received and the ladies that came back for that were just so excited that they were asked to come back and be part of the 60th anniversary festival, and they had a wonderful time,” he said.
“We’re just waiting to confirm the date and confirm the arrangements with the fireworks company to look at and see whether we can reschedule that to perhaps as the same night as the lighting of the Christmas Tree,” Cr Harmon said.
“If we can co-ordinate that, that would be fantastic.”