Get your boots on, the country is coming to the bayside with the 2024 Giddy Up Festival.
Running from August 16 to 18, the event is believed to be the city of Brisbane’s only country music festival. Sandgate Bayside Chamber of Commerce president, Bill Gollan, said the popular event was now in its third year.
“It was an idea that originally came out of the chamber to capture the essence of the Ekka, when the country comes to town, and bring that to our bayside,” he said.
“Sandgate really is like a bayside country town and visitors can expect lots of big smiles, entertainment and a great big country welcome.”
Giddy Up for Awesome Country Music and Country Food
Venues right across the 4017 will be packed with country music tunes and country-themed food.
“We want to see everyone dressing up – get out your jeans, your big hats, and your boots,” Bill said.
“Of course, we want to see lots of locals at the festival, and we also want to encourage lots of people from outside our area to come along too.
“It used to be that country music was seen as something that only the older generations liked, but now, all the young ones love it, my kids love it.
“Beyonce did a country album, Taylor Swift started in country – it’s cross-generational.”
But it’s not just country tunes, with one special event at Myrtle and Blossom called Connect to Country, which features a grazing table, comparative food tastings, and guest speaker Nick Holliday from Belvedere Farm, in Jinibara Country.
Twenty per cent of all ticket sales to this event go towards the Belvedere Farm Mutual Aid program which helps provide ethically reared and nutrient dense produce to people suffering from food insecurity.
Bill added the suburb of Sandgate remained a “bit of a hidden gem” for many Brisbane locals, who might not know just “how good we have it”.
“It’s easy to get here on public transport, we’re only 30 mins from the city, and with the new 50c fares, it’s very affordable for a family to travel to Sandgate,” he said.
The Giddy Up Festival is on from August 16 to 18 at venues right across Sandgate.
For the full program, visit the event’s page here.
Giddy Up Festival Sandgate
- August 16-18
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