Narooma hosts a day of free entertainment on Saturday, when hundreds of buskers line the streets to compete for prizemoney and a chance at the national busking finals.
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Festival co-ordinator Sandra Doyle had registered 55 busker entries – over 200 individuals – performing music and other street-acts.
“Buskers play at four or five of the 35 ‘busker hot spots’ around town – sponsored by adjacent businesses – with music (ranging from country, blues, jazz and rock) to Scottish bagpipes, dancers, poets and circus acts,” Ms Doyle said.
She said there were extra hot spots at the Kinema – “where the River of Art Prize exhibition is still on display in the SoART Gallery” – NATA oval and near the Quarterdeck, “topped off with a concert from 4pm, at the Golf Club, with a variety of performers who have busked through the day.”
The Busking Festival is hosted by Narooma Rotary Club partnered with River of Art, and is the last major event in the 2018 River of Art festival. It is also a part of the Australian National Busking Championships (ANBC). Winners from Narooma will be invited to compete in the National Grand Final in Cooma in November.
Committee member Lynda Ord said not all buskers were competing but spectators could buy one-dollar votes to award a People’s Choice, with a $1000 prize for the crowd favourite.
“We count up votes for each busker to determine the winner. Of each $1 vote, the busker gets 10 cents. If the purchaser writes their name on the back of each vote, they enter a lucky draw. Each busker keeps any coin they collect,” Ms Ord said.
She said four judges would also award $1000 to the overall winner.
“Symons will operate a free bus through the day to ferry people between busking hot spots which extend from the Plaza to the Flat,” Ms Ord said.
Programs will be available at the Busking Information Stall (opposite the Ice Creamery), the Visitors Centre and from Rotary-vested Busker Vote sellers, and online (with busker profiles)
A display of classic cars from the Quattro Giornate Auto Classiche, the Classic and Vintage Motor Club of Eurobodalla and the Southern Motor Association, and new cars from the AMH Motor Group will be held on the NATA oval.
More: busking.naroomarotary.org.au or the ANBCNarooma Facebook page.
