Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/103334
highlight while they're there. Just because they're performing at the festival doesn't mean they miss out on having a good time with everyone else. It's this down-to-earth atmosphere, coupled with a variety of entertainment, that keeps bringing me and everyone else back to Tamworth each year. Tamworth in January is hot. The only relief is under a tree in a park or at the local town pool, but no-one minds – the crowds are happy to sit and listen to the nonstop music. And with the big hats, denim outfits and eskies comes a lot of laughter and love for country music. One thing I remember about attending the festival as a child was crossing the road. Seems pretty straightforward, but it wasn't. Three blocks of the main street, Peel Street, are closed to traffic, and because this is where the buskers perform it can be hard work getting around the throngs of people enthralled in watching and listening to the performers. More than 600 buskers line the street, so you can imagine the vibrant yet chaotic atmosphere. They're an important part of the festival's history, with the likes of Keith Urban and Kasey Chambers getting their start on the Peel Street pavement. Perhaps it was my exposure to this mix of music, magic and mayhem that led me to my chosen career of working with country music. It's always been a part of me and I'm proud to say I will be the one promoting the Tamworth Country Music Festival this year. It's a job that I was born to do, and after losing my mum six months ago in a tragic road accident on one of the roads that leads into Tamworth for the festival, it means a lot to me. Whether you come for 10 days or one, the moment you set foot in Tamworth you won't want to leave. I have never met anyone who came to the Tamworth Country Music Festival and didn't have a good time. For many it feels like coming home, and for me it is coming home. I may not have Mum to hold my hand this year as I weave through the crowds on Peel Street, but I have no doubt that, as I sit back on a warm evening during the festival with a beer in my hand, listening to the sweet sound of a strumming guitar, she will be with me, enjoying it too. Mum would be proud and we, as Australians, should all be proud of the magical experience that is the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The 2013 Tamworth Country Music Festival is held from January 18–27. Visit www.tcmf.com.au. 8 Fast Fact Tamworth has an estimated population of 56,000. The Tamworth Country Music Festival attracts more than 55,000 attendees every year. From top: The McClymonts rock out at Tamworth; Troy Cassar-Daley and Jimmy Little are Tamworth regulars.