This long weekend marked the 50^th anniversary of the 2PK Parkes Country Music Festival.

The anniversary concert at the Parkes Services Club on Friday night kicked off a packed program of events for the festival, which included the very popular Central West Country Music Awards Talent Quest that ran all day Saturday at the services club and a gala awards presentation and concert that night.

Country music fans returned to the club on Sunday for the 50th anniversary reunion from 10.30am, where they enjoyed morning tea, a luncheon and entertainment as they browsed the memorabilia on display.

“The whole weekend went off amazingly,” Lindy said.

The talent quest attracted a total of 220 entries, which saw two rooms – the auditorium and function room  – running all day.

“Both venues were full at all times and we were kept on the run for every minute,” Lindy said.

“Getting through this amount of entries in one day was an amazing feat and we are extremely proud of our whole committee and team for helping make this all run so smoothly.

“We have a very small band of workers, who I am sure put in a week’s worth of hours, each, just on the weekend without all the previous weeks’ and months’ work.

“We had some of our regular workers out due to illness, but we still managed to get through.”

Lindy said Sunday’s reunion turned out to be a great day, with 100 people in attendance.

“Many laughs and memories [were] shared with old friends, followed by a lovely meal and then entertainment throughout the afternoon by Stephen Cheney, Wayne Horsborough and walk-up invited artists,” she said.

“It was a huge success.”

The festival also saw the return of a number of prominent figures from the association’s past, including some of the founders of the festival Irene Hutchinson and Betty Guirreri, president in the 80s and 90s Robert Dumesny and his wife Marilyn, guest artists Wayne Horsburgh and Stephen Cheney, and last year’s major winner Pete Armstrong.

The talent quest’s major winner this year was 16-year-old Sophia Chesworth from Oran Park in NSW.

Sophia scooped the pool, taking out five first places, the Junior Overall Winner and the Song Writers Society Award for performance and excellence.

Sophia also won recording time at Grant Luhrs Flying Fox Recording Studio in Wagga.

Derek Thompson from Orange was the overall Senior Winner.

“We had a great field of local contestants this year with singing teacher Gail Smith bringing along and supporting her students, which was great to see,” Lindy said.

“Neil Corey from Ardlethan also had a large group of his singing students in attendance.

“We really appreciated the support from Neil, Gail and their students and their families.”

On behalf of the committe and members of the Parkes and District Country Music Association Inc, Lindy thanked everyone for their support and assistance with this year’s event.

BEST SHOP WINDOW – St Vincent de Paul.

BEST DRESSED SHOP ASSISTANT: Hayley from Cafe’n’Ate.     

Bruce Tasker Perpetual Award:

1 Teleisha Eade, Leumeah.

2 Claudia Hopper, West Wyalong.

3 Sarah Charlton Peak Hill.

Enc. Hayley Charlton, Peak Hill.

Col Davenport Memorial Trophy:

1 Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.

2 Amy Crighton, Ardlethan. 

3 Maddison Tasker, White Rock.

Enc. Lily Crocker, Parkes.

Margaret Thurn Perpetual Trophy:

1 Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.

2 Maddison Tasker, White Rock.        

3 Gracey Denham-Jones, Parkes.

Enc. Teleisha Eade.

Cazna Tasker Award: Teleisha Eade.

Errol Tasker Perpetual Trophy:

1 Teleisha Eade and Sarah Adams.  

2 Claudia and Olivia Hopper.       

3 Jordan Wallace-Chapman and Amy Crighton.   

Ivy Summerfield Memorial Perpetual Trophy:

1 Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.  

2 Amy Crighton, Ardlethan.

3 Gracey Denham-Jones, Parkes.

Keith Thornton Memorial Award - Perpetual Trophy:

1 Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.

2 Amy Crighton, Ardlethan.

3 Teleisha Eade, Leumeah.

1 Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.

2 Amy Crighton, Ardlethan.

3 Sarah Adams, Glenmore Park.

Amy Crighton, Ardlethan.

Joyce Fletcher Memorial Award: Sophia Chesworth.

(Large Australia perpetual)

1 Derek Thompson, Orange.

2 Bruce Tasker, White Rock (Bathurst).        

3 Alex Winnell, Cootamundra.    

(Large Australia perpetual)

1 Katie Giddings, Mildura. 

2 Vicki Walsh, Young.  

3 Katie Hamblin, Nyngan.

Bob Hutchison Memorial Perpetual:

1 Katie Giddings, Mildura.   

2 Ann-Maree Ritchie, Walgett.       

3 Derek Thompson, Orange.

Jamboree Award – Perpetual Trophy:

1 Katie Hamblin and Derek Thompson.

2 Bruce Tasker and Maddison Tasker.   

3 Gail Smith and Gracie Denham-Jones.    

Buddy Williams Award – Greg Gordon Memorial Trophy:

1 Katie Giddings, Mildura.

2 Vicki Walsh, Young. 

3 Bruce Tasker, White Rock.

Margaret & Les Furner Perpetual Trophy:

1 Vicki Walsh, Young.                

2 Alex Winnell, Cootamundra.

3 Narelle Sellick, Temora.

Parkes Diesel Service Perpetual Trophy:

1 Katie Hamblin, Nyngan.            

2 Derek Thompson, Orange.       

3 Katie Giddings, Mildura.

1 Derek Thompson, Orange.

2 Gail Smith, Parkes.

3 Katie Hamblin, Nyngan.

Jock and Lindy Charlton and Family Perpetual Trophy:

1 Derek Thompson, Orange.

2 Robert Charlton, Peak Hill.

3 Vicki Walsh, Young.

Parkes and District CMA Ron Jeeves Memorial Songwriting Perpetual:

1 Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.

2 Vicki Walsh, Young.

3 Dawn Bryden, Narromine.

Theresa-Jane Ritchie, song: Where Country Is.

AUSTRALIAN SONGWRITERS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA PERPETUAL ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR PERFORMANCE AND EXCELLENCE

Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.

Don Maguire Perpetual Trophy: Katie Giddings, Mildura.

Derek Thompson, Orange.

Recording time with Grant Luhrs at Flying Fox Recording Studio: Sophia Chesworth, Oran Park.