Old Bar Beach Festival - About Old Bar

Old Bar Beach Festival 2010…Nostalgia returns for Endless Summer Days and the 60th Birthday of the Kombi

The Old Bar Beach Festival is not just about the sun, sand and surf today but fond memories of the good old days of idyllic summer holidays on the coast. Yes nostalgia is coming to Old Bar in a big way at the 2010 Old Bar Festival to be held over the October long weekend, Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd. The Festival now in its 6th year has become known throughout Australia for its feature event, Kombi Fest, the largest gathering of kombi vans in Australia. The Festival holds the Australian record of 198 set in 2007, a record organisers hope to break in 2010. And what better year to do so as the Festival celebrates the 60th birthday of the Kombi. Yes its 60 years since the first Kombi came off the production line in 1950 in Wolfsburg Germany… definitely time for a party.

The Festival will feature this year a repeat of the very successful Kombi Parade that saw many of the vehicles travel through parts of the beautiful Manning Valley before arriving at Old Bar for the judging and display to the many thousands that now flock to this event. Also to be repeated for the second year will be the highly popular BBQ, Volks Culture and Entertainment event on the Saturday evening. This year the event will actually feature the winning Kombis on show, kind of like the guest on honour at a 60th birthday bash. In fact there maybe a few more birthday surprises over the weekend. At kombis age perhaps it might be a prize for the kombi with the best "botox" job.

All joking aside despite its age and having its hey day in the 1960's and 1970's the kombi still generates great nostalgia for so many today. What's more it has been rediscovered of late not only by the baby boomers and wanderers travelling Australia but the many foreign backpackers who now see a trip up the coast in a Kombi as a must do Aussie experience. It has been represented in song, in film, in art but most of all in folklore as the only way to really experience a traditional Aussie beach holiday.

But those memories of endless summer days will be stirred by many other events and activities that represent an appreciation of the good times past. A new event in 2010 will be the staging of the National Vinyl Record Fair with many collectors vying for the total of Super Champion. There are categories for EP's and LP's from the 1950's to the 1980's across a number of musical genres. Vinyl records are now back in vogue with many arguing a higher sound quality from vinyl compared to new formats….. and then there are the amazing artwork and design of many of the record covers. So come along and see if you can find that very first record you bought that holds such a special memory? Perhaps you will find the classic Men at Work hit "Down Under" which features the Kombi with its line "travelled in a fried Kombi, On a Hippie trail, head full of zombie."

While the music may be a little different why not bring a picnic rug and spend an afternoon with friends and family listening to our headline act, Sons of Mercury. Tipped by many to be the next big thing to explode out of Australia they have their own original song Kombi Van. However there will be a host of other music and entertainment throughout the two day event

But the festival is not just a nostalgic experience... there is all the fun and activities of this increasingly popular beachside event that captures the coastal culture and lifestyle of Old Bar today. Popular events include the Bodyboarding Championships, the Surf Expression Session, beach fun runs, flipper running races, the annual skateboarding comp, sand modelling, huge coastal mega markets, amusement rides and art and sculpture exhibitions and so much more. So its time to pencil the Festival in your diary and start planning to hit the road, preferably in a Kombi! It's Old Bar or bust October 2nd and 3rd 2010. For lots more information visit www.oldbarbeachfestival.com.au

The Old Bar Beach Festival is a Regional Flagship Event supported by Tourism New South Wales.

For further media enquiries contact Kevin Williams (02 6556 5103) or email sydneyscenes@hotmail.com