Parkes has Elvis and now Lithgow has staked its claim to The Beatles, with the inaugural Beatlesfest swinging across the region this October long weekend.
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From September 29 to October 1, 14 venues in Lithgow, Portland and Wallerawang will host over 20 live music events, dress ups, trivia and more.
According to founder Wade Jackson, he and co-founder Jonathan Sequeira conceptualised the festival to bring the region to life over the long weekend.
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"We were just thinking, What can we what can we do out here? There's plenty of people saying that there's nothing to do," Mr Jackson said
"And we thought, why don't we try something? and he [Sequeira] came up with the idea that we do some sort of festival."
After a range of ideas from french food to David Bowie, the pair settled on a Beatles festival due to the ongoing relevance of the band.
"With with the success at parks Elvis festivals had, they're up to 25,000 visitors now, This year was probably 50,00. And I thought, The builders have a broader range of fans, age wise," Mr Jackson said.
Mr Jackson said the Elvis festival has been an inspiration for the Beatlesfest concept and both himself and Mr Sequeira hope to achieve similar success in the coming years.
"They've [Elvis festival organisers] done such a great job out there and something from nothing," Mr Jackson said.
"Our plan is to try and reach those numbers within four to five years."
The weekend will kick off at 10:30am on the 29th when the Gang Gang gallery opens for their 'Rock photos' exhibition by photographer David Wallace and will finish on October 1st 'The Lost World's Octopus garden' at Club Lithgow.
According to Jackson, a range of local eateries will also be participating by offering a range of themed options.
"The Tin Shed are doing a German theme to pay tribute to the Beatles time in Hamburg. They played at a club called the Kaiserkeller," Mr Jackson said. "The Tin Shed will be renamed Kaiserkeller for the weekend with all German food."
"128 will be English fare- such as Yorkshire puddings and high teas."
According to Mr Jackson, the events are predominantly free, with the exception of some ticketed events.
There are also free events that will require tickets for the purpose of numbers.
Mr Jackson said he is optimistic the festival will be a success for locals and tourists.
"I'm sure once people from the city come out, they'll see why we all love it here," Mr Jackson said.
Full program details are available at beatlesfest.com.au/program
Reidun Berntsen
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
