Saturday showed some of that beautiful spring weather that Wagga has been missing of late.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The sun was shining, there was a stillness in the air and it was too nice of a day to be indoors.
Thankfully, more than 3000 people thought the same and they didn’t mind getting a little bit sweaty to see some of the best bands of the 1970s and 1980s.
Wagga has been crying out for an entertainment venue for years, with upgrades to the Equex Centre planned and a proposal for an all-new facility at Bomen floating around.
But the humble Murrumbidgee Turf Club has been overlooked.
For two years now, it has played host to a successful Rock at the Races and Saturday evening was no exception.
Organisers are looking at coming back and MTC staff are ensuring they have all their ducks in a row to make it feasible.
By all accounts, the crowd had a fabulous time and the bands played the best pub rock songs you could hope for.
The crowd was well behaved, as you would expect with a group of people with a slightly average age than those you could expect to see at Wagga’s nightclubs.
It’s just a bunch of people who want to listen to music that reminded them of happy days and have a good time.
Whether you want a trip down memory lane or just appreciate a good live band, Rock at the Races seemed to be the place for you.
There aren’t enough events like this that come to the city and we should be doing what we can to make them feel welcome enough to return.
It’s one thing to sit at home and say that Wagga needs more attractions but another to slap on some sunscreen and a hat to leave the house to support them.
Residents are the first ones to whinge about missing out but what did we do to ensure these events returned?
Our location between Sydney and Melbourne makes us an obvious spot for tours to stop and there is enough accommodation around for visitors to stay.
We just need somewhere for the events to be held.
Could the MTC take over as the city’s premium live concert venue?
Or is the success of Rock at the Races an indication that more needs to be done to update the existing facilities that are meant to house these events?