People of all ages flocked to Barellan on Saturday for the first full day of the annual Good Old Days weekend.
After a year away from the event, it appears that Barellan has come back stronger than ever.
The festivities kicked off on Friday evening with a “tribute to the teams”.
The event saw different teams of horses, clydesdales, mules, donkeys and camels “driven” into Barellan from across the country.
They were then paraded down the main street.
Event publicity officer Carl Chirgwin Event said that the weekend was off to a brilliant start.
”It’s exceeding expectations. I think the year off has really gathered people’s momentum again,” he said.
“The number of campers blew us away. We’re full on one side and it’s like Clancy of the Overflow on the other.”
It was estimated that between 2500 – 3000 had already come through the gate by midday on Saturday, with more expected to flood through in the afternoon and the following day.
For Mr Chirgwin, the highlight of the weekend is always seeing generations come together.
”It’s been great watching the little ones ask questions about things like butter-churning and how things used to be done,” he said.
“You can see the grandparents answering and it really touches your heart.“
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Saturday hosted a range of stalls, demonstrations, races and activities for all ages.
The weekend is designed to showcase the early days of Australian agriculture and the way people lived, famed and worked in the good old days.
It’s also a huge boost for Barellan’s local economy. Up to 6000 people have been estimated to flow through town for the weekend.
“It brings people from all walks of life. People say that it’s really unique,” Mr Chirgwin said.
The community response, he says, has been brilliant.
“It puts a bit of a tear in your eye when you can see your average joe-blow come out and help,” he said.
The event was cancelled due to heavy rain least year, but Mr Chirgwin feels that they’ve come back from it stronger than ever.
“We pushed really hard to come back this year. We were a bit more organised in ourselves and it’s paid off.”
For more information on the weekend visit http://www.barellanclydesdales.com.au
