THOUSANDS and thousands was the precise figure quoted by parking volunteers directing incoming traffic, for numbers attending the Nana Glen Bale Out!.

Suffice to say a lot of locals and beyond came to enjoy the sunny winter’s afternoon-into-evening on Saturday June 5 at Nana Glen Equestrian Centre.

Fiona Barden, Section Leader of Industry and Destination Development at Coffs Harbour City Council was running the MyCoffs stand.

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“We’ve run a number of Bale Out! events around the region – the idea is to bring communities together after a lot of disconnection,” Fiona told News Of The Area.

“We’re running this one in conjunction with Orara Valley Progress Association.

“There’s a series of music performances topped off with Creedence and Friends, the tribute band; there’s things for the kids, pony rides, food trucks and a bonfire looked after by the Rural Fire Service.”

Jane Ormsby, Deputy Captain of the Rural Fire Service at Nana Glen was hoisting children into the cab of the fire truck for them to get a feeling of what it’s like inside the vehicle and what the trucks can do for them.

Jane told News Of The Area, “We’re offering a chance for the children to explore inside the fire truck.

“They can ask us questions and generally get to see the conditions we sit in and the equipment we use and how we use it.”

Matty Day, the founder of Skate and Create at Woolgoolga, working in collaboration with Coffs Council, set up an art activity called Selfie Street.

“It’s an art installation made by the kids and families where we take a black-and-white photograph, print them out, stick them on the backdrop and create artworks around them,” Matty explained.

With the catch cry of “live large and local!”, Bale Out! is a series of grass-roots events in the more far-flung villages throughout the Coffs region, seeing communities working alongside Council’s Community Programs team culminating in the Bale Out! Family Fun Day at Harbourside Markets on Sunday 20 June 10am – 2pm.

By Andrea FERRARI