IF you want some foot tapping, knee slapping, hand clapping fun, then head to Karuah this weekend for the annual Lost Highway Bluegrass Music Festival.

This will be the Festival’s ninth year and organiser Sharon Wedd has been there from the very beginning.

“It started with the Chamber of Commerce,” Sharon told News Of The Area.

“We wanted to do something to bring people to town and one of our members said what about a music festival.”

The Festival, now in the hands of the Karuah Progress Association continues to go from strength to strength.

“We were washed out at Longworth Park a couple of years ago and we decided we can’t grow if we don’t have an all-weather event,” Sharon said.

‘The Big Top’ now provides an arena for the musicians.

This year performers are coming from all over Australia as well as the first band from the Northern Hemisphere, ‘The All Day Breakfast Stringband’ out of Montreal, Canada.

“There are market stalls, and the music is everywhere, right along the main street to inside the BP service station.”

Sharon is also quick to point out that it takes a great team and many months to organise the event.

“It’s been a lot of hard work and it takes a lot of people to make it successful.”

“Port Stephens Council has been our number one supporter not only for funding, but staff as well,” Sharon said.

Tickets are available online for the event or just rock up and buy them in town.

This year there’s also water taxi service from Tea Gardens to Karuah operating both Saturday and Sunday from 9am.

A return trip will cost $20 per person.

And if you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between Country Music and Bluegrass, here’s Sharon’s definition.

“Country sings about love lost in a sad way, Bluegrass sings about terrible, sad stories in an upbeat humorous way,” laughed Sharon.

‘’They’re great musicians, they get in and help each other, you might have one person on stage and you look behind them and they’ve all joined in.”

The festival runs from 5-7 May.

By  Margie TIERNEY