Country Energy Casino Beef Week’s 28^th Festival has wrapped up and all organizers are declaring it a great success.

Not even rain on Friday or Saturday morning could deter the thousands of people who packed into the Casino Town Centre for the Beef Industry Breakfast and the Beef Week Street Carnival. 

 “The support from the community was overwhelming.” Beef Week President Stuart George said.  “Casino’s community spirit always shines through at Beef Week.”

The only downside of the 2010 festival was the cancellation of the Beef Week Rodeo on Saturday night.  Mr George said “Rodeo organizers faced, with what appeared to be set-in rain on Saturday morning and potentially hefty freight costs had to make a decision about the rodeo before stock contractors set out for Casino.  It was unfortunate that the rodeo did not go ahead but nobody could have known the weather was going to clear like it did.” He said.

Mr George admitted that Beef Week Committee members were feeling bleak at the heavy skies blanketing Casino on Saturday morning when it seemed the steady rain would drench the Street Carnival.  “We were all feeling pretty disheartened about 5.30 Saturday morning”, he said. 

“But surprisingly we still had good crowds even when it was raining.  The crowd really started to grow when the rain cleared on Saturday morning 11.00.  I’m sure the rain would have deterred some people from traveling to Casino but we can’t control the weather and in the end we were very happy with how the day turned out.”

Meanwhile the weather could not have been better for the Beef Week Family Fun Day at the Casino Village RV Resort on Sunday.  Up to 3000 people are estimated to have turned out in the bright late autumn sunshine to meet popular television vet Dr Harry Cooper, hear rising country music star Amber Lawrence in concert and browse the market stalls.

“Country Energy’s Platinum Sponsorship will continue into the 2011 Casino Beef Week Festival and a number of new first time sponsor have already said how impressed they were with the Festival and are very very keen to increase their sponsorship next year”, Mr. George said.  “The future of beef week is looking very strong.”

The last twelve months have been again a busy one for us at the Beef Week office. During this period we have welcomed to the team Donna Yager as the Festival’s Co-Ordinator and Cherie Holdsworth as Administration Co-Ordinator. These appointments have seen the festival organisation build on the solid foundations that have been set in place over the past years and I thank them both for their valuable and time and effort.

On behalf of the Beef Week Festival Board and Committee members I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all sponsors, coordinators, passionate volunteers and Festival attendees – each of you contribute to making the Festival a success each year.