It's going to be an ABBA-solutely fabulous weekend in Trundle when the small rural town hosts the eighth annual Trundle ABBA Festival.
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More than 5000 visitors will help inject an estimated $1.3 million into the local economy through accommodation, retail and hospitality. This year the festival is being held on Saturday, May 4.
With Trundle and surrounding communities going through hardship due to the drought, the ABBA Festival helps boost the spirit of locals, Parkes Shire mayor, Ken 'Benny' Keith OAM said.
"It's a good opportunity to come together and forget about the fact that it hasn't rained much in the last 12 months," he said.
"The best way to support towns in a drought is to actually come out and spend a few dollars in communities. So we encourage people to make the effort, particularly this year, to come out and enjoy the ABBA Festival," Cr Keith sad.
Last year the Festival saw 5000 visitors descend on Trundle, and it's likely even more could attend in 2019.
One of the highlight acts for the 2019 event will be 'Bjrn Again' who are regarded as the most successful ABBA tribute act of all time,.
They were a huge hit in 2018 and are returning to Trundle as the feature act, as part of their 30th anniversary tour.
Cr Keith said the festival is a wonderful success story for the town of Trundle.
"It's one of the most vibrant communities in Australia in terms of getting things down," he said.
"We've got a positive attitude in hosting the ABBA Festival and that positively flows on top the community and farming community in particular..."
Cr Keith said Trundle's ABBA Festival is more successful at this period in time than the Elvis Festival was in Parkes during it's eighth year.
"It's great tribute to the ABBA committee and particularly to Gary and Ruth Crowley who initiated the whole concept," he said.
People come from all over the central west and Australia to attend the ABBA Festival, and bring their caravans and tents and camp at the local Showground in order to participate.
"And there's busloads that come from Orange.. a lot of people make the effort to come from right around the region," Cr Keith said.
What makes the Trundle ABBA Festival such a popular and continually growing event was the music according to Cr Keith.
"Australia as a nation really embraced ABBA all the way from Sweden."