COUNTRY music fans from across the country will converge on Horsham this week for the last Horsham Country Music Festival.
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The festival will have its final hurrah in 2019 after a 12-year run.
Co-ordinator Lyall Wheaton is the only committee member who has been involved with the festival since its inception in 2008.
He said, although it was sad to say goodbye to the festival, it was the right time to finish it.
"In our 13 person committee, 11 are in their 70s or 80s, so it really wasn't a hard decision," he said.
"It also wasn't a decision that was made on a whim - we always said we wanted to do 10 festivals and we have surpassed that. We are very proud of what we have achieved."
About 1000 people are expected to attend the festival on Saturday, which is its busiest day.
Mr Wheaton said people travelled from South Australia, New South Wales and across Victoria for the event, and many were repeat visitors.
"A quarter of patrons come from South Australia and about a fifth come from New South Wales. They are all predominantly from rural areas," he said.
Festival chairman Colin Morrell said the committee members were involved because of their passion for music.
"You've got to be a country music tragic to run a festival like this because your heart and soul is in it," he said.
"The festivals are changing to a modern-type situation and that's the future. We're getting old, health problems are sneaking in and there's no one joining to replace us."
The festival has raised money for a number of appeals over its 12 years. Last year it donated $8500 to the drought appeal and it raised $33,500 for the recently completed Wimmera Cancer Centre.
Key information
The 2019 Horsham Country Music Festival will start on Thursday, March 21 and run until Sunday, March 24.
Featured artists on this year's line-up include Peter Coad and the Coad Sisters, Col Perkins, Sandi Dodd, Johanna Hemara, Brian Letton, Laura Downing, Don Costa, Justin Standley, Kiara Rodrigues, Dwayne Elix, Trevor Keilar, and Lachie and Georgia.
Walk-ups will be held on Thursday at Horsham Riverside Caravan Park from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. No registration is required. Local artists will perform at the Horsham Soundshell in Sawyer Park on Friday from 10am to 3.30pm.
The festival's busking competition will be held at the Horsham Plaza from 9.30am to 11.30am on Saturday.
Walk-ups and poets will be invited to perform on Sunday at Wimmera Lakes Caravan Park from 8.45am to 10am.
Festival passes are available at the Horsham and Grampians Visitor Information Centre. More information is available at www.horshamcountrymusic.com.au.
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