Shelley Anderson-Cooper (pictured), of Alexandra, was one of about 100 artists who kept the crowd entertained from Friday through until yesterday at the 30th Gold’N’Notes Hoedown.
Ferg Mitchell organised the first one and is still involved in organising the event today, along with fellow Cromwell residents Mike and Lynette Hedges. He said support for the hoedown showed no sign of waning.
"If anything, it’s getting bigger and bigger. There’s a family atmosphere which attracts a very happy, contented group of people," he said.
The hoedown’s original venue was the Hakataramea Hotel, then it moved to the Otematata Hotel for three years, and then to Omarama before outgrowing that venue, too. It moved to the Cromwell racecourse in 2012 and more than 200 motor homes parked at the site for the hoedown. The showcase on Saturday night included Australian entertainer Don Costa and 12-year-old Brianna Hedley, of Gore, who recently won the the New Zealand Country Music Junior Entertainer of the Year title.
