By ALENA HIGGINS
RECORD-breaking temperatures failed to deter crowds from grooving away at Stanthorpe’s biggest concert on Saturday.
Only in its second year, Stanthorpe Rocks sold out of its 2500 tickets six weeks in advance with people scrambling to hear the likes of Leo Sayer, Joe Camalleri and The Black Sorrows perform.
Organiser Ian-Wade Parker said the only negative was the stifling heat, with temperatures soaring to 37 degrees, the hottest November day in the Granite Belt history.
Angelo Puglisi (who owns the property where the concert is held) was squirting people with the hose to try and keep them cool and to break down the dust,” Mr Wade-Parker said.
“It was one of those one in a million days where you didn’t get a cool change.”
Local tourism operators also benefited from the massive injection of people.
With accommodation sold out in Stanthorpe, concert goers and G20 long weekenders spilled over into neighbouring Tenterfield and Warwick.
Retailers did not miss out either, with the three-day weekend pumping hundreds and thousands of dollars into the local economy.
“The G20 meant that Friday was one of the biggest Fridays retailers have every experienced,” Stanthorpe Chamber of Commerce president John Bylicki said.
“It felt like Easter or Christmas – it was just massive.”
Granite Belt Wine and Tourism marketing manager Guy Cantrel agreed, saying everyone he had spoken to had reported being very busy.
Impressively, fans are already lining up to purchase tickets for next year’s event.
“People have already booked and paid for three corporate boxes and 40 reserve seats for next year’s event, even before the acts have been named, a bewildered Mr Wade-Parker said.
“Our plan is to expand next year and move to the other side of the vineyard which will give us a lot more room and blank canvas to work with.”
For more photos, head to our online gallery at warwick.starcommunity.com.au
