Full program announced for Hunter Coal Festival

A full program of events, centred around the Upper Hunter cities of Singleton and Muswellbrook, but also extending into Newcastle, its beaches and port area, has been announced for the Hunter Coal Festival, running in the second half of March.

Events range from a major Community Day – including a street parade and concerts – as part of the Hunter Mining Show on March 14, a Hunter Mining Legends Lunch hosted by Singleton Rugby Club, to debating and essay writing competitions involving Upper Hunter Schools, a surf carnival in Newcastle, and the Muswellbrook Race Day which concludes the Festival.

The Hunter Coal Festival 2015 begins in Singleton on March 12, and finishes in Muswellbrook on March 29, with its program including community, business, industry, sporting and cultural activities.

And with the driving philosophy behind the event’s concept being a high level of community engagement, the program involves the region’s businesses, schools, sporting clubs, service organisations, charities and business associations.

“Community, business and sports organisations the length and breadth of the Hunter Valley have really thrown their support behind the Festival concept,” said Peter Eason, chair of the Hunter Coal Festival organising committee.

“We’ve been delighted at the willingness of so many organisations – schools, mining companies, sports clubs, charities, business organisations, TAFE, the University of Newcastle and our local councils – to really get behind our Festival,” he said.

“We’ve now got a very full program for the two weeks that the Festival runs, and it will be a real opportunity for the community to celebrate, understand, and learn more about this industry that contributes so much to our region.

“And now that we have locked our program in, over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out details of each of our events – and how people can participate in them,” said Mr Eason.

For more information about the Festival, please go to www.huntercoalfestival.com.au/festival-program.