1 March 2021

A rocking good reason to head to Tumut in March

| Edwina Mason
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Rock band Baby Animals.

Hard rock band Baby Animals will headline Tumut’s 2021 Rock the Turf festival on 13 March. Photo: Rock the Turf.

Each year in Tumut, just prior to the Festival of the Falling Leaf, the town totally rocks.

With the amber light still shining over the annual festival, which has tentatively been set down for 24 April, 2021, the town is focused on Rock the Turf, which returns after a 12-month hiatus due to COVID-19.

Saturday, 13 March, is the date to lock into your calendar as Australian music icons Baby Animals and Thirsty Merc headline the all-day music festival by the river at Tumut Racecourse.

Crowd watching band onstage at Rock the Turf.

Rock the Turf festival, held at Tumut Racecourse, draws music lovers of all ages. Photo: Rock the Turf.

Event-goers will be singing along to classic Baby Animals songs such as One Word, Early Warning and Rush You.

The hard rock band exploded onto the Australian music scene with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1991 and quickly gained worldwide acclaim. They’ve opened for Van Halen and toured with the likes of Bryan Adams and The Black Crowes.

Australian pop rock band Thirsty Merc continue to cement their place in the fabric of Australia’s music landscape with four critically acclaimed albums, five ARIA Awards nominations, and more than 250,000 albums sold to date.

Their set list will feature much-loved songs including In the Summertime and Someday, Someday, as well as the band’s newer material.

The stellar line-up of artists for Rock the Turf 2021 also includes blue-billy-grass-rockin’-roots band 19Twenty, Canberra’s The Barren Spinsters, and local favourites Velvetsmyle, Colourz, Captain Jack and The Rhythm Sect.

The Barren Spinsters.

Popular Canberra band The Barren Spinsters will perform at Rock the Turf 2021. Photo: Supplied.

As Tumut Racecourse comes alive with the sound of music, a wide array of food and beverage stalls, and a number of children’s amusements, will be on offer.

Organisers say Rock the Turf has previously attracted audiences of up to 1500 people from all over Australia, with one couple having previously driven from Far North Queensland for the event.

“Rock the Turf is fast becoming a destination event, which is what we’ve been building towards,” said a festival spokesperson.

“Most of the attendees make a weekend of it and take in the sights of Tumut and the surrounding areas while they are here.”

Only a limited number of tickets are available due to COVID-19 restrictions. They are selling fast and are available here.

Things to do while visiting Tumut

Places to visit during your trip include Tumut River Brewing Co, which inhabits a former tyre shop on the corner of Gocup Road and Snowy Mountains Highway. The brainchild of two mates ‘who wanted to make beer’ has evolved into an attraction offering award-winning beers and ciders alongside gourmet pizzas, and brewery tours.

The beautiful Tumut Labyrinth for Peace in Pioneer Park celebrates the community service of the town’s citizens in times of peace and conflict. It offers a quiet place for reflection for everyone, including those less able with a width and surface that facilitates access by wheelchair and motorised scooter.

Tumut Broom Factory is the last original millet broom factory in Australia. It has been producing millet brooms since 1946 and is open to the public at its Adelong Road location. Here you can see brooms being manufactured and can purchase one of your own.

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