Port Macquarie Goss: ‘Sound Bites’

PORT Macquarie’s newest Friday night block party is hitting Clarence Street – and you are invited!

Sound Bites is a new event courtesy of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council that will feature live entertainment and street performers, with the local eateries serving up your favourite eats and drinks.

This event launches on Friday 5 September then every Friday in September between 5pm – 8pm.

To support the live music, Council has built a permanent stage with river views as a backdrop.

This week we have all the goss about this fantastic initiative, from Vivian Mitchell, Senior Cultural Officer with the Community Activation team.

Vivian, this is a very exciting Council initiative. What can we expect?

Our team, the Community Activation team, have been planning this event for over one year. We received a grant from the NSW Department of Transport called Permit, Plug, Play. We were one of only four NSW regions to benefit and receive funding for the pilot program. The whole idea is to activate streets and make it vibrant, and to make street-based events a whole lot easier to deliver.

What can we expect from Sound Bites?

Each Friday in September we have Sound Bites on Clarence which is an outdoor free family event. [It will be] a live hub of music with each week having a different band and musicians, food, and street-roving performers. It is really going to create quite a vibe.

With Fisherman’s Wharf, the wider walkway and better lighting and, of course, the new stage just built, it really is giving the eateries at the river end of Clarence Street a wonderful opportunity for more business.

The whole bottom part of the street will be closed off every Friday night. There will be some tables and chairs and street furniture, so that the public can sit and watch the entertainment and eat food from the local eateries, cafes and restaurants.

I speak on behalf of all the businesses on Clarence Place, and everyone is looking forward to the launch of this event.

We at Council are just as excited. It is designed to make a real impact to the community and support collaborative approaches and hopefully enhance the whole cultural and economic space for the CBD.

Since ArtWalk, I have noticed that so many trees have now been lit-up with those wraparound fairy lights. Is that now a permanent feature?
Yes, that was part of the NSW Transport grant.

I have noticed that you have a wide selection of live entertainment booked for September, can you tell us a bit about the different acts?

We are launching this Friday 5 September with Steve Bennett, a seasoned musician who really gets people to sing along. Friday 12 September we have Nate Marks, he is a powerhouse country and rock style performer. Friday 19 September, we have a band called Mastersonics, they are a collective of the Mid North Coast’s finest session musicians featuring modern classics, blues and soul. Friday 26 September is a double bill with “Josh Josh” – an independent artist originally from Port Macquarie now living in Sydney – as well as Korderoy, an Indie pop band from the Mid North Coast. We are thrilled to have them onboard. Each week, the street performers will change and include acrobats, face painting, etc., to add to the atmosphere.

Thanks Vivian for talking to us. All roads lead to Clarence Street in September. Have you had a peak at the weather forecast?

We have had enough rain, and we are happy to report that the weather forecast for this Friday is going to be good.

I’m looking forward to [seeing] local families and tourists joining in on the fun.

By Dave ‘Scoop’ LAZARUS