Jenny Pollard, The Buloke Times
It starts with a road trip and bridges the city / country divide. There’s a playlist for the road and it brings some of the biggest names in indie music to the “bush”.
But above all, what makes the “OK Motels Festival” such a hit is the positive focus it brings to Charlton and the energising momentum that results.
With the metro media drumming up interest in the lead-up to this year’s event, a number of locals had their “time-to-shine” in radio and television interviews as the festival’s significance for the town was revealed.
And Charlton pulled out all the stops – planning a weekend of activities to enhance the travellers’ experience, while embracing them in true country style.
Multi-Age
Attracting a multi-age demographic, the weekend is not just a cursory sightseeing jaunt with a powerhouse music night thrown in. This year, it felt more like a “welcome-back” – to where friendships had been forged and where former attendees introduced newcomers to the town.
Visitor comments about the event repeatedly emphasized the relaxed pace and a desire to reconnect to something authentic and genuine.
One group from Melbourne said they had heard “great stuff about Charlton” and loved the style of the event, along with the way the whole town was involved. “We’ve been to other festivals” said Shabs Gill, “and this is much more relaxed. And I absolutely love that the motel room is so close to the music venue!”
Respect
As the Festival has evolved, mutual feelings of respect between visitors and locals have deepened and the addition of numerous add-on activities this year has brought even more locals into the mix.
The initial ice-breaker back at the 2019 event was the pool competition, where the doubles teams had to be made up from a local and a blow-in. This is now an integral part of the weekend, with “OK” organiser Kate Berry, saying, “It’s a way of bringing people together. And now some of the blow-ins actually stay with the locals when the festival is on!”
Reinvigoration
Reinvigoration for the Charlton Motel, which hosts the Saturday night music extravaganza, has been one of the many byproducts of the Festival. On-site managers, David and Anne Barker, were excited about the event, saying it was “huge” for the town and helps to revitalize the place.
“OK Motels has built a connection for Charlton,” said Anne. “In fact we have had an enquiry from Tasmania, which came out of a link to this event.”
While upgrades to the premises have brought lasting improvements, they have not eradicated the ’70s vibe, which is still the big attraction.
The other bonus is a reawakening of interest in the venue.
“So many locals have called in here and told us their memories of the place,” said Anne; “ things like “my wedding reception was held here” and “I remember attending functions here”. It’s really regenerated a lot of interest.”
Opportunities
From an economic perspective, president of the Charlton Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Troy Heenan, praised the event for the opportunities it brings, especially to the local accommodation, hospitality and retail outlets. The potential for generating repeat visits and bringing different groups of people to the town were also bonuses, he said.
Sell-Out
And the early stats reflect some of the impact. All Charlton accommodation was sold-out, as well as the Wedderburn Motel, the Traveller’s Rest precinct had 160 campers (including a number of glamping tents), Year 10 work experience students catered for 150 meals for Saturday night dinner at the Charlton Motel, Charlton Youth Group quickly sold out of some of the favourite ice creams at the Pool Party, and the CWA prepared more than 120 Devonshire Teas for the crowd which filled the Bowling Club rooms. Add in the support for all the other outlets across the town, and benefits are clear.
The Aim
With the aim of making the town the real star, community initiatives like the Creatives Market, the Uniting Church Bazaar, the Forgotten Fashions Vintage Market, Stuart Giles photography exhibition at the Courthouse and the all-of-town garage sale aided the process of pulling people together. Opportunities for the local youth also feature Charlton College Year 10 work experience students and the Charlton Youth Group being actively involved with hospitality.
Music
Former Buloke Mayor and music man, Leo Tellefson, along with members of the band “Blend It” (Ross Lane, Robert “Shorty” Emmett and Danny Walsh) supplied the dinner music at the Motel on Saturday night, also bringing a home-grown flavour to the entertainment.
The headline drawcard, Australian singer / song writer and international performer Julia Jacklin, brought a huge buzz to the venue with her indie pop / folk sounds, while support band “Frente” also had a strong following.
The evening commenced with a striking Welcome to Country by Dja Dja Wurrung man, Jason Kerr playing the didgeridoo.
While conversations were struck up easily between visitors and locals, one of the stand-out requests came from some Canadian travellers who wanted to know where they could see some kangaroos!
Nominee
As a nominee in the 2022 Victorian Music Awards Public Vote category for Best Regional Festival, “OK Motels Charlton” (as a fledgling event) was up against some well-established competition, but given the impact of this year’s Festival there’s a strong window of opportunity for support if it makes the list in 2023.
And to round out the commentary, it’s probably best summed up in the words of East Charlton Hotel publican, Greg Towers: “The vibe that comes with this Festival is amazing. You just want to be around everyone. It’s happy, relaxed and loads of fun!”
Next issue: Alyssa Walker’s visit to the Charlton Festival.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 24 February 2023.
Related story: Better than “OK”!
