The one-month countdown is on for Australia’s Biggest Camel Party, with the tiny town of Tara in Queensland’s Western Downs getting ready to host its biggest crowd to date for the Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races.
Organisers are anticipating a record number, in excess of 12,000 camel party enthusiasts, festival fans and travellers from across Australia to inundate Tara across 3 days this 2 – 4 August.
Attendance in recent years has seen the biennial festival become one of the most popular camel races in Australia, highly sought for its mix of camels, culture and camping.
Festival President Kerry Kelly said, the festival had seen demand for 3-day passes and camping sites skyrocket for the 2024 event, having to increase the number of available camping sites to accommodate the predicted 20 percent increase in attendance that will grow Tara’s population by at least 6-fold for the weekend.
“The people of our town set out to hold the 3-day festival as a way to put Tara on the map and to hold an incredibly positive and fun weekend that would always be associated with Tara.
“We spend months and months of planning, giving our time for everyone to have a good time, and it’s all worthwhile.“What began as a small inaugural event in 2001 attracting 950 attendees, we’ve grown to be a significant event on Queensland’s event calendar and our committee of local and passionate volunteers continue each festival to set the bar higher.
“We’re so humbled and proud to think that the Tara Festival would evoke so much excitement, bring on the party!” Ms Kelly said.
The event’s excessive full name ‘Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races’ is a giveaway to the extravagance of the program, which delivers an intoxicating mix of professional camel races on the track and non-stop multi-cultural entertainment off the track.
The festival’s entertainment lineup will see country music legend Lee Kernaghan take centre stage. Country duo Zac & George and Australia’s Best Country Music DJ, Dee Jaye Bux will join the party on the main stage for the festival’s Saturday night entertainment once the camels leave the track.
Kicking off with a carnival of colour and cultural excitement on the Friday opening night, the weekend continues with camel races every hour followed by yabby races, and two big stages with rolling cultural acts and live music headline acts including Celtic-rock big band Murphy’s Pigs and 2024 Australian Idol favourite ‘cowboy camel farmer’ Trent Richardson.
for the kids, there’s roving entertainers, a big kids zone, camel rides and fireworks.
Ms Kelly added, “We’re delighted to introduce our Novelty Fashions on the Field competition. Each year we love seeing ‘caravans’ of attendees putting in a huge effort, getting dressed up in all sorts of camel-themed outfits. To encourage everyone to get into the spirit, we’ve introduced individual and group categories for the fashion faux par or costumed inclined.
“Tara has a population under 2,000 and our little community are proud in what we have achieved in continuing to build this event.”
The festival’s monumental growth and success is the pride of Tara’s small community, now one of the biggest gatherings in the Darling Downs Region.
The Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
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WHERE IS TARA?
Tara is located just three and a half hours west of Brisbane and two hours west of Toowoomba.
FESTIVAL DATES: 2 AUGUST – 4 AUGUST 2024
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Festival Marketing & PR Coordinator
Sally Bird
M 0488 273 353
E sally@kristahauritz.com.au