By TANIA PHILLIPS
BOGANGAR’s Tammy Dundon is the toast of the Tweed after being named the 2013 Banana Festival Queen.
It was a double delight for Tammy who had earlier snared the Charity title in a rare double.
The Tweed Coaster raised more than $7,000 for her chosen charity Story Dogs and was annnounced as the Charity Queen on the Friday night at the annual ball at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre. She looked shocked on Saturday afternoon after the street parade when she added the Queen Title to her collection at the crowning ceremony on at Knox Park.
A tearful Tammy was announced by Tweed Shire Mayor Barry and was quick to thank her sponsors Murwillumbah Central Rotary as well as her family and charity Story Dogs.
During the crowning ceremony Cr Longland said the festival was an important part of Valley life.
“Every town needs something original that identifies it and the Banana Festival is one of those events for Murwillumbah,” he said.
The Tweed Valley Banana and Harvest festival, now in it’s 58th year, culminated in a spectacular parade which organisers said attracted a crowd of more than 6,000.
Despite being a Murwillumbah-based event, the parade had a distinct Tweed Coast flavour, being led off by Coast-based drummers Samba Blistas and including floats by the Cabarita Surf Club and Bogangar Primary School.
Event co-ordinator Eryn Young, who took over running the event this year, was happy with the way this year’s event went.
“I’ve very pleased,” she said after the crowning and before the inaugural mini-battle of the band in Knox Park.
“The turnout has been amazing – it has been the largest crowd we’ve had in a few years.
“It seems to be that the festival is slowly being resurected again. All of the girls and the chaperones have done an amazing job. We have raised a lot of money for local charities.
“I’d like to thank the whole community for getting behind it.”
