Burketown Comes Alive!

The Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland, Australia is home to one of the world's most extraordinary phenomena, the Morning Glory Cloud. These clouds are so rare most people will never see one in their life. There is only one spot on Earth where the cloud can be predicted and observed on a regular basis from late September to early November and that's in the town of Burketown, 30km inland from the Gulf. To celebrate the incredible natural occurrence, the inaugural Morning Glory Festival will take place from 25th to 28th of September, 2014 in Burketown, Tropical North Queensland.

The festival will combine a program of events including a camp draft, rodeo, cultural workshops and Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation's (CLCAC) 30 year anniversary celebrations.

Saturday 27 September features the Burketown races followed by a live concert with Cairns-based band, The Hillbilly Goats and Brisbane-based band Dubmarine headlining the night.

Triple J Unearthed describe Dubmarine as "smashing together dub, dancehall, reggae, drum n bass, and just a little touch of rock, the nine-piece tour-de-force rocks".

The Hillbilly Goats are summarised best by The Weekend Australian "...the Hillbilly Goats exhibit genuine passion and no lack of expertise or energy in their mission to present a taste of old-time Appalachian folk to Australian audiences."

The festival will culminate with CLAC's 30 year anniversary community celebration, Which features live music, traditional dancing and a bush-food feast in the Morning Glory Park on the evening of Sunday 28 September. The public is welcome and it's free of charge.

“The inaugural Morning Glory Festival will celebrate where Burke Shire has come from, where it is now and its aspirations for the future. This is an area proud of its past and with an immensely promising future”, explains Cr Ernie Camp, Mayor, Burke Shire Council. “The event has the potential to become the single biggest economic booster for tourist operators and local business within the Shire. We look forward to welcoming visitors from all over for the celebration.”

For the latest festival announcements visit: www.morninggloryfestival.com.au

The Morning Glory Festival is a joint partnership of the Burke Shire Council, the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Council and the Burketown Rodeo & Sporting Association with support from Tourism and Events Queensland and the Australian Government's Festivals Australia.