Wallabadah to host 'The Way It Was' festival for the first time in May 2022 after historic New Year's Day Wallabadah Cup races cancelled

Wallabadah Jockey Club president Tim Mackie said he was annoyed to find the long tradition of the town's iconic New Year's Day race event would be cancelled after an uphill battle.

The 2022 edition of the Wallabadah Cup was cancelled by Racing NSW due to safety concerns surrounding the track.

"The race was an iconic thing and it was a sad piece of history to be lost," he said.

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Wondering what to do next, Wallabadah came together to plan 'The Way It Was' festival at the racecourse this weekend.

According to Mick Carr, one of the event's organisers, the idea for the festival came from a conversation over a couple of beers on New Year's Eve.

Mr Carr said he wanted to put on a draft horse event for the community and to ensure the facilities at the track would get some use.

From the initial idea to host a small draft horse event and a dog trial, Mr Carr said momentum grew quickly as various community groups jumped on-board to organise local events in May.

'The Way It Was' festival will also boast market stalls, blacksmith and post-splitting demonstrations, market stalls, and vintage vehicles.

There is camping available at the grounds and the pub is putting on a band.

Mr Mackie said the aim of the event was to fill the coffers enough to ensure the survival of the town's racetrack.

"It's a fantastic facility and it's got a very bush feel about it and that's what people like about it," he said.

Mr Mackie said he had been surprised at how quickly the Wallabadah community had embraced the festival idea and supported it.

Events like 'The Way It Was' are incredibly important for keeping small country towns alive, Mr Mackie said.

"If we were to allow this facility that we've got to become the next overgrown piece of land that doesn't get anything done with it then it would just be the next chapter in a dying community," he said.

Mr Mackie said he hoped the festival would be supported and continue to grow in years to come.

'The Way It Was' festival will be held at the Wallabadah Racecourse on Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15.

Entry to the festival is $5, or free for kids, with camping available for $10 per site. Details are on the event Facebook page.

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