THE COUNTRY music capital's representation on Oxford Street at the Mardi Gras parade during Sydney WorldPride 2023 got off to a bumpy start.
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The Tamworth Pride group's float, Riding the Rainbow of Our Dreams to the Golden Guitar, was complete with disco lights, golden guitars, hay bales, and signage, but, when parade organisers told the group to start moving, the truck wouldn't start.
President Diane Harris immediately dived under the truck to try and get it going again, but there was nothing she could do. There was a solenoid on the starter motor.
"We just had to abandon the truck," she said.
The initial feeling was flat, secretary Will Weller said.
"There were quite a few people that were quite disappointed that we couldn't showcase that truck," he said.
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The group quickly rallied, grabbed what they could from the float and marched in their sequined vests, denim shorts, cowboy boots, and lit-up hats.
Ms Harris said it was "mind blowing".
"Everybody had a great time, the smiles when we walked at the end of it, just went, 'wow, that was amazing, and we've done it'," she said.
"It felt like we were superstars, not just from a regional country town trying to make ourselves visible, and visible for our communities."
Observers of the parade called out to them, and chanted 'Tamworth' at the group as they made their way, Mr Weller said.
"It seemed to lift the energy every time someone recognized Tamworth, and were really excited about us being in it," he said.
"It was a really, really awesome experience."
The perseverance of the group is one of the things Mr Weller is most proud of.
"We could have just given up and gone, that's it, but we all still marched, grabbed some signs from the truck and held them up," he said.
"I'm incredibly proud of everyone who put in all that effort to try and get us up to Sydney to showcase Tamworth.
"I think that we definitely were very visible."
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