There were a lot of interesting utes at the Ute Muster over the weekend, but one youngster caught our eye.

The Deni number plates on the bright pink miniature ute had a backstory with deep connection to our famed event.

Spotted near the main stage on Saturday morning was five year-old Deni Charter-Reid.

The name is no coincidence - Deni was named after our town as her parents first met at the Deni Ute Muster 17 years ago.

Deni’s mum said the family love coming back and attending the Ute Muster, making the journey from the Yarra Valley.

A family invent indeed

The Deni Ute Muster becomes more family friendly as the years go by.

Fans bring more of their friends and family along each year, and those who have gone on to start their own families want their own children to love the event as much as they do.

The message that it’s a family-friendly affair has also reached the artists - Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont in particular this year.

They brought their son and daughter along for the adventure, staying at the Ute Muster both days and enjoying some of the around the grounds entertainment.

Daughter Tiggy also joined her parents on stage on Friday night, playing piano on a song she co-wrote with them and family friend Dan Biederman.

The song, Star of the Show, won a Golden Guitar in Tamworth last year.

More about the performance will be in Friday’s edition.

True Blue gentleman

He’s one of the country’s most famous and typical Aussies, and he’s a gentleman to boot.

John Williamson drew people into the festival arena with his storytelling charm during Friday night’s concert.

But backstage after the performance, he extended a kind gesture to PT journalist Zoe McMaugh.

Zoe was awaiting her scheduled interview with US superstar Tyler Hubbard when Williamson approached her.

Asking if she’d had “a feed” yet, he offered her his dinner ticket for the backstage dining room.

If he’d offered it up earlier in the evening, before Zoe hit the festival area food court, she might have taken him up on the offer.

What a True Blue Aussie.

Next level can collecting

We’re all becoming quite adept at recycling these days, with council areas across the state now all transitioned to the three bin system.

But a few kids at the Deni Ute Muster took their can collecting to a whole new level.

When the youngsters were initially seen running around and picking up flattened cans, our correspondent thought they were some keen environmentalists.

It became clear later on Friday evening, the youngsters had other plans.

All the cans they had collected were rounded up in one big perfect circle in the middle of the concert crowd - between the seated and standing patrons.

The youngsters were then jumping and sliding into the pile as if they were leaves raked up on an autumn day.

We’re not sure how the youngsters fared with that - aluminium cans are certainly not as soft as leaf litter.

Deniliquin Pastoral Times Google News Panels

Saturday, 23rd December 2023

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