For Gavin Bean, after a quarter of a century, the Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival isn’t just a date on the calendar, it’s family.
Long before he became the voice of the main stage, he was watching from the sidelines as his father worked the microphone in the event’s early years.
Now, into his own run as DJ and MC, he’s the one steering the soundtrack of a weekend that changes the town into the 1950s.
“This is my 20th year being involved with the festival,” Bean said.
“It started primarily as a car show… pre-1974 cars, mainly American.
“Then it built out from there.”
What began in 2001 as a classic car showcase has now grown into a full-blown cultural celebration.
The festival, from 27 to 29 March, now features rockabilly bands, vintage fashion, dancing in the street and chrome-lined vehicles stretching down the main drag.
As the festival’s MC, Bean is always on the go.
“It’s running that whole program, keeping everything on track, making sure what needs to happen at a certain time happens,” he said.
“I do all the announcing and host the best dressed parade.
“Depending on the weather, we can have 30 or 40 contestants.
“Even double that on a sunny day.”
In 2026, organisers are preparing for one of their biggest programs yet, expanding the entertainment line-up to its largest in the festival’s history.
“We’ve actually booked more for 2026 than we have ever before,” Bean said.
“If people are going to make the effort and the financial expense to come from Sydney, Victoria or Queensland, they want high-calibre bands.
“We’re ready to go off with a bang.”
Cars remain at the heart of the weekend, with between 300 and 450 vehicles lining the street depending on entries.
While the focus remains largely on 1950s to 1970s classics, organisers have broadened the criteria in recent years to include motorbikes and “cars of interest”.
“If you’re a car lover, a music lover, a dance enthusiast, there’s going to be something for you there,” Bean told the Newcastle Weekly.
The atmosphere, he added, is what makes the weekend special.
Shops decorate their storefronts, stallholders line the streets with vintage memorabilia, and Rotary Park has music and dancing.
“In all the years I’ve been involved, there’s been very limited issues,” he said.
“It’s a nice, safe environment and great for the town.”
Hosting the event across an entire weekend rather than a single day is deliberate.
It allows visitors to travel, stay overnight and inject money directly into local businesses.
According to Cessnock City mayor Dan Watton, the festival attracts about 30,000 people and generates more than $5 million in direct economic impact, supporting jobs, the business sector and community organisations.
“Beyond the economic benefits, it builds community pride, showcases local talent and reinforces Kurri Kurri’s reputation as one of regional NSW’s most distinctive and welcoming event destinations,” he said.
Bean has seen that impact first-hand, too.
Local motels book out, pubs put on extra entertainment, restaurants serve hundreds through the weekend and even RV spaces near the rugby league grounds fill quickly.
Between Bean’s father, himself and his brother, the family’s been part of the festival since the beginning.
And, after 20 years on the microphone, he has no plans of handing it over anytime soon.
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