It’s time to party! Melbourne trio (left to right) Lanie Harris, Catherine Lawford (partly obscured) and Kristen Reilly in the mood of the weekend at the Saturday evening dinner held at the Charlton Hall.
Local band “Blend It” (left to right) Stephen Melican, Leo Tellefson and Edward Parry – standing in for Ross Lane) kept the large crowd happy during the Saturday evening dinner before patrons headed on to the Charlton Motel for the headline acts.
Charlton’s population swelled significantly last weekend with the arrival of hundreds of visitors for the annual “OK Motels” event which combines music, community fellowship and a welcoming embrace for travellers from across the state and beyond.
Initiated in 2018 by entrepreneur and photographer, Kate Berry, the 2025 incarnation has seen the gathering grow in stature, embracing more of the community and drawing a strong returnee crowd, along with plenty of first-timers.
Last Saturday’s heat was no deterrent for participants, with the pool party literally being one of the “hottest tickets” in town as a massive crowd made the most of a refreshing dip and took in the aqua-batics of “The Clams” water ballet.
With the 1970s-styled Charlton Motel as the hub, Friday night’s opening kicked off with a variety of bands – a stand-out being saxophonist Kirsty Tickle from the “Party Dozen”, who had the crowd raving. A moving “welcome to country” was also a highlight for many. The party picked up steam on Saturday and Sunday with plenty of activities happening across the town.
More stories and a review of the weekend will appear in the next edition of the “Times”.
