Geoff Helisma Having rescheduled events from October due to wet weather, organisers of the Yamba River Markets are pressing ahead with plans to run the ‘Salty Kombi Show and Shine’ this Sunday November 26. “It’s on, come rain or shine,” says Phil Nicholas from Live Prawn Productions (LPP), the not-for-profit community organisation that operates the monthly markets and the Surfing the Coldstream Festival. Mr Nicholas said that LPP had changed the way it engages with the community. “People have remarked on the absence of the festival this year [usually held in October],” he said, “I want to let the community know that LPP is committed to presenting many of the festival’s elements at the markets.” He gave assurances that inclement weather would not dampen LPP’s program over the coming months. “When you’re working on outdoors events, dodging the weather is par for the course,” he said, “but it won’t stop us rolling out a regular event program. “Like the festival, the market is a free community event and attracts a large audience every month. “We have lots in the pipeline, including themed events, street performers, a collaboration with the PLUNGE festival in April and even additional markets planned.” At this Sunday’s market, in addition to the Kombi show and shine, there will be a ‘Yoga Yurt’, a display of surfboards by some of Angourie’s renowned shapers, and music teacher Ryan Enns will coordinate a big program of performances by his students. This is the fifth year Mr Enns has presented the end of year event, which in the past involved his students busking and singing. Mr Enns usually facilitated student performances at the festival, too. As a result he has an expanded line-up for the Sunday markets. “We’ve missed our normal chance [at the festival] to perform as a ‘mega-choir’, so this will be our chance,” he said. “I will have kids from all different schools performing together.” The mega choir will unite singers and guitarists from Yamba, Gulmarrad, Harwood and Chatsworth public schools, and guitarists from South Grafton, Maclean and Iluka public schools, Maclean High, Macauley Catholic College, Pacific Valley and St James schools will also perform. Fifteen acts are programmed from 9.30am to 11am, after which “some of my more senior students will perform until the markets finish”, Mr Ryan said. Meanwhile, in the Yoga Yurt, classes will run from sunrise through to midday and can be booked via the Yamba River Markets website. “Due to the popularity of the recent Yamba Yoga Festival, spaces are filling fast, so book ahead to experience the high calibre of teaching that exists among Yamba’s yoga community,” Mr Nicholas said.