Club lights up Speed Festival

Fired up: Murwillumbah Services Club CEO Guy Diven and Business Chamber president Toni Zuschke look forward to the first ever big display of fireworks above the Murwillumbah section of the Tweed River.

Scott Powick

POSSIBLY the first major fireworks display to be set off above the Tweed River in Murwillumbah is planned to light the town skies for the start of the Festival of Speed on Tweed next Friday night.

“It's certainly the first to my knowledge,” said Murwillumbah Services Club chief executive officer Guy Diven, whose organisation has agreed to sponsor the show, while at the same time providing the best seat in town to watch it.

“We have 4000 members who are part of the community, but we haven't had the opportunity to take a big role in Speed on Tweed in previous years,” Mr Diven said.

“The Services Club is the gateway to the town. We have this wonderful resource known as the Tweed River and none of us use it to its full potential.

“I'm reasonably certain without the Services Club coming on board the fireworks wouldn't be taking place.”

The 10-minute fireworks show is due to begin at 9pm on Friday with the Services Club putting on a $45 five-course meal on its outdoor dining terrace to coincide with the event.

Mr Diven said the club's total commitment to the Festival of Speed on Tweed would be “just on $10,000” including the fireworks and hiring a band of drummers “marching around town starting from the club”. “They are going to drum around town for the evening and come back to the club for the grand finale,” he said.

In addition, the club plans to host a parade of historic cars in its car park at 11am Friday morning as well as feed event marshals on Friday and Saturday evenings.