If you’re looking for something to do this long weekend then head out to Bogan Gate on Saturday 3 October and support their annual Market Day.

Held at the Bogan Gate Community Memorial Hall, the markets are entirely volunteer run, and will be held from 8am until 1pm, with the popular Devonshire Teas available from 9am until 12.30pm.

There will be a great variety of stalls ranging from plants, cordials, salami, home baking, preserves, craft, laser art, mirrors, jewellery, collectables and bric a brac, books and more.

Monies raised from the Devonshire Teas and the raffle will be divided between the Bogan Gate Hall and the Bogan Gate Community Workshops.

This year’s amazing raffle contains items donated by Powertools Plus, Kell Thomas, Jo Bartyn, Ros & Steve Edwards and Shelley & Colin Nutley. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Hall on Saturday morning, and will be drawn at 12.30pm.

So grab your friends and family and head to Bogan Gate for a drive to enjoy one of the fantastic Devonshire Teas and visit with many stallholders such as Bogan Gate Public School, Lauren Crocheted Toys, Tumbling Downs, Outback Rustic, Charlie’s Collectables, Vivid Heart, Rose’s Tablecloths, Teddy Goose and Co, By Danica Rose, Jo’s Bows and Things, Creative Chaos by Bec and more.

The Bogan Gate Community Memorial Hall which was built in 1953 as a public function space and community memorial hub and is now a volunteer run function and social venue. The Community Hall holds events regularly for Anzac Day, Australia Day, markets (once or twice a year), community and seniors workshops and many more.

In addition to being used for community events, the hall is also available for hire for private functions such as weddings and funerals. If anyone would like to book the hall please contact Shelley on 0428 738 172.

Picture from last year’s Get Ready Weekend.

As the bush fire season approaches, now is the time to understand your bush fire risk and take simple steps to prepare your home, property and family. To help you get ready, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) hosts Get Ready Weekend events across the state, providing free information, practical advice and resources to help you prepare before the fire season begins.

Emergencies can happen quickly, with little to no warning or time to prepare. Being prepared ensures that everyone in your home knows what to do if an emergency happens — like where to go and what to take.

NSW Rural Fire Service – Parkes Headquarters Brigade are holding their Get Ready Weekend this Sunday the 20th of September, at the Parkes Bypass McDonald’s.

Get Ready Weekend is a chance for the community to plan and prepare for bushfire season, with the help of your local RFS.

It’s also a good opportunity to learn about the fire risk to your home and property, and learn about the Australian Fire Danger Rating System.

Bushfires can be extremely devastating for individuals, their families and the entire communities. They can result in the destruction of homes and belongings, loss of pets and livestock, serious and potentially life changing injuries or even loss of life.

Everyone is encouraged to head out to the Parkes Bypass McDonald’s this Sunday from 10am till 2pm. You’ll get the opportunity to meet some of your local RFS members, check out the big red firetrucks, see what tools and equipment they carry and there will be goodies for everyone, from the kiddies to mum, dad and the grandparents!

Pictured in 2025 the Forbes Hospital auxiliary team Terry, Robyn and Lloyd. The Hospital stall will also be at the 2026 fete.

The people of Forbes are invited to the Uniting Church 2026 Fete to be held in the church grounds and church hall on Saturday 5 September. The church is on Brown Street near Forbes Public school. The fete will be held from 9am to 2pm.

With Father’s Day on the 6 September organisers hope families will come along to the fete and have an early Father’s Day BBQ lunch, coffee and cake or find a bargain on one of the stalls onsite.

Available on the day will be a silent auction held in the church hall, fresh coffee and cake, a cake stall and produce stall with a great supply of citrus and garden produce.

Also for sale will be jams and preserves.

There will be a book stall with an extensive range of children’s and adult books at very low prices. A white elephant stall will be loaded with donated goodies including soft toys and children’s toys. Kitchenalia is always fun to hunt through at a fete. A new stall will be a pick-a-box stall and the plant stall will be enormous.

A big welcome will be extended to all who attend.

Did you meet Ray and Laurie McMahon when they were set up at Cunningham’s IGA. Ray and Laurie helped set up the Central West Charity Tractor Trek Group. They will be back in Parkes in the lead up to the Trek so stop and say hi!

The Central West Charity Tractor Trek are a group of volunteers who came together as a group in 2017. The group has been successfully fundraising and conducting Tractor Treks in Regional and Rural NSW during this time. Their mission is to support children and their families who are suffering from illness and/or disabilities within Central West and Regional NSW.

The upcoming Trek will be trekking in the Parkes area from 25th – 27th September, 2026. They conduct a Trek in a different area of the Central West of NSW each year and have been trekking each year since 2017 except through COVID. They usually have around 20 tractors and with drivers and volunteers/Marshalls it equates to around 80 people participating. Each entrant pays a fee to register for the event and are encouraged to seek sponsorship for their tractor.

A Fund Raising Dinner has been organised and will be held on 26th September, 2026 from 6.00pm at the Parkes Leagues Club. The fundraiser will consist of a sit down meal and an auction. All of the Parkes community is invited to attend and help support the event.

The Central West Charity Tractor Trek group raises money for Little Wings who provides free transport by air and road for sick children and their families to Sydney for medical treatment. All the money that is raised directly supports families in the central west of NSW.

Those who are able to can support the Trek by making a donation, attending the fundraising dinner, buying a Raffle Ticket or merchandise, sponsoring a tractor or may be interested in participating in the Trek by entering a tractor. Donation can be made by contacting the Secretary – Denise Wilson 0417 447 790 or cwctractortrek@outlook.com

Former Parkes resident, Colonel Mudie received his commission in the Australian Army in 2000, graduating from the Royal Military College of Australia as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals.

Special guests of honour at the Parkes Anzac Day 2026 commemorations this Saturday 25 April, will be Australian Army Colonel Michael Robert Mudie and his wife Kelly.

The day will commence with the tra­ditional dawn service at 5.30am held at Parkes Memorial Hill. Colonel Mudie will lay a wreath on behalf of the Aus­tralian Army. This event will see stu­dents from the Parkes Christian School MC the morning’s event.

Following the dawn service, an An­zac Day breakfast will be held at the Parkes Services & Citizens Club.

The Anzac Day March will com­mence at 8.35am under the watchful eye of Parade Commander Sgt Wayne Skinner. The march will depart from the front of the club in Short Street and it progress up Welcome Street to Cham­berlain Square in Clarinda Street, where it will then turn right and proceed down Clarinda Street, before turning right into Short Street and coming to a halt outside the Parkes Services & Citi­zens Club.

At 9am the Anzac Day commemora­tion service will be held in Cooke Park in front of the Cenotaph. Assisted by Parkes Shire Council, the commemora­tion service will feature an address from both local youth and the special guest of honour, Colonel Mudie. Wreaths will then be placed at the Cenotaph.

At approximately 10.30am a small delegation of returned service person­nel and local dignitaries proceed to the war graves section at the local cem­etery for a brief service and laying of wreaths.

Colonel Mudie will attend and ad­dress the traditional Anzac Day lunch­eon which is held at the Parkes Ser­vices & Citizens Club commencing at 12 noon.

The Colonel’s final duty on Anzac Day will be at 5pm for the “Retreat” and this event takes place once again at the Cenotaph in Cooke Park, with the Parkes Services Club to sound the ODE at 6pm.