Central Western Daily photographer Steve Gosch was at Waratahs Sportsground on Tuesday as crowds flocked to celebrate the start of 2014.

A fantastic live music line-up helped to make Tuesday’s New Year’s Eve celebration the best one yet according to organisers.

The third annual McCormack Barber Party Under the Stars attracted almost 5000 people to ring in the new year.

Peter McCormack, the man behind the event, said while numbers were up on last year they were down on their inaugural event.

“We had a lot of people in the community saying they’ve been there the last few years and this was the most relaxed year,” he said.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more but this year for me had a far more relaxed atmosphere.”

Mr McCormack put the relaxed crowd atmosphere down to the “relaxed music”.

Acts included jazz band the Groove Alternative, acoustic duo Pat and Kellie O’Donnell, Elephant Gerald and XFactor’s reality television group PreDestined..

“The music this was year was the best so far and they played to the crowd,” he said.

While traffic issues plagued the event’s first year they have now been solved according to Mr McCormack.

“The first 15 minutes [after the event] is slower because of the crowds,” he said.

“Everyone had left within 40 minutes and no one could have been in the line for more than 20 minutes.

“To not wait more than 20 minutes in their car with this crowd with only one exit was great.”

More than 20 volunteers gave up their own festive celebrations to help out on the night including collecting the gold coin entry fee.

While the final gate takings are still being counted they would go to Orange Health Service to purchase an anaesthetic simulator worth $7500.

Mr McCormack praised the Orange community for helping to make the night such a success.

“The success of the event was due to the great crowd,” he said.

Plans are already in place for the 2014/15 event with Mr McCormack keen to take it “to the next level”.

“We do have some exciting ideas but we have to work on these a bit more.”