TWEED Heads Bowls Club general manager Ross Bailey says businesses have taken Wintersun for granted.

After more than 20 years of financially supporting and hosting parts of the rock ’n’ roll nostalgia festival, the dance floors will be collecting dust in June 2011 after Wintersun moves to Port Macquarie.

“It brought $25 million and 80,000 people to the region each year, and every business in Tweed Heads and Coolangatta would have been benefiting from that. It has always been a huge thing for us here,” Mr Bailey said.

“I think a lot of businesses and people just took Wintersun for granted and assumed it would always be there.”

The Tweed Heads Bowls Club will host several nights of free entertainment events during Wintersun next month.

“People are always here dancing during Wintersun, and not just during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

“There were always a lot of activities throughout the whole festival.”

Mr Bailey said he hoped to establish a rock ’n’ roll weekend to replace Wintersun should nothing else take its place.

“I think people will still come to Tweed Heads and Coolangatta in June next year, so I hope we and some other local businesses can organise something fun for them to do while they are here,” he said.

“We always had a lot of interstate visitors visit us over those 10 days every June.

“It’s a big loss for the local community.”

Dolphins Harbourside Hotel licensee Ross Merceo said the event was a huge loss to the region.

“We’re booked out for Wintersun this year, so who knows what the future holds for accommodation businesses this time of year,” Mr Merceo said.

“Hopefully the local venues on both sides of the border can band together to get something else up and running.”