This year, the Gunnedah Summefest team will launch the program on Saturday, January 11 with the popular bush dance from 7pm-9pm at Gunnedah High School.

The annual week-long holiday program features activities for all ages and will start in earnest at the school from Monday, January 13.

Kids club (years 1-6), a teens program (years 7-12) and Summerfest Cafe will run daily from 9.30am-11.30am in the school grounds.

The theme for this year's children's program is 'Who is the ruler?' - the answer to the question will be explored through games, drama, song and activities.

The teens program will give youth the opportunity to make new friends, play games and look at the Bible.

Summerfest Cafe is a place where adults can natter over a cuppa and home-baked goodies, and parents can take advantage of child-minding.

Other key events during the week include a blokes barbecue, ladies night, drought prayer meeting and combined churches service.

Team member Angus Davis said they were "excited to get up there and get started".

"There are lots of people to meet and it's valuable going back year after year as you continue to build those relationships with people," he said.

"It's an important thing to do and it's great to be part - in a small way - of a community, especially like Gunnedah, given the recent drought and other difficulties."

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The drought will be the focus of a prayer meeting at 3.30pm on January 12 at the Smithurst Theatre.

"We really want to help out in any way the community needs it and from discussions with the churches, this year they thought a drought prayer meeting would be great," Mr Davis said.

Mr Davis said the team was also ""keen" to catch up with farmers they had met over the years and "support them in any way that we can".

Summerfest was originally called Summer Mission and was run by Scripture Union for decades. It was relaunched by a new team under the name of Summerfest in 2018 with support from local churches.