The signature event of Scenic Rim Eat Local Week is the famous Winter Harvest Festival and this year it promises to be the biggest yet, a fitting finale to one of the world’s most authentic food celebrations.
More than 70 market stalls selling everything from local vegetables to eggs, cheese, olives, relishes, jams, honey, camel milk products, carrot ice-cream, beer and wine will feature at the Aratula Community Sports Centre. The festival will also include celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, a new food-themed Fashions on the Field, live music, lots of kids rides and adventures like the Hay Maze, Kalfresh Carrot Central, face painting and free kids corner activities. The world famous Kalbar and District Bendigo Community Bank Tractor Pulling Competition will also be running again this year.
Local musicians Ross Weber and Dilly will be performing live all day and MasterChef runner-up Ben Ungermann will be leading locals through cooking demonstrations, along with Ash Martin (Spicers Hidden Vale), Glen Barratt (Wild Canary) and Richard Ousby. The festival will include 70 market stalls and seven coffee stalls, with local beef, pork and lamb, including locally raised beef from The Butcher Co, Running Creek Beef and Fassifern Valley Foods. There will be five ice-cream and gelato vendors – Ungermann Brothers, Lemon Lovers Gelato, Summer Land Camel Farm’s gelato, Moffatt Fresh Produce‘s carrot ice-cream and Naughty Little Kids goat’s milk gelato. A range of cheeses made from sheep, camel, goat and cow’s milk will also be featured at the festival.
Visitors will be able to sample craft beers from Scenic Rim Brewery (including their brand-new beer the Beauty & Blue Spiced Pumpkin Ale), Fortitude Brewery and 4 Hearts Brewing will showcase its famous Wabbit Saison Carrot Beer. For wine lovers, O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards, The Overflow Estate 1895, Sarabah Estate Winery and Witches Falls Winery are sure to tickle the tastebuds. Fresh carrot juice will also be available.
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