WOW! What a week.
Scenic Rim Eat Local Week 2018 was the biggest one yet, breaking all previous records for attendance and participation.
Final numbers won’t be in for a few weeks but the farms and businesses who welcomed visitors all reported strong crowds, with many events selling out ahead of time.
More than 14,000 people flocked to the Winter Harvest Festival, a new event record, up from 12,500 in 2017.
Mayor Greg Christensen says the week’s success is the culmination of years of hard work by the organising team from Council, backed by producers from around the region.
Musician Linsey Pollak was a hit, playing carrots and other random objects.
“This is a team effort,” he says.
“This is what happens when Council works with the community towards a shared goal.
“Eat Local Week is connecting a new generation of people with the origins of great produce and great produce makes delicious food.
“Every member of our community should be proud that the rest of south-east Queensland wants to come and try what we enjoy every day.”
Tractor Pull winners, the Bucher Co. team.
Visitors hailed from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba and from within the Scenic Rim.
Some Eat Local Week visitors took their passion for local produce to a new level. Council staff met some of the event’s most dedicated participants during the week.
Family Reunion: Libby Marley-Quinn, Peter Marley, Jan Marley, Cathy Crooks and Greta Marley made it an Eat Local reunion.
They included the Marley family who used Eat Local Week to stage a family reunion. Basing themselves in Boonah they went to a different event each day, including the Canungra Hub, Crop to Cup tour at Green Lane Coffee, Beef & Beer at Scenic Rim Brewery and the Winter Harvest Festival.
Scenic Rim Eat Local Week enthusiasts Nicholas and Emma Ryder, 9 and 6, their mum Carolyn Ryder and their grandmother Lyn Bartley.
Then there was Carolyn Ryder, of Hilda Caravan, who based her vintage caravan at Lake Moogerah and took her family to an event each day.
Tristan Pollock with Team Supple.
Tristan Pollock and his family attend Eat Local Week every year and this year Tristan took his commitment to the region to a new level by joining the call to boost the Supple tractor pulling team, which came third.
Check out our photographs from the whole week on Facebook.
Cr Christensen says Eat Local Week is made possible by funding from Scenic Rim Regional Council, Tourism Events Queensland and major partners QLD Urban Utilities, Kalfresh and Just Veg. and supporting partners the Kalbar & District Community Bank Branch, Heubner Toyota, Beaudesert Mazda and Brisbane Marketing.
After a well-deserved rest, the Council’s Eat Local Week team will review the event and start planning for Eat Local Week 2019, which will be staged from June 29 to July 7.
SAVE THE DATE!