WHAT a crowd!
The 2015 Winter Harvest Festival attracted a record crowd of more than 6000 people, was a highlight of another successful Scenic Rim Eat Local Week.
Visitors were queuing outside the Winter Harvest Festival venue by 9am Saturday morning, keen to be among the first through the doors.
The organising team from the Scenic Rim Regional Council were thrilled by the crowd and the response to the event, now in its third year.
Visitors bought Scenic Rim produce, wine, olives, jams, relishes, cheese and live crayfish from the more than 45 stalls.
The packed cooking demonstration schedule proved popular, with barely a spare seat for the demonstrations by all seven of the chefs. QAGOMA Executive Chef and Eat Local Week ambassador, Josue Lopez, impressed his audience with his beautiful crayfish and avocado dish and his macadamia brittle dessert.
Try your hand at these Winter Harvest Festival Recipes
The popular 4Hearts Brewing-Kalfresh Vegetables carrot beer collaboration was also a crowd pleaser and the orange brew sold out just after lunch.
But it was the Kalbar & District Bendigo Community Bank Tractor Pull that really drew the crowds. The Junior Tractor Pull was won by the Fassifern Falcons A team and the men’s Fit-up Fitness team took out the senior event.
Scenic Rim Mayor, Cr John Brent, says the Winter Harvest Festival was the pinnacle of an enormously successful week, which saw bumper crowds attend most events.
“Scenic Rim Eat Local Week is now well and truly on the South East Queensland event map,” he says.
“Every year this event builds in momentum and popularity and we were thrilled to hear many participants report record crowds.
“At the heart of Eat Local Week is a desire to connect consumers to the people who produce their food and drinks. It’s about building relationships and raising awareness of the incredible bounty of food that is grown in the region.
“In past years Eat Local Week has generated enormous value in publicity and revenue for the region’s business and tourism sector and this year I’m confident all previous records were surpassed.”
Scenic Rim Eat Local Week returns in 2016 from Saturday June 25 to Sunday July 3, with the Winter Harvest Festival on Saturday 2 July.
WINNERS OF KALBAR & DISTRICT COMMUNITY BANK TRACTOR PULLING COMPETITION
JUNIOR:
1 Fassifern Falcons A donating to Fassifern Falcons
2 Canungra Cowgirls donating to Canungra Youth Group
3 Team Crush donating to Canungra Youth Group
SENIOR
1 Fit UP Men’s donating to Aratula Community Sports Complex (15.15 sec)
2 Kalfresh donating to Boonah & District Kindergarten (15.94 sec)
3 Not Quite the Full Dozen donating to the Bridget Muller & Family (16.31 sec)
BEST DRESSED
Bridget’s Rainbow Warriors donating to Bridget Muller & Family