If you were throwing an Apple and Grape festival, wouldn’t you too kick it off with a traditional Italian long lunch on opening weekend? Perhaps you’re more of a winery long lunch person?
That’s exactly what the makers behind Stanthorpe’s yearly Apple and Grape Festival have done, with the opening weekend starting on Friday, February 23 (and the event concluding on March 3), packed full of festivities and food, with a farm-to-fork focus and a grand street party for the official opening commencing at 6 pm that night.
Weekenders can enjoy Stanthorpe’s park run at 7 am on Saturday, visit an apple orchard’s open day at Nicoletti’s Orchards then enjoy street busking with the Australian Busking Championships happening on Main Street. That night, wind down with the Orion International Film Festival.
Opening weekend's Sunday program features a Harvest Thanksgiving church service. Midweek highlights include Truffle Day, Produce Day, Berry Day and of course, Apple Day, but there is also an Apple and Grape Harvest Ball on March 1 complemented with award-winning Varias and the finest Granite Belt wines, fireworks, carnival, street parade, grape crush and loads of meet the makers, growers and brewers opportunities plus plenty of open gardens to look at.
On the tail end of things, the Queensland Country Bank’s 3-day Food and Wine Fiesta will feature 18 local wineries, distilleries and food producers.
If by now, you realise Stanthorpe is going all out and you want to be in the heart of the action for longer than a day, spending time leisurely strolling the superb foodie region while sipping and tasting to your heart's content, then you can stay at the newly introduced luxury glamping tents, a-la-Bridget-Jones-style or find accommodation from one of the partners here.
Will we see you there? The program lineup is available here and tickets to various mini-events are available here.
