Big crowd for festival

A new boutique farming and lifestyle event to be held at Lardner Park next month will shine a light on the spectacular food bowl in Gippsland.

Harvest Fest will be held from November 9 to 11, with joint event partners Lardner Park and McPherson Media Group expecting to draw crowds of more than 20,000 over the three days.

Harvest Fest events manager Susie Filleti said the event would be an extensive Farmers’ Market showcasing the best of the region and beyond.

“We had a light-bulb moment when creating this event, to target small to medium scale farmers and producers in a super contemporary and exciting lifestyle forum – offering something completely different than the traditional farming and agricultural shows,” she said.

The jam-packed event will boast enticing food courts with an array of cuisines, snacks and brews; demonstrations from the Harvest Fest kitchen, a learning series of lectures which are set to inform, entertain and excite; farming and machinery exhibits; craft and handmade goods workshops; live entertainment, children’s entertainment and more.

In addition to industry innovation, the event also celebrates the generations of farming families and businesses that grow the renowned produce of the region, along with their rich farming history, culture and tried-and-tested techniques.

“This beautiful produce not only helps to feed so much of the state; it is also featured in the trendiest restaurants, cafes and products on the market,” Ms Filleti said.

Lardner Park chief executive Nicola Pero said the Lardner Park team was excited about the stellar new farming and lifestyle event which would offer activations for all patrons.

“Whether you are seeking a decadent weekend of food and specialty brews, along with picking up some tantalising treats for later – or are a small farm operator, backyard, hobby or tree change farmer looking to learn about industry innovation from the most fascinating producers themselves – this broad-ranging event will appeal to all,” she said.

“Gippsland’s agribusiness sector is a significant employer in the region, with 52 per cent of Gippsland businesses involved in or supporting agriculture, forestry, fishing and upstream processing operations.

“A staggering $7bn of the State’s $14bn gross regional production in food and fibre comes from Gippsland region.”

Harvest Fest will be held from November 9-11 at Lardner Park.

For more information or to buy tickets online and save 16 per cent, visit the website www.harvestfest.com.au.