STOMP:

Beaming youngster Chloe shows off the results of her grape-crushing efforts during Grampians Grape Escape festival at Halls Gap at the weekend. Chloe was among thousands of visitors who made the most of festival activities. Organisers were delighted with the turnout for the annual celebration of Grampians wine and produce, which swelled Halls Gap district’s population by more than 9000 over two days. Estimates were more than 6000 people went through the gates on Saturday alone, sampling products from more than 120 stalls and soaking up workshop and live-music experiences. Early figures revealed the attendance was up by about 20 percent on last year and at least 40 percent of attendees who booked online were first-time visitors to the Grampians. Northern Grampians Shire’s Cr Jason Hosemans described the event as ‘a great showcase for our region’, adding ‘it has become a must-attend event for any food and wine lover’ and that a child-friendly atmosphere had generated many positive comments.