Five tasty foodie festivals coming up

Luke Burgess will cook at Garagistes in the heart of Hobart throughout the Savour Tasmania Festival. Source: Supplied

Noosa will celebrate its annual food and wine festival this month. Picture: Paul Broben Source: Supplied

A BURGEONING paddock-to-plate approach throughout Australia means it's boom time for our food and wine regions. Here are fives five food festivals.

1. Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend
May 18-19

South Australia's Clare Valley is renowned for its world-class riesling, but there's a lot more as the local producers celebrate this year's vintage with culinary treats at the annual Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend.

On the back of a big year of awards for the mighty Clare's wines, including the 2013 Australian Winery of the Year for Kilikanoon Wines, the end of autumn is a beautiful time to visit.

Some of this year's drawcards include Clare Valley Food, Wine and Tourism Heroes, where you can meet six of the region's wine and food greats; Mitchells Wines' Gourmet Winedown with Andre's Cucina and Polenta Bar on the Saturday; Kilikanoon Wines' Kick Up Your Heels Cocktails; and Greg Cooley Wines' Jeans, Jackets, Jewels.

Brother John May, SJ, Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus, will celebrate 50 years at Sevenhill Cellars.

Other events include the Clare Rotary Art Show, Taylor's Long Table Dinner, Paulett Wines' Sunset Museum Tasting and Bush De Vine Degustation, and Reillys Wines' 12th Horizontal Challenge Degustation Dinner. See clarevalleywinemakers.com.au

2. The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival
May 16-19

Golden sands and sunshine? Tick. Fresh local produce, globally renowned chefs and super wines? Tick. That's a winning combination to warm the hearts of Aussies as we move into the cooler months, and Noosa springs to life with its annual food and wine festival.

The four-day event attracts 200 of the world's finest culinary stars, winemakers, media and food personalities to the Sunshine Coast, including Singapore's Andre Chiang and David Kinch from the US.

The festival will showcase Australian and local produce, while some of the nation's most highly regarded chefs, such as Martin Benn and Ryan Squires, will display their culinary pizzazz.

New to the festival this year are dinners at some of Noosa's most beautiful locations, such as a six-course menu at Noosa's Main Beach.

3. Rutherglen Winery Walkabout Festival
June 8-9

Rutherglen is the place to be on the Queen's Birthday Weekend, when the small rural town in northeast Victoria dishes up the action-packed Winery Walkabout Festival, which attracts about 20,000 visitors.

For $25, wine lovers can get into the walkabout spirit at the wineries of Rutherglen and learn about the rich history of the area. Every one of these wineries has something special to offer, with a range of wines on offer.

The two-day festival has plenty of entertainment, too, with live bands, breakfasts and gourmet dinners.

The local farmers' market and the Rutherglen Rotary Country Fair are always winners, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in some of the festival's fun activities such as barrel racing.

See winemakers.com.au

4. Avon Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Festival
June 1-2

If exotic spices, jams and nuts aren't enough to get your mouth watering, then how about a bunch of wines, beer, chocolate and cheeses as well?

The Avon Valley, just an hour's drive east of Perth, turns on a feast with its Gourmet Food & Wine Festival. Check out about 80 stalls showcasing food and wine from Western Australia and overseas. There'll be cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs including Don Hancey, while WA's Iron Chef winner Herb Faust returns to the festival, partnering with Barton Jones Wines to create a five-course dinner.

There's also live entertainment and rides, and most of the activities are included in the $10 entry fee.

See avoneventsandmarketing.com

5. Savour Tasmania
May 29-June 2

Some of the world's big-name chefs will share their expertise with Tasmania's chefs and apprentices.

It's a fantastic opportunity for food and wine enthusiasts to celebrate Tasmania's produce, beers, wines and ciders in Hobart.

Savour Tasmania has an exciting line-up for the 2013 program.

Belgium's Kobe Desramaults teams up with local Luke Burgess to create some crackerjack dishes at Garagistes, in the centre of Hobart.

Desramaults will also be part of the Long Table Dinner on June 1. There are also classes and tastings at the Tasmanian Red Wine Weekend.

See discovertasmania.com

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Five tasty foodie festivals coming up

Luke Burgess will cook at Garagistes in the heart of Hobart throughout the Savour Tasmania Festival. Source: Supplied

Noosa will celebrate its annual food and wine festival this month. Picture: Paul Broben Source: Supplied

A BURGEONING paddock-to-plate approach throughout Australia means it's boom time for our food and wine regions. Here are fives five food festivals.

1. Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend
May 18-19

South Australia's Clare Valley is renowned for its world-class riesling, but there's a lot more as the local producers celebrate this year's vintage with culinary treats at the annual Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend.

On the back of a big year of awards for the mighty Clare's wines, including the 2013 Australian Winery of the Year for Kilikanoon Wines, the end of autumn is a beautiful time to visit.

Some of this year's drawcards include Clare Valley Food, Wine and Tourism Heroes, where you can meet six of the region's wine and food greats; Mitchells Wines' Gourmet Winedown with Andre's Cucina and Polenta Bar on the Saturday; Kilikanoon Wines' Kick Up Your Heels Cocktails; and Greg Cooley Wines' Jeans, Jackets, Jewels.

Brother John May, SJ, Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus, will celebrate 50 years at Sevenhill Cellars.

Other events include the Clare Rotary Art Show, Taylor's Long Table Dinner, Paulett Wines' Sunset Museum Tasting and Bush De Vine Degustation, and Reillys Wines' 12th Horizontal Challenge Degustation Dinner. See clarevalleywinemakers.com.au

2. The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival
May 16-19

Golden sands and sunshine? Tick. Fresh local produce, globally renowned chefs and super wines? Tick. That's a winning combination to warm the hearts of Aussies as we move into the cooler months, and Noosa springs to life with its annual food and wine festival.

The four-day event attracts 200 of the world's finest culinary stars, winemakers, media and food personalities to the Sunshine Coast, including Singapore's Andre Chiang and David Kinch from the US.

The festival will showcase Australian and local produce, while some of the nation's most highly regarded chefs, such as Martin Benn and Ryan Squires, will display their culinary pizzazz.

New to the festival this year are dinners at some of Noosa's most beautiful locations, such as a six-course menu at Noosa's Main Beach.

3. Rutherglen Winery Walkabout Festival
June 8-9

Rutherglen is the place to be on the Queen's Birthday Weekend, when the small rural town in northeast Victoria dishes up the action-packed Winery Walkabout Festival, which attracts about 20,000 visitors.

For $25, wine lovers can get into the walkabout spirit at the wineries of Rutherglen and learn about the rich history of the area. Every one of these wineries has something special to offer, with a range of wines on offer.

The two-day festival has plenty of entertainment, too, with live bands, breakfasts and gourmet dinners.

The local farmers' market and the Rutherglen Rotary Country Fair are always winners, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in some of the festival's fun activities such as barrel racing.

See winemakers.com.au

4. Avon Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Festival
June 1-2

If exotic spices, jams and nuts aren't enough to get your mouth watering, then how about a bunch of wines, beer, chocolate and cheeses as well?

The Avon Valley, just an hour's drive east of Perth, turns on a feast with its Gourmet Food & Wine Festival. Check out about 80 stalls showcasing food and wine from Western Australia and overseas. There'll be cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs including Don Hancey, while WA's Iron Chef winner Herb Faust returns to the festival, partnering with Barton Jones Wines to create a five-course dinner.

There's also live entertainment and rides, and most of the activities are included in the $10 entry fee.

See avoneventsandmarketing.com

5. Savour Tasmania
May 29-June 2

Some of the world's big-name chefs will share their expertise with Tasmania's chefs and apprentices.

It's a fantastic opportunity for food and wine enthusiasts to celebrate Tasmania's produce, beers, wines and ciders in Hobart.

Savour Tasmania has an exciting line-up for the 2013 program.

Belgium's Kobe Desramaults teams up with local Luke Burgess to create some crackerjack dishes at Garagistes, in the centre of Hobart.

Desramaults will also be part of the Long Table Dinner on June 1. There are also classes and tastings at the Tasmanian Red Wine Weekend.

See discovertasmania.com

"Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook

Follow @Escape_team on Twitter

View the original article here

Wacky festivals to tick off your bucket list

Crying Baby competition... A kimono-clad referee looks on as two babies held by student sumo wrestlers break into tears during the 'Baby-Cry Sumo' competition. Some 100 babies aged under one took part in the annual baby cry contest. Japanese parents believe that sumo can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up with good health. Picture: AFP / Toru YAMANAKA Source: AFP

SCOTT Podmore discovers five coming events that are a little left of centre.

1. Baby Cry Sumo Festival

When: Throughout April More accustomed to picking on someone their own size, Japan's sumo wrestlers go about their annual mission this month in the Nakizumu Matsuri, otherwise known as the Baby-Cry Sumo Festival, at temples throughout the country. The aim of the traditional event? To make babies cry. Giant sumos raise the bubs in the air to see which one will cry first. The sumos do all manner of things to bring tears to their eyes, including making faces, wearing scary masks and unleashing weird noises in an attempt to try to encourage the little ones to burst into tears. Apparently the theory is that the louder the babies cry, the more the gods will bless them with good health and ward off evil spirits, a tradition that's been going for more than 300 years.

2. Shitbox Rally 2013

When: May 4-10 Shitbox Rally quite possibly could be the weirdest fundraiser in Australia, and definitely the bravest way for people to see Australia by car. For the fourth consecutive year, 200 teams in cars worth $1000 or less drive 3600km from Adelaide to Fremantle via Uluru. The rally takes on some of Australia's most challenging roads, all to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Since the first rally back in 2010, more than 650 participants have helped raise more than $1.7 million, making it the Cancer Council's biggest contributor to cancer research and prevention. The organisers say the aim this year is to hit the $3 million mark. It gets seriously wacky when all 400 participants dress up as Elvis when they are at Uluru. With decorated cars that run the gamut of creative, hilarious and downright ridiculous, the convoy of cars is certainly a sight to behold.

Entrants in the Shitbox Rally check out the central Australian landscape. Source: Supplied

3. Baby Jumping Festival

When: June 6 The Baby Jumping Festival is another bizarre event involving tots, but this one is taking place in Castrillo de Murcia, in Spain. This festival has been an annual event since the 1600s and is a part of the celebrations for the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi. So, how does it work? A bunch of newborn babies are placed on the ground in swaddling clothes on mattresses while men dressed as devils jump over them. The aim of all this is to purify the souls of these babies and protect them from sinning later on in life.

4. The 15th Boryeong Mud Festival

When: July 19-28 South Korea gets a little bit dirty every July as the annual Mud Festival slops up a fun-filled time for more than two million people who head to Boryeong. The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats and transported to the Daecheon beach area where it is used as the main attraction for mud wrestling, mud fights, mudslides and even mud skiing. Apparently the mud is rich in minerals and is used for the production of cosmetics. The festival was originally conceived as a marketing tool for the Boryeong mud cosmetics. There's also live music and competitions held on a large stage.

Participants wrestle in the mud / Getty Images Source: Getty Images

5. The Testicle Festival

When: July 31-August 4 Yessiree, this charming event in Big Sky Country, also known as Clinton in Montana, boasts a lot of beer drinking and all the bulls' balls you can eat. Also known as Rocky Mountain Oysters, the bull testicles are deep fried in this strictly adults-only event that also features Bullshit Bingo, where bets are placed on the moment when a bull will do No.2s, wet T-shirt competitions, oil wrestling and even "No Panty Wednesday" when those keen enough trade in their undies for a free drink.

"Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook

Follow @Escape_team on Twitter

View the original article here

Wacky festivals to tick off your bucket list

Crying Baby competition... A kimono-clad referee looks on as two babies held by student sumo wrestlers break into tears during the 'Baby-Cry Sumo' competition. Some 100 babies aged under one took part in the annual baby cry contest. Japanese parents believe that sumo can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up with good health. Picture: AFP / Toru YAMANAKA Source: AFP

SCOTT Podmore discovers five coming events that are a little left of centre.

1. Baby Cry Sumo Festival

When: Throughout April More accustomed to picking on someone their own size, Japan's sumo wrestlers go about their annual mission this month in the Nakizumu Matsuri, otherwise known as the Baby-Cry Sumo Festival, at temples throughout the country. The aim of the traditional event? To make babies cry. Giant sumos raise the bubs in the air to see which one will cry first. The sumos do all manner of things to bring tears to their eyes, including making faces, wearing scary masks and unleashing weird noises in an attempt to try to encourage the little ones to burst into tears. Apparently the theory is that the louder the babies cry, the more the gods will bless them with good health and ward off evil spirits, a tradition that's been going for more than 300 years.

2. Shitbox Rally 2013

When: May 4-10 Shitbox Rally quite possibly could be the weirdest fundraiser in Australia, and definitely the bravest way for people to see Australia by car. For the fourth consecutive year, 200 teams in cars worth $1000 or less drive 3600km from Adelaide to Fremantle via Uluru. The rally takes on some of Australia's most challenging roads, all to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Since the first rally back in 2010, more than 650 participants have helped raise more than $1.7 million, making it the Cancer Council's biggest contributor to cancer research and prevention. The organisers say the aim this year is to hit the $3 million mark. It gets seriously wacky when all 400 participants dress up as Elvis when they are at Uluru. With decorated cars that run the gamut of creative, hilarious and downright ridiculous, the convoy of cars is certainly a sight to behold.

Entrants in the Shitbox Rally check out the central Australian landscape. Source: Supplied

3. Baby Jumping Festival

When: June 6 The Baby Jumping Festival is another bizarre event involving tots, but this one is taking place in Castrillo de Murcia, in Spain. This festival has been an annual event since the 1600s and is a part of the celebrations for the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi. So, how does it work? A bunch of newborn babies are placed on the ground in swaddling clothes on mattresses while men dressed as devils jump over them. The aim of all this is to purify the souls of these babies and protect them from sinning later on in life.

4. The 15th Boryeong Mud Festival

When: July 19-28 South Korea gets a little bit dirty every July as the annual Mud Festival slops up a fun-filled time for more than two million people who head to Boryeong. The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats and transported to the Daecheon beach area where it is used as the main attraction for mud wrestling, mud fights, mudslides and even mud skiing. Apparently the mud is rich in minerals and is used for the production of cosmetics. The festival was originally conceived as a marketing tool for the Boryeong mud cosmetics. There's also live music and competitions held on a large stage.

Participants wrestle in the mud / Getty Images Source: Getty Images

5. The Testicle Festival

When: July 31-August 4 Yessiree, this charming event in Big Sky Country, also known as Clinton in Montana, boasts a lot of beer drinking and all the bulls' balls you can eat. Also known as Rocky Mountain Oysters, the bull testicles are deep fried in this strictly adults-only event that also features Bullshit Bingo, where bets are placed on the moment when a bull will do No.2s, wet T-shirt competitions, oil wrestling and even "No Panty Wednesday" when those keen enough trade in their undies for a free drink.

"Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook

Follow @Escape_team on Twitter

View the original article here

Wacky festivals to tick off your bucket list

Crying Baby competition... A kimono-clad referee looks on as two babies held by student sumo wrestlers break into tears during the 'Baby-Cry Sumo' competition. Some 100 babies aged under one took part in the annual baby cry contest. Japanese parents believe that sumo can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up with good health. Picture: AFP / Toru YAMANAKA Source: AFP

SCOTT Podmore discovers five coming events that are a little left of centre.

1. Baby Cry Sumo Festival

When: Throughout April More accustomed to picking on someone their own size, Japan's sumo wrestlers go about their annual mission this month in the Nakizumu Matsuri, otherwise known as the Baby-Cry Sumo Festival, at temples throughout the country. The aim of the traditional event? To make babies cry. Giant sumos raise the bubs in the air to see which one will cry first. The sumos do all manner of things to bring tears to their eyes, including making faces, wearing scary masks and unleashing weird noises in an attempt to try to encourage the little ones to burst into tears. Apparently the theory is that the louder the babies cry, the more the gods will bless them with good health and ward off evil spirits, a tradition that's been going for more than 300 years.

2. Shitbox Rally 2013

When: May 4-10 Shitbox Rally quite possibly could be the weirdest fundraiser in Australia, and definitely the bravest way for people to see Australia by car. For the fourth consecutive year, 200 teams in cars worth $1000 or less drive 3600km from Adelaide to Fremantle via Uluru. The rally takes on some of Australia's most challenging roads, all to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Since the first rally back in 2010, more than 650 participants have helped raise more than $1.7 million, making it the Cancer Council's biggest contributor to cancer research and prevention. The organisers say the aim this year is to hit the $3 million mark. It gets seriously wacky when all 400 participants dress up as Elvis when they are at Uluru. With decorated cars that run the gamut of creative, hilarious and downright ridiculous, the convoy of cars is certainly a sight to behold.

Entrants in the Shitbox Rally check out the central Australian landscape. Source: Supplied

3. Baby Jumping Festival

When: June 6 The Baby Jumping Festival is another bizarre event involving tots, but this one is taking place in Castrillo de Murcia, in Spain. This festival has been an annual event since the 1600s and is a part of the celebrations for the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi. So, how does it work? A bunch of newborn babies are placed on the ground in swaddling clothes on mattresses while men dressed as devils jump over them. The aim of all this is to purify the souls of these babies and protect them from sinning later on in life.

4. The 15th Boryeong Mud Festival

When: July 19-28 South Korea gets a little bit dirty every July as the annual Mud Festival slops up a fun-filled time for more than two million people who head to Boryeong. The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats and transported to the Daecheon beach area where it is used as the main attraction for mud wrestling, mud fights, mudslides and even mud skiing. Apparently the mud is rich in minerals and is used for the production of cosmetics. The festival was originally conceived as a marketing tool for the Boryeong mud cosmetics. There's also live music and competitions held on a large stage.

Participants wrestle in the mud / Getty Images Source: Getty Images

5. The Testicle Festival

When: July 31-August 4 Yessiree, this charming event in Big Sky Country, also known as Clinton in Montana, boasts a lot of beer drinking and all the bulls' balls you can eat. Also known as Rocky Mountain Oysters, the bull testicles are deep fried in this strictly adults-only event that also features Bullshit Bingo, where bets are placed on the moment when a bull will do No.2s, wet T-shirt competitions, oil wrestling and even "No Panty Wednesday" when those keen enough trade in their undies for a free drink.

"Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook

Follow @Escape_team on Twitter

View the original article here