Sounds, sips, bites, blossoms and a one-metre-long toasted marshmallow Pavlova!

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers’ Festival of Food and Wine runs September 13 to 15

as the perfect starter for the most beautiful event in the country!

 

PLUS - Pastries, posies and a pink mohawk - celebrity chef and dessert powerhouse Anna Polyviou brings sweet wow to Toowoomba. The 75^th Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers opens in two weeks, kicking off with the three-day Festival of Food and Wine, from 13-15 September. Images here

 

Thirsty Merc, Pete Murray, Kate Ceberano, James Reyne as well as Yuggera-artist dameela and chart-topping electro act Mashd N Kutcher join other leading and local sound-makers, along with TV’s powerhouse pastry chef Anna Polyviou for Farm to Fork sessions at the Queens Park celebration for all things food and wine. Plus, there are 40 pop-up cellar doors and food stalls!

 

FESTIVAL TIMES:

Friday 13 September 4 – 10pm       

Saturday 14 September 11am – 10pm

Sunday 15 September 11am – 8pm

Buy tickets HERE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

 

Farm to Fork demonstrations with mega-watt pastry chef Anna Polyviou

The punk-pastry powerhouse is the PERFECT FIT for the Festival of Food and Wine, with her distinctive hot pink mohawk, quirky urban street style, and vibrant personality. She leads the Farm to Fork demonstrations featuring Basque Cheesecake, Cheese & Charcuterie Baguettes, some mouth-watering Cookie Dough Pies and a ONE METRE Pavlova on Saturday and Sunday – 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

*There’s a Cookie Dough Pie Eating Competition at 1.30pm and the One Metre Marshmallow Pavlova will be created by Anna at 3.30pm on both days!

 

The Pit Yard and The Tasting Room - BBQ Delights with Phatboyz Smokehouse Kitchen

Join these local BBQ and smokehouse specialists for tastings and talks. Founder and Chef Luke Moonshine has appeared across Australia, New Zealand and in one of the homes of low and slow BBQ, Brazil. He was guest speaker at London’s Smoke & Fire Festival 2024 and has cooked alongside internationally renowned Celebrity Pitmasters and chefs like Tuffy Stone, Marcos Livi and Daniel Lee. His partner in BBQ is Blayke Saggus, Australia’s youngest and well-known Indigenous Pitmaster.

Saturday and Sunday - 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4.30pm.

 

Wine Tastings – featuring local and regional varieties from Nuova Scola and Jester Hill.

Saturday and Sunday – 11.45am, 1.45pm, 3.45pm

 

Cheese Tastings - learn the techniques used by famed cheesemakers, Bunya Cheese.

Saturday and Sunday – 11.15am, 1.15pm and 3.15pm.

 

Distillery Tastings

Learn how local artisan distillers Pechey Distillery and Hopscotch Distillery make their range of spirits.

Friday at 5.15pm; Saturday and Sunday 12.45pm, 2.45pm and 4.45pm.

 

Beer Appreciation

Learn about the brewing process, different beer styles and the booming craft beer industry in South East Queensland from leaders Bone Idol Brewery, Your Mates Brewing and Burleigh Brewing.

Friday at 4.45pm; Saturday and Sunday at 12.15pm, 2.15pm and 4.15pm.

 

Feature Floral Designs

Three stunning large scale floral designs feature at this year’s Festival, created by Toowoomba floral artists Andea Raup with Brisbane’s Sarah Serek, by local floral artist Cherie Zimmerle of The Flower Grocer and by Southerden florist Lyn Curcuruto.

 

Flower Crowns

An absolute must is the making and wearing of your own bloomin’ lovely Flower Crown at the Flower Factory. On Friday from 4pm to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

 

The Cubby House

This year the popular kids zone features hula hoop making (and dancing of course), music workshops, face painting, arts and craft activities and more. *Children must be supervised by parents at all times.

11am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday only.

 

Cellar Doors and Food Stalls

There’s over 15 pop up Cellar Doors to sample local wines and 25 food stalls!

 

The Botanical Society – THE place to be!

Enjoy the Festival in style and upgrade your day pass to the Botanical Society Day Pass. The pass includes access to an exclusive area within the Festival of Food and Wine Festival, featuring its own private bar with great cocktails from Hopscotch Distillery and Pechey Distillery (and private loos!), and an outdoor lawn area, your choice of a reusable wine tumbler or stubby cooler, plus premium main stage viewing!

 

THE MUSIC LINEUP

 

Friday from 4pm to 10pm

Friday night brings the beats to kick-start the Carnival party.  Featuring Yuggera-artist dameela and chart topping Mashd N Kutcher, these live DJ sets are going to be spectacular in the parkland setting. 

• merci, mercy
• dameeeela
• Mashd N Kutcher

 

Saturday from 11am to 10pm

• Bullhorn
• Thirsty Merc
• James Reyne

 

Sunday from 11am to 8pm

• Yacht Rock Revival
• Kate Ceberano
• Pete Murray

 

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 2024

13 September to 7 October - tcof.com.au

Since its inception in 1949, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has flourished and is now an iconic Queensland event.  The brainchild of Essex Tait and the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, Carnival was introduced as a way for the city to use its “Garden City” reputation to promote increased economic activity following the hardships of war. On 21 October 1950, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers commenced with a street procession that stretched three miles in length. Led by a bullock team and watched by a crowd estimated to be 50,000 strong, it was a resounding success, as it has been ever since.