Drought and bushfire won't hold Stanthorpe down, with organisers of the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival declaring 'she'll be apples' for the 2020 festivities to be as big and joyous as ever when staged February 28 to March 8.
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Famously known for its foot-stomping, grape-crushing antics, the festival has been 'crushing it' since 1966 and will again put out the welcome mat for more than 70,000 attendees.
The festival coincides with the harvest of apples and grapes across the Granite Belt. Grapes and apples will still be picked and ample wine will flow, but there's no doubt the drought that's hitting Granite Belt farmers is taking a toll.
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"Our farmers are working against the odds this season with dry conditions, so we reckon it makes even more sense to celebrate and be thankful for the harvest that they will achieve," says Max Hunter, Festival President.
"When visitors arrive and join the festivities, you can be sure they'll find Stanthorpe as festive as ever and part of what builds that vibrancy is our community's Italian heritage and culture shining through."
Banchetto Italiano, the Italian Long Lunch, is set to double in size for the 2020 festival, to allow hundreds more festival goers to indulge in traditional Italian celebrations on the first festival weekend, Sunday, March 1.
"We've got the Tarantella dancers coming along, music from Italy, fine Italian foods and we have just such a great time there celebrating our Italian friends who brought us so much of what we see today in our food and wine," festival vice president Greg Thouard said.
Involved in the festival for 45 years, Mr Thouard has seen it grow from strength to strength and is excited by the new developments happening on the 10-day program in 2020.
Encompassing two weekends, the second weekend on March 7-8 will feature a longer three-day Food & Wine Fiesta, coinciding with the much anticipated Grand Parade and the Queensland Grape Crushing Championships.
The first weekend kicks off Friday, February 28 with a street party and the Turning On the Festival Lights, as well as an opening gala where the festival ambassadors are presented. The next day the town hosts the National Busking Championships South East Queensland Final, as well as the Golf: Apple and Grape Cup. The first weekend concludes with a cycle event That Dam Ride and the Italian Long Lunch on Sunday, March 1.
A highlight of the mid-week festivities is Thursday's Apple Day, where all things apples are happening including an apple pie competition, chef apple cooking demonstrations, wines to match with apple dishes and toffee apples.
The hotly contested Apple Peeling Competition is guaranteed to draw a crowd to witness whether reigning local champion Kerry Stratford will retain her 7-time title of best apple peeler in the Granite Belt and again create the longest continuous apple peel.
