Gallery | Fine weather and even finer food and wines in Stanhope

By Jemma Jones

Oct 13, 2024

The 2024 Stanhope Food and Wine Festival went off without a hitch on Sunday, October 6. People packed the main street for a taste of the good life, with local wines, food and talent on offer for visitors to enjoy. Photo by Jemma Jones

The good weather turned out for the Stanhope Food and Wine Festival on Sunday, October 6, with crowds packing the streets lined with food and wine stalls.

The population of Stanhope ticked up a few hundred people over the weekend, with visitors flocking to the tiny town for an afternoon to celebrate the region’s finest.

Winemakers, treat bakers and goods creators set up shop along the town’s central street, Birdwood Ave, in the early hours of Sunday and were met with about 750 people paying the gold-coin entry fee once the clock chimed 11am.

Organiser and festival committee member Glenda Cowie said she could not be more pleased with how the event turned out.

Mrs Cowie said visitors came from all over Australia, even the world.

“We took postcodes as (visitors) came in the door, and we had people from Perth and Townsville … we even had a couple from New Zealand,” Mrs Cowie said.

“My sister had a family friend from Melbourne, and he said he’s coming back next year … he said he couldn’t believe a small town could do something like this.”

Mrs Cowie said due to the success and the feedback, she was certain the festival would return next year.

“It’s highlighting the town, which is absolutely amazing,” she said.

“It puts Stanhope on the map.”

As the festival name suggests, a range of food and wine from across the region was spotlighted through stalls lining the side of the streets.

There were local wines from Ned Kelly Reds, while Broken River Vineyards from Kialla was also present.

The food stalls had everything delicious, from vegan spring rolls to gluten-free donuts, and coffee on hand for those who needed a pick-me-up for a lazy, relaxing afternoon in Stanhope.

Several community groups from surrounding areas also got involved in the festivities including: Girgarre and Stanhope CFAs joining forces for a barbecue; the Rushworth SES (which covers Stanhope) recruiting ahead of summer; The Gift Kyabram’s Ruth Green was rallying donations for the foundation; and Stanhope Cricket Club members were giving their time selling drinks ahead of their own busy cricket schedule beginning mid-October.

The Stanhope festival kicks off the region’s busy spring schedule with the spotlight turning to Tongala next for its annual Eats and Beats Festival on Sunday, October 13.

Following Tongala will be the Kyabram Agricultural Show on Saturday, October 19, the Girgarre Open Gardens Festival on Sunday, October 27, and the Kyabram RV & Country Music Festival taking centre stage from Wednesday, November 6 to Sunday, November 10.

There’s a lot going on around the area this month, so stay tuned to the Free Press website for coverage of all the events.