Mary Valley is preparing for a month of food events with the announcement of the program for their annual GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival.
The fertile soil and microclimates within the Gympie region allow for an extraordinary variety of produce to be nurtured – some that ends its journey on some of Australia’s finest restaurant tables.
Once upon a time, the Mary Valley was ‘pineapple and green bean’ central, along with a thriving dairy industry, but now it is home to organic beef, macadamia plantations, avocado, persimmon, edible bamboo, pumpkin, goat cheese, leafy greens and edible native plants, along with traditional pineapples, beans and dairy.
GourMay Mary Valley is a month-long celebration of the people who create, grow, and harvest produce.
The Festival officially commences on Wednesday, 1 May with an Opening Ceremony held at Honeybee Wellness Retreat, featuring the Mary Valley Variety Show.
The following weeks will be filled with feature dinners, produce demonstrations, workshops, and competitions, including:
– Wine Launch: WindRush Estate will partner with Kandanga Farm Store to launch the vintage 2023 Tempranillo
– Wine Lunches: Dingo Creek will host Vintners Lunch
– Food Festival: Kenilworth Family Fun Day including the Great Mary Valley Camper Damper and a children’s fruit and vegetable sculpture competition.
– Campfire Dining/Music: ‘Bellbird and back…a taste of the trail’ involves a gentle half-hour stroll along the Mary Valley Rail Trail and through a bellbird habitat where a campfire dinner with local foods and music await.
– Campfire Cooking: Inaugural Mary Valley Camp Oven Competition.
– Heritage Railway: the Mary Valley Rattler will operate its Tasting Train and Picnic Train throughout May. The Silver Bullet will team up with Creative Tours on a scenic journey through the valley stopping at local farms for a Taste of the Mary Valley.
– Wild Macadamias: Learn the story of the macadamia nut. Its origins are in the Mary Valley, and the Macadamia Conservation Trust will take you on a walk through the home of the macadamia.
– Long Lunch: Savour the flavours of bushfood with Peter Wolfe at Kandanga Farm Store or the ethically grown produce at Woollahra Homestead.
In addition, there will be film nights based around food themes, and Kenilworth ArtsFest is offering a $2000 prize for the best art work featuring Mary Valley food and production.
Imbil will host Festival Day on Saturday, 25 May, with Sunshine Coast Foodie, Martin Duncan as MC.
The day will include cooking demonstrations, market stalls and conversations with local food legends.
Bushfood expert Peter Wolf will share some tips on how to get the best from native ingredients.
The highlight of Festival Day will be the Great Mary Valley Cooking Challenge pitting four locals in a Mystery Box/ Ready Steady Cook challenge. The winning creation will be crowned GourMay Mary Valley ‘Dish of the Year’ and its creator ‘GourMay Mary Valley Cook of the Year 2024’.
GourMay Mary Valley Food Festival 2024 will end with a Gala dinner.
The menu will showcase the diversity of produce that is grown and produced locally, with entertainment including a live band, DJ, and a special ‘surprise’ performance from internationally acclaimed entertainers.
For the full program and booking details head online to gourmaymaryvalley.com.au.
